In early September of 2014, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced that it had awarded $328 million for 380 wetland, grassland, and farmland conservation easements covering 129,000 acres in the first year of the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). At that time, NRCS did not have additional information on the types of easements that […]
Conservation, Energy & Environment
Farm and Conservation Organizations Speak Out on Conservation Program Rules
Sixty farm and conservation organizations including many NSAC member and partner organizations joined in a letter to the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) recommending several changes to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to increase EQIP’s ability to improve sustainability, optimize the program’s cost-effectiveness, better serve organic farmers, and support a shift toward more […]
Release: New Free Tools Help Farmers, Ranchers Apply for Conservation Stewardship Program Before February 27 Deadline
Washington, DC February 11, 2015 – With a February 27 deadline approaching, farmers and ranchers have only two weeks left to apply to enroll in the federal Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) for 2015. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) has released two free resources to help farmers and ranchers nationwide learn how the program works […]
Attack on WOTUS Continues
In the latest congressional attack on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) regulation of the Waters of the United States (WOTUS), the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure held a two-part joint hearing on the Impacts of the Proposed Waters of the United States Rule on State […]
Senate Bill Would Cap Crop Insurance Subsidies
On Tuesday February 3, Senators Shaheen and Toomey introduced legislation to cap crop insurance subsidies at $50,000 per entity. According to the Congressional Budget Office, this payment limit would save the federal government $2.2 billion over 10 years while impacting only 2.5 percent of producers. Currently, the federal government subsidizes, on average, 62 percent of […]
Got CSP Questions? We’ve Got Answers!
The deadline for farmers and ranchers to sign-up for CSP has been extended by USDA until March 13…. Read More →
What Does the President’s 2016 Budget Mean for Sustainable Agriculture?
There are some positive signs in the budget request for sustainable food and agriculture priorities, but also some very major disappointments…. Read More →
Sustainable Farming in the South: NSAC Members Gather in Georgia
Earlier this week, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) held its bi-annual meeting on Jekyll Island in Southeastern Georgia. Representatives of NSAC’s member organizations convened to discuss and set NSAC priorities for 2015, plan grassroots actions for the year, and engage on sustainable agriculture issues with other advocates from around the country. Georgia Organics, a […]
Sign up now for the Conservation Stewardship Program for 2015
Interested in enrolling in the Conservation Stewardship Program? Submit your application by February 27…. Read More →
USDA Requests Proposals for 2015 Conservation Innovation Grants
Pre-proposals for the Conservation Innovation Grants program are due to the NRCS by February 24…. Read More →
USDA Announces $370 Million in Conservation Partnership Awards
Secretary Tom Vilsack announces awards for the recently created Regional Conservation Partnership Program…. Read More →
Act Now: Comments on Conservation Stewardship Program are Due January 20!
Using sustainable farming methods to grow food and fiber is nothing new – in fact, sustainable farming is the foundation of growing practices in our nation and around the world. Although many of today’s farmers know more than a thing or two about feeding our nation’s families while conserving soil for future generations, keeping our […]
Release: Farmers and the public must act to help improve nation’s largest conservation program
January 13, 2015, Washington, D.C. – The nation’s largest federal conservation program that helps working farmers manage their land sustainably – the Conservation Stewardship Program – is in major need of improvements, says the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, reflecting the views of farmer constituents of their member organizations. Problems with the program are making it […]
Take Action for Farmers, Clean Water, Healthy Soil!
The Conservation Stewardship Program needs your help TODAY!… Read More →
Farm and Rural Small Business Energy Grant Deadlines Announced
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 2015, the dates range from February through June, as detailed below and in the Federal Register of December 28, 2014. REAP provides two types of funding assistance […]
USDA Releases Final Environmental Impact Analysis of 2014 Farm Bill Changes to CRP
On Tuesday, December 23, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) published a Final Supplemental Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (SPEIS) examining the changes made to the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) through the 2014 Farm Bill. FSA will accept public comments on the final SPEIS through February 15, 2015. NSAC submitted comments on the Draft […]
USDA Extends Comment Period for Conservation Stewardship Program Rules
On Tuesday, December 23, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) extended the comment period on the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) Interim Final Rule until January 20. The original 60-day comment period was scheduled to close on January 5, 2015; however, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) concluded that more time is needed “to ensure that the […]
Top 14 of 2014: A Look at This Year’s Key Victories for Sustainable Food and Farming
As 2014 comes to a close, we thought we would take a moment to recognize and celebrate this year’s victories for sustainable food and farming. Among the successes? From new or restored farm bill programs that are up and running, important progress on our campaign priorities, hill visits and hearings, and the release of our […]
It’s a Wrap – This Congress is Over – Final Bills and Letters
Both the House and Senate have now finished, bringing this Congress to a close. A new Congress — the 114th — begins in January. This post summarizes some end of session activity. Legislation Government Spending Bill — The Senate approved the so-called “cromnibus” appropriations bill on Saturday, December 13 and the bill was signed into […]
Environmental Quality Incentives Program Rules Revised
On December 12, 2014 the US Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) published revised rules for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). EQIP is a voluntary conservation program that provides farmers and ranchers with financial cost-share assistance and technical assistance to implement conservation practices on working agricultural land. EQIP funds are available through […]
Final Budget Bill Guts Conservation Funding and Farmer Protections
Late on December 9, Congress released their final annual appropriations bill to keep the government running for the rest of the fiscal year, and while there is some good news, overall it’s bleak news for sustainable agriculture – complete with drastic cuts to critical conservation programs and anti-farmer policy riders that favor big livestock integrators over actual […]
Final LSP Crop Insurance White Paper Released with Principles for Reform
On December 9, the Land Stewardship Project (LSP) released a new white paper, How Crop Insurance Hurts the Next Generation of Farmers, the final of three white papers on the federal crop insurance program . This final white paper was released alongside a “Principles of Reform” document that outlines LSP’s ideas for reform of the […]
CSP by the Numbers: 2014 Sign-up Data
Over 7,600 farmers and ranchers enrolled over 9.5 million acres in advanced conservation through the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) in Fiscal Year (FY) 2014. CSP provides technical and financial assistance to farmers and ranchers to address regional natural resource concerns, like water quality, soil erosion, and critical habitat. The program covers more working farm and ranch […]
GAO: Updated Report on the Cost of Climate Change to the Federal Crop Insurance
On November 20, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a new report on climate change and the federal flood insurance and crop insurance programs. This report is similar to one GAO released in 2007 that found that climate change could increase the financial risks associated with the federal government’s insurance programs. The new report focuses […]