This post is the first in a two-part series highlighting farmers recognized as White House Champions of Change for Sustainable and Climate-Smart Agriculture. This post features Loretta Jaus of Gibbon, Minnesota. On October 26, the White House honored 12 farmers and educators as White House Champions of Change for Sustainable and Climate-Smart Agriculture. We congratulate all of these hardworking individuals […]
Conservation, Energy & Environment
USDA Awards $173 Million for 1,100 Renewable Energy Projects
On October 26, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced 1,100 renewable energy and energy efficiency awards totaling nearly $173 million through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). REAP provides grants and loans to farmers and businesses for energy efficiency improvements, purchase and development of renewable energy systems, and energy audits. According […]
Congress and White House Reach Budget Deal: What it Means for Agriculture
As the clock struck 11pm on Monday, October 26, Congress and the White House announced that they had reached an agreement on raising the United States debt limit as well as discretionary spending caps for fiscal years (FY) 2016 and 2017. Debt Limit and Spending Caps The agreement suspends the U.S. borrowing cap (also known […]
Revitalizing the Farm through Organic Transition
Last week we highlighted two Iowa farmers who enrolled in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Organic Initiative while they transitioned to organic production. The Organic Initiative, administered by NRCS, provides financial assistance to organic and transitioning producers to implement and install conservation practices tailored to organic producers. Organic and transitioning producers can apply for funds through […]
Using EQIP to Go Organic
Farmers who transition to organic production gain environmental as well as economic benefits when they make the switch to organic. However, these producers take on significant costs during the transition when the organic price premium is not yet reflected in their sales. Transitioning producers also face a unique set of conservation challenges. This guest post from […]
USDA Awards $30 Million for Wetland Enhancement Projects
On October 15, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced six awards totaling $30 million through the Wetland Reserve Enhancement Partnership (WREP). The 2014 Farm Bill authorized WREP as an enrollment option under the Wetland Reserve Easement component of the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) administers WREP. Through […]
NSAC Delivers 2016 Sustainable Agriculture Funding Requests
On Tuesday, October 6, NSAC delivered a letter to members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, urging them to support sustainable agriculture priorities in the final fiscal year 2016 appropriations legislation. Congress is currently debating funding levels for the remainder of 2016 fiscal year, which began on October 1. On the final day of […]
Millions Now Available for Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy Development
The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), a farm bill energy title program, is open for applicants at any time, but application cut-off dates are announced annually. For fiscal year (FY) 2016, the dates range from November 2, 2015 to May 2, 2016, and in limited cases into the summer of 2016, as detailed below […]
Clean Water Act – News from the Week
This week brought increased attention to the Clean Water Act (“the Act”), with a court decision on information collection and large animal feeding operations, which are regulated under the Act, as well as a Senate subcommittee hearing on the Act’s “waters of the U.S.” finalized rule, which went into effect at the end of August. The […]
Organic Production Survey: A Deeper Dive
This blog explores several areas of the 2014 Organic Production Survey that have not been extensively covered already. The areas include: demographics and income, crop insurance use, USDA conservation program participation, and the source of the overall loss of organic acreage…. Read More →
New Publication Highlights Opportunities and Challenges for Organic Transition
Farmers and ranchers transition to organic production for a wide range of environmental, economic, and production reasons, but throughout the transition process, they may also encounter challenges regarding labor requirements, input supplies, weed management, yields, or cash flow. A new publication, Making the Transition to Organic: Ten Farm Profiles, highlights organic opportunities and offers strategies to […]
Over 100 Organizations Deliver Letter Opposing Cuts to Conservation
On Thursday, September 17, more than 100 organizations from around the country delivered a letter urging the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to “protect mandatory funding for farm bill conservation programs, support robust discretionary funding for Conservation Technical Assistance, and reject any attempt to undermine highly erodible land and wetland conservation compliance” in fiscal year […]
USDA Seeks Input on New Report on Climate Change and Food Security
On Tuesday, September 8, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published a draft of the interagency assessment report, “Climate Change, Global Food Security, and the U.S. Food System” in the Federal Register. USDA is requesting input from the public through October 8, and will publish the final report online when it becomes available. While the […]
USDA Announces $20 Million in Awards for Innovative Conservation Projects
On Tuesday, September 15, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it will award $20.5 million across 45 conservation projects through the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program. The CIG program supports the development and testing of promising new conservation technologies and approaches, with the goal of making them available for use as quickly as […]
Millions Available for Production of Second-Generation Biofuels
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the availability of $7.7 million through the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) for producers to grow biomass for bioenergy production within four existing BCAP “project areas.” Project areas are geographic areas within which producers can establish and produce perennial biomass such as poplar, switchgrass, and […]
To Till and to Keep: Towards a New Agriculture
Guest Blog by Robert Gronski, Policy Coordinator for Catholic Rural Life and a long-time NSAC member and contributor After the release of Laudato Si: On Care of Our Common Home earlier this summer, Pope Francis has said on occasion that this is a social encyclical, not an ecological one. I believe it can also be […]
Guest Blog: New Study Points to Benefits of Conservation for Food Safety
Editor’s Note: This blog was co-authored with Jo Ann Baumgartner. Jo Ann, formerly an organic farmer, is executive director of the Wild Farm Alliance. She works on conservation-based agriculture and is the author of A Farmer’s Guide to Food Safety and Conservation: Facts, Tips and Frequently Asked Questions. Wild Farm Alliance is a represented NSAC […]
USDA Awards $63 Million for Renewable Energy Generation and Energy Conservation
On August 7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced $63 million in grants and loans to 264 renewable energy generation and energy conservation projects through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). Projects and Funding Breakdown Of the $63 million, USDA awarded $3.6 million as grants and $59.3 million as loan guarantees. According to […]
DARK Act Approved in the House
On July 23, the House of Representatives has passed H.R. 1599, the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015, also known as the “Deny Americans the Right to Know” or DARK Act. The final vote was 275 to 150. A dozen GOP members voted no and 45 Democratic members voted yes. Among conservative “blue […]
Cover Crop Survey Confirms Benefits and Points to Future Research
For the third year in a row, the results of an annual cover crop survey of farmers around the country confirm the benefits and expansion of cover crops on U.S. cropland. USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program recently released the results of the 2014-2015 Cover Crop Survey, which assessed the benefits, challenges, and […]
What’s in the Senate Funding Bill for Sustainable Agriculture?
Pop quiz: What do Frankenfish, Orca Whales, and whole grains all have in common? Answer: They were all part of the amendment process today as the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced their version of next year’s federal funding bill for food, agriculture, and rural development. Read on for our analysis of the Senate funding bill that […]
DARK Act Approved by the House Agriculture Committee
On Tuesday, July 14, the House Agriculture Committee approved the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015, also known as the “Deny Americans’ Right to Know” or DARK Act by opponents. The passage of the most recent version of the bill gives more authority to the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service to oversee voluntary non-GMO […]
National Working Group Recommends Path to Improved Soil Health
Late last month, the National Working Group on Cover Crops and Soil Health released a list of ten recommendations for improving soil health and expanding the use of cover crops to achieve that goal. The Working Group rolled out the recommendations in a presentation to a variety of Washington D.C. based agriculture and conservation groups, including […]
House Committee Passes USDA-FDA Funding Bill, Rejects Reform Amendments
On Wednesday, July 8, the House Appropriations Committee passed the 2016 Agriculture Appropriations bill, which funds most of the programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA). You can visit our previous post for a full breakdown of the bill as it stood before debate by the full […]