In May, as the country grappled with an emerging global pandemic and unprecedented demand for food assistance, a national collaboration of organizations working on food systems and healthy food access officially launched the Nutrition Incentive Hub. Funded through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Institute for Food and […]
Farm Bill
Inaugural Urban Agriculture and Community Compost Funding Opportunities Announced
Americans’ interest in knowing more about where, how, and by whom their food is produced has been growing for many years and the coronavirus pandemic has shown new light on the serious shortcomings in our highly concentrated food production system. Along with the rise of the local food movement there has also been a building […]
A Deeper Dive: The Regional Conservation Partnership Program Rule
The Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) has helped conserve thousands of acres across the country by promoting partnerships between producers and organizations, with support from the federal government. These partnerships, most often led by non-profit conservation organizations, involve sometimes hundreds of landowners and work to address resource concerns across landscapes and watersheds. Earlier this year, […]
$27 million in Grant Funding Available for Farmers Markets and Local Food Projects
On March 9, 2020 USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced the availability of $27 million in funding for the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program (FMLFPP). FMLFPP has two subprograms – the Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) and the Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP) – with a separate Request for Applications (RFA) for each […]
Congressional Hearings Discuss Farm Bill Implementation, Relocation and Climate Change
With the authorization phase of the Farm Bill concluded, attention has turned this year to implementation of the 2018 Farm Bill. During this phase, Congress continues to oversee and fund implementation, while the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is tasked with implementing the programs and policies authorized under the new farm bill. Congressional oversight is […]
Two-Year Budget Deal Includes Major Offsets, Impacts Farm + Food Programs
After months of uncertainty and start-and-stop negotiations between Congress and the White House, last week congressional leaders finally announced a two-year budget agreement. In addition to setting top-line funding levels so that the government can keep running, the budget deal sets annual discretionary spending caps for defense and non-defense programs for fiscal years (FY) 2020 […]
From the Farm to the Hill: NSAC Hosts FY 2020 Farmer Fly-in
Last week, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) brought in over a dozen farmers and advocates for the Coalition’s second “farmer fly-in” of 2019. Fly-in advocates from ten different states across the country came to DC to champion the federal programs important to them and their communities before congressional appropriators. Currently, Congress is negotiating federal […]
REE Readout: Research, Education, and Extension Farm Bill Implementation Efforts
As part of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition’s (NSAC) ongoing efforts to ensure that farm bill programs are as successful and supportive of family farmers as possible, NSAC provides feedback and recommendations to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) following the bill’s passage. Earlier this spring, USDA launched a series of “listening sessions” to solicit […]
USDA Listening Sessions Offer Opportunities for Stakeholder Engagement in Farm Bill Implementation
In an effort to engage farmers and other stakeholders in the implementation process for the 2018 Farm Bill, this week the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) launched the first of many formal listening sessions to gather public input. On Tuesday, USDA’s Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) Mission Area held a formal listening session at the […]
Congressional Hearings Kick Off Farm Bill Implementation Phase
This week, Congress started a new chapter in the 2018 Farm Bill process: oversight of the Department’s implementation efforts. The passage and signing of the new farm bill at the end of last year marked the conclusion of the bill’s “authorization phase,” and now that the fiscal year (FY) 2019 appropriations bill is finally in […]
A Closer Look at the 2018 Farm Bill: Farming Opportunities Training and Outreach Program
Editor’s Note: This is the final post in a multi-part blog series digging deeper into some of the new programs and policies of the 2018 Farm Bill. These posts detail how the new farm bill is likely to impact core sustainable agriculture programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Previous posts focused on: working lands conservation, local and regional food systems, and nutrition incentive and anti-hunger programs. […]
A Closer Look at the 2018 Farm Bill: Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program
Editor’s Note: This is the third post in a multi-part blog series digging deeper into some of the programs and policies of the 2018 Farm Bill. These posts will detail how the new farm bill is likely to impact core sustainable agriculture programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Previous posts focused on: working lands conservation and local/regional food programs. Our final post of […]
A Closer Look at the 2018 Farm Bill: Local Agriculture Market Program
Editor’s Note: This is the second post in a multi-part blog series digging deeper into some of the programs and policies of the 2018 Farm Bill. These posts will detail how the new farm bill is likely to impact core sustainable agriculture programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Previous posts focused on: working lands conservation. Subsequent posts will focus on: nutrition incentive and anti-hunger […]
A Closer Look at the 2018 Farm Bill: Working Lands Conservation Programs
Editor’s Note: This is the first post in a multi-part blog series digging deeper into some of the programs and policies of the 2018 Farm Bill. These posts will detail how the new farm bill is likely to impact core sustainable agriculture programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Subsequent posts will focus on: local/regional food systems, nutrition incentive and anti-hunger programs, and beginning/socially disadvantaged farmers. With the 2018 Farm […]
2018 Farm Bill by the Numbers
The farm bill is complex package of legislation – like other authorizing bills, the bill’s primary focus is on policies and programs, but unlike many authorization bills, the farm bill also provides direct funding for many of the programs it authorizes. Farm bill programs, therefore, have two ways to receive funding: mandatory (or direct) funding through the […]
COMMENT: Just in Time for the New Year, a New Farm Bill
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana KovalcikNational Sustainable Agriculture Coalition202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Just in Time for the New Year, a New Farm Bill National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition applauds swift action on final 2018 Farm Bill,readies for next stages Washington, DC, December 20, 2018 – Following nearly two years of intense debate and several suspenseful months in farm […]
2018 Farm Bill Drilldown: Commodity Programs and Crop Insurance
Editor’s Note: This is the sixth post in a multi-part blog series analyzing the final 2018 Farm Bill, which was released on December 11, 2018 by the leaders of the Farm Bill Conference Committee. Previous posts focused on local and regional food and beginning/socially disadvantaged farmers, organic agriculture, conservation, and research and plant breeding. The bill was passed by the House […]
2018 Farm Bill Drilldown: Research and Plant Breeding
Editor’s Note: This is the fifth post in a multi-part blog series analyzing the final negotiated 2018 Farm Bill, which was released on December 11, 2018 by the leaders of the Farm Bill Conference Committee. Subsequent posts focus on crop insurance and commodity subsidies; previous posts focused on local and regional food and beginning/socially disadvantaged farmers, organic agriculture, and conservation. The bill was […]
2018 Farm Bill Drilldown: Conservation
Editor’s Note: This is the fourth post in a multi-part blog series analyzing the final 2018 Farm Bill, which was released on December 11, 2018 by the leaders of the Farm Bill Conference Committee. Subsequent posts focus on: research and seed breeding, and crop insurance and commodity subsidies; previous posts focused on local and regional food and beginning/socially disadvantaged farmers, and organic […]
2018 Farm Bill Drilldown: Organic Agriculture
Editor’s Note: This is the third post in a multi-part blog series analyzing the final negotiated 2018 Farm Bill, which was released on December 11, 2018 by the leaders of the Farm Bill Conference Committee. Subsequent posts focus on: conservation, research and seed breeding, and crop insurance and commodity subsidies; previous posts focused on local and regional food and beginning/socially disadvantaged […]
COMMENT: National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Cheers Farm Bill Wins
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Cheers Farm Bill WinsApplauds Congress for moving swiftly, urges President to do the same Washington, DC, December 12, 2018 – With less than a month left in the year, Congress has moved forward a bipartisan 2018 Farm Bill and […]
2018 Farm Bill Drilldown: Beginning and Socially Disadvantaged Farmers
Editor’s Note: This is the second post in a multi-part blog series analyzing the final negotiated 2018 Farm Bill, which was released on December 11, 2018 by the leaders of the Farm Bill Conference Committee. Subsequent posts focus on: organic agriculture, conservation, research and seed breeding, and crop insurance and commodity subsidies; previous posts focused on local and regional food and beginning/socially disadvantaged farmers. […]
2018 Farm Bill Drilldown: Local/Regional Food Systems, Rural Development
Editor’s Note: This is the first post in a multi-part blog series analyzing the final negotiated 2018 Farm Bill, which was released on December 11, 2018 by the leaders of the Farm Bill Conference Committee. Subsequent posts focus on: beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, organic agriculture, conservation, research and seed breeding, and crop insurance and commodity subsidies. The […]
RELEASE: Farm Bill Delivers Victories for Beginning Farmers, Organic/Local Food
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana KovalcikNational Sustainable Agriculture Coalition202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Farm Bill Delivers Victories for Beginning Farmers, Organic/Local Food Concerns remain over long-term loss in conservation funding,failure to close farm safety net loopholes Washington, DC, December 11, 2018 – After two months of negotiations, the 2018 Farm Bill Conference Committee leaders yesterday released a final bill that makes […]