Since January, the Senate has been holding confirmation hearings for President Trump’s cabinet nominees. On Thursday, March 23, the Senate Agriculture Committee held its confirmation hearing for Trump’s pick for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary, Sonny Perdue, the last of Trump’s cabinet nominees to be vetted by the Senate. The Committee will soon schedule […]
Farm Bill
Making the match between beginning farmers and landowners
With the 2018 Farm Bill debates already well underway, a lot of attention has been paid recently to a program likely not well known outside of agricultural circles – the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). CRP is an important conservation tool that provides cost-share and rental payments that help farmers to […]
Path to the 2018 Farm Bill: Commodities and Crop Insurance
Editor’s Note: As a lead up to the 2018 Farm Bill, around which discussions and debate in Congress have already begun, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is previewing some of the major programs and policies advocates need to know in order to effectively engage. The third post in our series, “Path to the 2018 Farm […]
Farm Bill Hearing Explores the Role of Agricultural Research
Agricultural research is little understood, but an incredibly important part of our food and agricultural economies. It is through agricultural research programs that we are able to develop more resilient seeds and crops, learn more about how to manage soil health, and conduct on-farm research experiments that help farmers and ranchers be more effective and […]
Path to the 2018 Farm Bill: Conservation
Editor’s Note: As a lead up to the 2018 Farm Bill, around which discussions and debate in Congress have already begun, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is previewing some of the major programs and policies advocates need to know in order to effectively engage. The second post in our series, “Path to the 2018 Farm […]
Farmers Testify Before House Agriculture Committee on Needs of Specialty Crop Industry
March is always a busy time in the capital. Spring in DC not only means the cherry blossom trees are about to bloom, it also means Congress and advocacy organizations are hunkering down for a frenetic policymaking schedule that starts with the annual appropriations process. In the year leading up to the expiration of the […]
RELEASE: Massachusetts Family Farmer Testifies on Importance of USDA Programs to Specialty Crop Growers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik, 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Massachusetts Family Farmer Testifies Before House Agriculture Subcommittee on Importance of USDA Programs to Specialty Crop Growers Laura Davis and her family own and operate Long Life Farm in Hopkinton, MA Washington, DC, March 9, 2017 – Today, Massachusetts farmer and President of the Board of […]
Path to the 2018 Farm Bill: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
As a lead-up to the 2018 Farm Bill, around which discussions and debate in Congress have already begun, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) is previewing some of the major programs and policies advocates need to know in order to effectively engage. The first post in our series, “Path to the 2018 Farm Bill,” covers […]
Congressional Hearings Kick Off Farm Bill and Appropriations Season
In recent weeks, the debate around the next farm bill – which will be up for reauthorization next year – has begun to gain momentum. The Senate Agriculture Committee held its first field hearing last week in Kansas and yesterday the House Agriculture Committee held its first subcommittee hearing focused on the farm bill, choosing […]
Celebrate Community Supported Agriculture on National CSA Day!
You’ve probably heard about “CSA”s before, those boxes and bags of fresh fruit, vegetables, eggs and meat that your friends or neighbors get once a week from a local farmer – but what exactly are they, and should you sign up for one? Community Supported Agriculture programs, or CSAs for short, are a marketing system […]
PRESS COMMENT: Farm and Food Groups Oppose Attempts to Reopen the 2014 Farm Bill
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik, 202-547-5754, RKovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Greg Fogel, 202-547-5754, GFogel@sustainableagriculture.net Farm and Food Groups Oppose Attempts to Reopen the 2014 Farm Bill Coalition asks House and Senate Budget and Appropriations Committees to protect mandatory funding for critical farm and food assistance programs Washington, DC, February 21, 2017 – Today, a broad alliance […]
How Sustainable Agriculture Advocates Can Take Action in 2017
With a new president and the 115th Congress recently sworn in, farmers and sustainable agriculture advocates around the country have been asking: What does this new Administration and Congress mean for agriculture and food policy? How can we most effectively advocate and continue to make change on the issues that we care about? Here at […]
Expanded Opportunities for Organic Certification Assistance
The annual process of organic certification can be expensive, but it is an essential step for farmers who hope to capitalize on the growing demand for certified organic foods. Organic certification cost share assistance, available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is one good option for small and mid-sized organic farmers and producers looking to […]
RELEASE: Organic Certification Just Got Easier Thanks to Reformatted Cost Share Program
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik, 202-547-5754, RKovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Alyssa Charney, 202-547-5754, ACharney@sustainableagriculture.net Organic Certification Just Got Easier Thanks to Reformatted Cost Share Program National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition praises USDA efforts to improve access to organic certification funding Washington DC, December 21, 2016 – Thanks to a newly re-positioned farmer cost share program, announced today […]
Local/Regional Food Sector Moves Out of Data Dark Ages
Data is crucial for any well functioning market – producers, investors, and consumers alike need to understand market trends and dynamics in order to make sound business decisions. This is as true for farmers and ranchers as it is for Wall Street executives. Growers, however, have long struggled due to a lack of useful data […]
Post-Election: What’s Next for Food and Agriculture?
As we prepare for our first Administration change in eight years, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) wants to ensure that a diverse coalition of family farmers and ranchers, conservationists, and local and regional food enthusiasts have a place at the table. The election of any new President comes with many challenges and opportunities. In […]
If We Want a “Farm Bill for the Future,” Support for Beginning Farmers is Key
The presidential election is getting most of the attention this fall, but come November 8th we’ll also be welcoming in the 115th Congress – including some incumbents, but also many new members. With Election Day less than three weeks away, conversations around what will get top billing on the incoming Congress’ agenda are already underway. Amidst […]
Comprehensive Urban Agriculture Bill Can Help Grow More Sustainable Cities
Americans’ interest in knowing more about where, by whom, and how their food is produced has been steadily building over the last decade. As the local food movement has grown, so too has interest in urban agriculture. Urban agriculture gives city dwellers a chance to purchase foods from farmers not just in their state, but […]
Millions Awarded for Local Food and Direct Market Projects
Local and regional food systems are expanding nationwide; supporting job growth in agriculture, revitalized rural and urban communities and increased consumer access to healthy sustainable local food and farm products. Developing markets for local and regionally produced food – building connections between farmers and consumers is no small task. That’s why the U.S. Department of […]
A Breakdown of the Senate’s Annual Food and Farm Spending Bill
Each year, Congress debates and makes key decisions about federal funding priorities for all government agencies, programs, and initiatives – including programs and resources that support our nation’s farmers and ranchers. This week marks an important step in that process (known as appropriations), as the Senate Appropriations Committee approved a bill to fund the U.S. […]
Senators Defend Conservation Funding in FY 2017 Budget Negotiations
On Thursday, March 17, 33 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) 2017. Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Chris Coons (D-DE) steered the effort, as they have done in previous years. Included among the […]
House Republican Leadership and Conservative Wing Close in on Reaching Budget Agreement
In recent weeks, the leaders of the Republican Party in the House have been negotiating with the Party’s most conservative wing to reach an agreement on federal spending. The vehicle for the agreement would be a “budget resolution,” which the House and Senate are charged with passing each year in order to set top-line spending […]
Final Actively Engaged Rule Preserves Unlimited Subsidies for the Biggest Farms
USDA has released the final rule for implementation of the 2014 Farm Bill’s “actively engaged” provision that governs commodity program payment limitations. This final rule governs the ability of non-family partnerships and joint ventures to qualify for hundreds of thousands of dollar of extra federal subsidy payments. This is one of the last final rules […]
CSP Overhaul Delayed Until 2017
The major overhaul of the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) will be delayed one year until the 2017… Read More →