With seeds in the soil and summer approaching, deadlines for federal farm and food grant programs are coming up as quickly as your seedlings! For farmers, ranchers, and groups who work with producers, the next few months are critical to ensure timely and successful completion of applications, so read on! NSAC has compiled a list of upcoming deadlines […]
Conservation, Energy & Environment
House Passes Bill to Withdraw Clean Water Rule
In yet another attempt to halt the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed rule clarifying the scope of its jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act, the House passed a bill on May 11 requiring EPA to withdraw the proposed rule and start the process over. The bill passed 261-155, with all voting Republicans in favor of […]
130 Organizations Deliver Letter Opposing Cuts to Conservation
On Tuesday, May 5, more than 130 organizations from around the country urged the House and Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittees to oppose cuts to farm bill conservation funding in fiscal year (FY) 2016 appropriations legislation. The letter was sent by a broad range of groups, including the American Seed Trade Association, National Farmers Union, American Society […]
New Funding Available for Conservation Partnership Projects
On Monday, May 4, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the availability of up to $235 million to fund conservation projects through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) in fiscal year 2016. As its name implies, RCPP supports partnerships between farm and conservation organizations working with state and federal agencies to deliver federal farm […]
2016 Budget Resolution and Appropriations in Process
The House and Senate passed their respective versions of the annual budget resolution at the end of March, leading to expectations that a final version might be hashed out by close to the statutory target date of April 15. Though missing that deadline, the negotiations between House and Senate Budget Committee GOP leadership are now […]
USDA Awards $2 Million for Energy Audits and Renewable Energy
On Wednesday, April 22, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the first round of fiscal year 2015 awards for the Rural Energy for American Program (REAP). The $2 million will go out to 25 intermediary entities such as universities and electric cooperatives to provide energy audits and renewable energy development assistance to producers and small businesses in […]
USDA Awards $10 Million in Water Quality Assistance through Mississippi River Basin Initiative
On April 7, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack awarded $10 million through the Mississippi River Basin Initiative (MRBI) for 27 new conservation projects, each located in a watershed new to the Initiative, as well as 13 ongoing projects that have previously received MRBI funding. These new awards build upon $18.5 million that was invested through […]
New Study Exposes Conversion of Millions of Acres of Grasslands and Forests
On Thursday, April 2, a research team from the University of Wisconsin published a new study revealing the conversion of 7.34 million acres of uncultivated land to cropland between 2008 and 2012. The researchers focused on land that had not been cultivated during the eight years preceding the conversion. “In the US Corn Belt (supplementary figure […]
Wetland and Farmland Easement Funding Available
On Tuesday, March 31, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that $322 million is now available for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) for fiscal year (FY) 2015. The deadline for applications for enrollment in FY 2015 is May 15, 2015. Wetlands and grasslands are some of our most threatened national land resources across […]
Senators Speak Up for Conservation Funding in 2016
On Friday, March 27, 29 Senators delivered a letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee urging them to oppose cuts to conservation programs in fiscal year (FY) 2016 appropriations legislation. Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) led the letter. Among the many other signers was Senate Agriculture Committee […]
Budget Resolutions Set Stage for Appropriations; Farm Bill Re-Opening Still a Possibility
This week the House and Senate both passed their respective budget resolutions for fiscal year (FY) 2016. The House passed its budget on Wednesday, March 25 while the Senate passed its budget in the wee hours of Friday morning. Budget resolutions provide the blueprint for the appropriations process that will take place in the coming […]
Digging Deeper into Continuous CRP Enrollments
Earlier this month, NSAC teamed up with water quality, conservation, and grain and oilseed processor groups to encourage the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) to set aside at least a third of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres for Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CCRP) including the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) and the State Acres for Wildlife […]
Agriculture Funding Debates Continue, Decisions Loom
This week and last, the House and Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittees continued their examination of the Obama Administration’s budget request for fiscal year (FY) 2016. Food & Drug Administration On Thursday, March 12, Senate appropriators questioned the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about their increased budget request to support implementation of the Food Safety Modernization […]
Farmers, Ranchers Visit DC to Speak Out on Critical Sustainable Agriculture Programs
On March 18th, independent family farmers and ranchers from all over the country traveled to DC to meet with their Congressional members to advocate for critical sustainable agriculture programs. They discussed the importance of federal funding for programs that support working lands conservation, agricultural research, and food safety outreach. Over the course of the day, the farmers met with their Senators and Representatives to discuss their personal experiences working with sustainable agriculture programs. The farmers explained how funding for these programs is an effective investment in rural economies, local food systems, and environmental improvement…. Read More →
The Farm Bill Reloaded
The House Budget Committee is expected to markup the fiscal year 2016 budget resolution on Wednesday March 18. The Senate Budget Committee is expected to follow suit the next day…. Read More →
Budget Time on Capitol Hill – Farm Bill to be Re-Opened?
Two recent events on Capitol Hill are colliding in a potentially significant way. First, on March 9, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) – the scorekeeper for federal legislators on budgetary matters – issued its budget “baseline” that will be used in decision-making on legislative proposals for the balance of this year, including the annual congressional budget resolution process that is about to begin…. Read More →
Letters Supports CRP Conservation Buffers and Grasslands
Farmers can protect the environment by placing small portions of their farms in permanent vegetation designed to control or intercept soil, nutrients, and pesticides and to slow wind and snow. Often referred to generically as conservation buffers, these targeted environmental practices can be in-field (e.g., contour grass strips), at the edge of fields (e.g., field […]
Sign Up For CSP By Friday, March 13!
The deadline to enroll in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) for 2015 ends on Friday, March 13! Applications can be submitted to your local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office at any time throughout the year, but if you miss the March 13 cutoff, then your application won’t be considered until 2016. What is CSP? […]
Farmers Can Participate in Cover Crop Survey
The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program is sponsoring a national survey on cover crops that is being conducted by the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC). CTIC and SARE are asking farmers of all stripes to respond to the survey; there is no need to be a current user of cover crops. The survey […]
Upcoming Deadlines for Federal Farm and Food Grant Programs
NSAC has compiled a list of upcoming deadlines for federal grant applications and grant assistance workshops…. Read More →
Congress Holds Hearings on Farm Bill and USDA Funding
Last week, the House Subcommittee on Agriculture Appropriations held three hearings to examine the Obama Administration’s budget requests for fiscal year (FY) 2016. The House and Senate Agriculture Committees also held hearings. The House Committee held two hearings on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), while the Senate Committee held a hearing to examine the […]
Rural Community-based Research Receives $14 Million in Funding
Earlier this week, the USDA announced $14 million in funding towards research projects aimed at strengthening rural economies. The awards encompass a wide variety of issues affecting rural communities and small and medium-sized farms including food safety, conservation, marketplace economics, local food systems, and pollinator health. The funding comes from the Agricultural Economics and Rural Communities […]
Release: Conservation Stewardship Program Sign-Up Extended to March 13
Washington, DC February 23, 2015 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has extended the sign-up period for the 2015 edition of the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) – the federal farm bill’s largest working lands conservation program. Farmers and ranchers now have two additional weeks – until March 13 – to complete the initial application form. Coinciding […]
NSAC Policy Director and Former NRCS Chief Pen Guest Blog for AGree
On February 18, NSAC Policy Director Ferd Hoefner and former NRCS Chief Bruce Knight published the following blog on AGree’s foodandagpolicy.org website. The blog explores the intersection of crop insurance and conservation practices that could improve the health of the land while also increasing yields. The blog was posted in conjunction with the release of […]