Did you know that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is currently accepting applications for contract renewal in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)? CSP is a comprehensive working lands conservation program that provides technical and financial assistance to farmers and ranchers to actively manage and maintain existing conservation systems and […]
Conservation, Energy & Environment
RELEASE: National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Sets 2020 Policy Priorities
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana KovalcikNational Sustainable Agriculture CoalitionP: 202-547-5754, E: rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Sets 2020 Policy Priorities Washington, DC, February 4, 2020 – Last week, representatives from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition’s (NSAC) 130+ member organizations voted on a final set of policy and funding priorities to guide the Coalition’s work through 2020. “This collaborative priority […]
EQIP Interim Final Rule Falls Short on Sustainability
Every five years (or so), a new farm bill is passed which makes important changes to federal farm and food programs. The 2018 Farm Bill, passed in late December 2018, was no exception. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) was one of many programs to receive updates in the farm […]
Congress Clears FY 2020 Appropriations Packages
This week, after months of delay, Congress passed a much-anticipated deal to fund the government through the end of fiscal year (FY) 2020. FY 2020 runs through September 30, 2020. The $1.4 trillion package of discretionary spending bills, which was divided up into two “minibuses”, was finally delivered this week after months of rigorous advocacy […]
Conservation Reserve Program Signup Begins, USDA Announces New Rule
For almost 35 years, the farm bill’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has paid farmers and land owners to take highly erodible and other environmentally sensitive lands out of crop production and enroll them instead in conserving practices. Through CRP, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) pays farmers to set aside land for grass or tree […]
COMMENT: FY 2020 “Minibus” Bolsters Farm Bill Wins for Sustainable Agriculture
The final appropriations package builds upon the sustainable agriculture community’s hard-fought farm bill wins and delivers much-needed support to family farmers across the country at a time when good news is increasingly hard to come by. … Read More →
New On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials Program Awards Over $24 Million
Conservation innovators recently received a major infusion of support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), which last month announced over $24 million in awards for On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials (On-Farm Trials). Sixteen projects received awards this cycle ranging from $280,000 to $3,000,000. These projects will advance innovative conservation practices […]
Make Your Voice Heard: Conservation Stewardship Program Interim Rule
Careful stewardship of the land and natural resources is a top priority for most family farmers – a deep and abiding attachment to the land that provides for their livelihoods is part of what makes them so good at their jobs. Since 2003, the federal government has provided financial support to farmers who go above […]
A Call for Climate-Focused Agriculture Policy
Editor’s Note: This post was written by Tara Ritter, Senior Program Associate with the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) and edited by the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC). IATP is a member organization of NSAC, and Tara serves as Co-Chair of NSAC’s Climate Change Subcommittee. The current Administration has gone to great lengths […]
RELEASE: Moving American Agriculture to “Net Zero”
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition has been helping farmers adopt climate-smart practices for decades, and today released a new report of policy and practice recommendations based on the latest climate science: Agriculture and Climate Change: Policy Imperatives and Opportunities to Help Producers Meet the Challenge. … Read More →
Exploring Agriculture’s Role in Addressing Climate Change
The House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis held a hearing last Wednesday, October 30, 2019 to discuss the role of agriculture in identifying and implementing solutions to the climate crisis. This is the first time that the Select Committee has focused on the potential for America’s farmers and ranchers to be a positive force […]
Presidential Candidates Give Air Time to Climate Change and Agriculture
Fourteen months may seem like a long ways away, unless you’re talking campaign politics. A slew of Democratic challengers to President Trump, as well as a handful of Republicans, have already been making their case to the public for months. What makes this cycle particularly interesting for food and agriculture advocates is the attention that […]
Applications Now Open for Rural Renewable Energy Projects
As climate variability increases and energy costs continue to rise, producing on-farm, renewable energy has become an attractive option for many farmers and ranchers. In order to help farmers and ranchers save money and utilize renewable energy, the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) provides grants and loans to farmers and rural businesses interested in […]
USDA Updates Options for Cover Crop Termination
Cover crops are a critical tool that farmers can use to improve soil health, reduce erosion, retain moisture, and suppress weeds. Especially as farmers are up against devastating floods, drought, and unpredictable weather and pressures, cover crop adoption is an essential practice to build resilient systems and mitigate risk. Despite these clear benefits for risk […]
Cover Crops – Good for Crop Yields, Soil Health, and Bottom Lines
The benefits of cover crops have long been known to farmers, and today, they are also increasingly being studied by agricultural researchers. Despite their benefits to crop yields, soil health, and farmers’ bottom lines, however, many obstacles to cover crop adoption still remain. One significant barrier for many farmers is the cost of introducing cover […]
Difficult Planting and Cover Crop Decisions Compounded by Policy Uncertainty
Heavy, consistent rain and flooding so far this year have significantly obstructed planting for farmers in the Midwest and throughout the country. For farmers who cannot plant, there are a variety of options (including planting cover crops), but in some cases the details remain murky – complicating farmers’ planting decisions. This blog briefly discusses those […]
Appropriations Victories in Sight, Farmers Flock to DC to Keep Momentum Going
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana KovalcikNational Sustainable Agriculture CoalitionP: 202-547-5754, E: rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Appropriations Victories in Sight, Farmers Flock to DC to Keep Momentum GoingNational Sustainable Agriculture Coalition fly-in participants hope to secure FY 2020 appropriations wins in final spending package Washington, D.C., June 27, 2019 – With big wins already secured for sustainable agriculture in […]
Upcoming Deadline to Enroll in Continuous CRP or Transition Incentives Program
UPDATE: The deadline for farmers wishing to re-enroll or enroll new land under the Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CCRP) signup period (“signup 52”) is August 23, 2019. Information provided about the signup window from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) originally stated that there was not a deadline set for applicants […]
2017 Census of Agriculture Drilldown: Conservation and Energy
Earlier this spring, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released the long-awaited 2017 Census of Agriculture – a once every five years report that has been in publication since 1840. The Census of Agriculture is a critical tool for farmers, researchers, and food/farm activists because of the wealth of data it contains about everything from […]
$12.5 Million Available for Conservation Innovation Grants
Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced the availability of $12.5 million for the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program. This funding is in addition to the $25 million in funding that was announced last week for on-farm trials (a new CIG sub-program established under the 2018 Farm Bill). This […]
Congressional Hearings Examine Climate Change and Agriculture
Underscoring the growing national awareness of and concern over climate change’s impact on agriculture, last week Congress held two hearings in advance of their Memorial Day recess to examine the issue in detail. In the Senate, the Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing titled “Climate Change and the Agriculture Sector” which discussed how agriculture can […]
Continuous Conservation Reserve Program Enrollment Window Opens Next Month
Last week, the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced that they would begin accepting applications on June 3, 2019 for the Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CCRP). CCRP pays farmers to install partial field conservation practices, primarily conservation buffers or wildlife habitat. For this current enrollment opportunity, eligible practices are limited […]
COMMENT: Renewed Focus on Climate Change Presents Opportunities for Sustainable Agriculture
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Renewed Focus on Climate Change Presents Opportunities for Sustainable AgricultureNational Sustainable Agriculture Coalition applauds Senate Agriculture Committee for underscoring the important role of producers in climate change mitigation and adaptation Washington, DC, May 21, 2019 – Today, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, […]
$25 Million Available for On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials
Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced the availability of $25 million in annual funding to advance the adoption and evaluation of innovative conservation practices on agricultural lands. The funding for on-farm trials is available as a sub-program of the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program, authorized under […]