Last month, NSAC Policy Associate Helen Dombalis traveled to Oklahoma where she explored the state’s many sustainable agriculture endeavors. Policy Advocacy and Research: GIPSA, Conservation, and Beyond – Yukon and Oklahoma City Helen was joined by sustainable agriculture advocate and farmer Kathy Moore of Anichini-Moore Ranch & Farm and co-founder of the Oklahoma Composting Council. […]
Conservation, Energy & Environment
House Agriculture Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Conservation Programs
On Thursday, July 7, the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and Forestry held an audit hearing to examine USDA conservation programs. This is part of a series of hearings to be held by the House Agriculture Committee leading up to the 2012 Farm Bill. According to the Committee’s press release on the hearing, […]
Ethanol Policy: Shifting from Corn Starch to Cellulosic Sources
This week, Congress continued to signal that federal biofuel policy is shifting from corn starch based ethanol to cellulosic ethanol production. On Friday, Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) announced that some key Senators, including Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John Thune (R-SD), had agreed to end on July 31 the 45 cents per gallon Volume Ethanol […]
House Appropriations Subcommittee Slashes FY2012 EPA Funding
On Thursday July 7, the House Interior and Environment Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee approved an FY2012 spending bill, which includes deep cuts to the budgets of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and riders blocking EPA action with relevance for agriculture. The Subcommittee approved the bill in 8-5 party-line vote. The bill would reduce the […]
United Egg Producers Act to Improve Welfare
United Egg Producers (UEP), an industry association representing 80 percent of US egg producers, today announced it will join with NSAC member The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) to urge Congress to enact a law that will require $4 billion in animal welfare improvements to be phased in over the next 15 to […]
New USDA Report on Crop Insurance and Sodbusting
On Thursday, June 30th, USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) released a report entitled, “Grassland to Cropland Conversion in the Northern Plains: The Role of Crop Insurance, Commodity, and Disaster Program,” which estimates the impact that federal crop insurance and disaster assistance have on grassland conservation in the region. Summary of Findings The report has four […]
Rural Business Opportunity Grants Available
On Friday, July 1, USDA announced the availability of funding for its Rural Business Opportunity Grants program (RBOG). Nonprofit corporations, public bodies, Indian Tribes, and cooperatives whose members are primarily rural residents may apply for up to $50,000 for a project in one state, or for up to $150,000 for a multi-state application. RBOG awards […]
An Action Packed June
It’s been a busy month at NSAC with four separate advocacy campaigns put in play. On June 28th, NSAC and a broad coalition of farm, conservation, wildlife, and forestry organizations representing millions of Americans orchestrated a National Day of Action to protest huge cuts to farm bill conservation programs and an attack on local and […]
Senate Agriculture Committee Livestock Hearing Highlights NRCS Successes
On Tuesday, June 28, Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and the Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing entitled “The State of Livestock in America.” The hearing focused on rising feed prices due to increased worldwide demand for grains, the proposed Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyard Act that is still awaiting the issuance of a final rule […]
Congress Should Reward Farmers Who Are Good Stewards
Check out this post for Common Dreams by Brenna Norton, Grassroots Organizer for NSAC, on the extreme cuts to farm bill conservation programs.
EPA and Army Corps Extend Comment Period for Waters of the U.S. Guidance
On Monday, June 27, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers extended the public comment period by 30 days for the draft guidance on Identifying Waters Protected by the Clean Water Act. The new comment deadline is July 31, 2011. As we reported in late April, the EPA and Army Corps issued […]
National Day of Action
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition For Immediate Release June 28, 2011 Contact: Ferd Hoefner 202-547-5754 National Day of Action to Preserve Conservation and Local Food Development Funding On June 28th, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) and a broad coalition of farm, conservation, wildlife, and forestry organizations representing millions of Americans are joining forces for a […]
Forget Your Farmer, Forget Local Food
The agriculture appropriations bill the House of Representatives just passed slashes $1 billion from mandatory farm bill conservation funding and tells USDA to drop the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative (KYF, KYF). The House measure would slash programs that support farmers who protect the soil and water on which our nation’s future productivity […]
Coalitions Send Letters to President, Congressional Leadership Urging Support for Farm, Food, Conservation Programs
After another series of meetings between Vice President Biden and six congressional leaders attempting to negotiate a deal to raise the federal debt limit while reducing the deficit, the week ended with some dramatic developments. First House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) walked away from the process, followed by Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-AZ). […]
Senate Agriculture Committee Explores Program Duplication and Efficiency
On Thursday, June 23, the Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing with heads of four USDA mission areas to talk about possibilities for streamlining USDA programs, rooting out inefficiencies, and measuring performance. The hearing also touched on ongoing efforts to crack down on fraud and abuse. REAP In one of the harder hitting lines of […]
Senate Agriculture Committee Passes House Pesticides Bill
On Tuesday, June 21, the Senate Agriculture Committee voted favorably on the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act of 2011 (H.R. 872). The bill will now go to the full Senate for a floor vote. Although the bill passed the Committee by a voice vote, Democrats on the Agriculture Committee and others have stated publicly that a […]
400 Organizations Send Letter to Congress to Protect Conservation Programs
On Tuesday, June 21 the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, The Nature Conservancy and 400 other organizations from across the United States sent a letter to Vice President Biden and the “Gang of Six” congressional leaders negotiating a budget deal, as well as Congressional Appropriations leaders, urging them to preserve funding for Federal conservation programs. Federal […]
Senator Feinstein Sponsors Bill to Restrict Antibiotic Use in Livestock Industry
On Friday June 17, Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) introduced the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (PAMTA), S. 1211, which aims to reduce the use of antibiotics in the livestock industry. If the bill becomes law, it would: Phase out the non-therapeutic use of medically important antibiotics in the livestock industry; Require new applications […]
Conflicting Congressional Action on Ethanol Subsidies
This week the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives debated and voted on measures addressing ethanol subsidies with contradictory results. Background in Brief Currently, a Volume Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) provides a $0.45 cent tax credit for each gallon of ethanol blended into gasoline at U.S. refineries. In addition, U.S. ethanol production benefits […]
Genetic Diversity and Food Security
The July 2011 issue of National Geographic magazine carries an excellent piece on the importance of preserving both genetic diversity and farmer knowledge in meeting the world’s growing demand for food. Food Ark, by Charles Siebert, highlights the efforts of several seed banks around the world including the Seed Saver’s Exchange in Decorah, Iowa and […]
Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Visit DC
On June 15, eleven beginning farmers and ranchers from across the country arrived in Washington, DC to tell legislators what measures our country can take to support beginning farmers and ranchers. Anticipating the 2012 Farm Bill process, beginning farmers and ranchers sought support for a marker bill with a package of provisions for beginning farmer […]
House Agriculture Committee to Hold 2012 Farm Bill Hearings
The House Agriculture Committee will begin preparatory hearings on the 2012 Farm Bill next week. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK) spoke about the upcoming hearings during debate of the agriculture appropriations bill by the full House this week. “The process of developing the 2012 farm bill would begin in the Agriculture Committee next […]
USDA Enrolls 2.8 Million Acres in 41st CRP Sign-up
On Monday, June 13, USDA announced the results of the 41st Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) general sign up. According to the press release, USDA accepted 2.8 million acres for enrollment in the program. The sign up was held from March 14-April 15, 2011 The 2.8 million acres were selected from 38,000 offers totaling 3.8 million […]
Crop Insurance Conservation Issues Loom as Spring Planting Proceeds
The 2008 Farm Bill included a measure that would allow governors in states in the Prairie Pothole National Priority Area to opt into a limitation on federal crop insurance or Non Insured Disaster Assistance Program coverage that would help protect native prairie. If a governor opted in, USDA would not offer crop insurance or disaster […]