Those looking for an accessible rundown on federal sustainable farming and food systems programs have a new, printed resource available to them! The Michael Fields Agricultural Institute (MFAI) recently published a comprehensive printed guide to federal sustainable agriculture, forestry, entrepreneurship, conservation, food systems, and community development programs. NSAC, the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), and USDA’s Sustainable […]
General Interest
New Grassroots Guide to Federal Farm and Food Programs Helps Distill Farm Bill Resources
NSAC’s Grassroots Guide to the Federal Farm and Food Programs is a free, digital resource to help build a more sustainable farm and food future. … Read More →
Election Results Will Influence Farm Policy Leadership in Congress
This week’s Republican wave election, combined with congressional retirements and term limits, will shake up the leadership of key congressional committees for food and agriculture. Here is the brief rundown. Senate Agriculture: With the Republican takeover of the Senate, it is highly likely that Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS), the current Ranking Member of the Senate […]
Press Release: New Whole-Farm Revenue Protection Insurance Policy Aims for Diversified Farms
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Paul Wolfe, (202) 547-5754, pwolfe@sustainableagriculture.net New Whole-Farm Revenue Protection Insurance Policy Aims for Diversified Farms November 6, 2014, Washington, DC – Diversified farmers will now have access to a improved crop insurance option with USDA’s release today of the new Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) crop insurance policy. This will be the first […]
USDA Rolls Out New Whole-Farm Revenue Protection Insurance Policy
Whole Farm Revenue Protection allows farmers to insure all their crops, livestock, and nursery and greenhouse crops under one policy… Read More →
Lawmakers are scored on food and farm policy votes
On October 16, Food Policy Action released its 2014 National Food Policy Scorecard. The National Food Policy Scorecard, launched in 2012, rates members of Congress based on their positions on food and farm policy votes. The purpose of the scorecard is to highlight the importance of food policy, educate voters, and bring transparency and accountability […]
Rural Poverty Rates and Income Improving Slowly
Last week, the U.S. Census Bureau released its report Income and Poverty in the United States: 2013, which showed the number of Americans living in poverty declining for the first time since 2006, but with the poverty rate in rural America still higher than the national level. While the U.S. Census Bureau report delivers some good news, the lagging […]
NSAC Joins Twenty-Eight Groups in Supporting Funding for AFRI
On Monday September 22, twenty-eight members of the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Coalition sent a letter to the leadership of the House and Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committees thanking them for the increase in funding for AFRI included in each of their Fiscal Year 2015 Agriculture Appropriations bills. The letter also requests their continued support […]
Release: FDA’s Revised Draft Food Safety Rules for Farms Responsive to NSAC’s Concerns
FDA’s Revised Draft Food Safety Rules for Farms Responsive to NSAC’s Concerns Contact: Sophia Kruszewski, 202-547-5754, skruszewski@sustainableagriculture.net September 19, 2014, Washington, D.C. – Today, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued revised proposed regulations aimed at ensuring a safe food supply under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). FDA is inviting a new round of […]
New GE Corn and Soybean Varieties Approved
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) approved three new genetically engineered (GE) crops for commercial sale in a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) Record of Decision (ROD) published on the agency’s website on Tuesday, September 16. APHIS approved three petitions from Dow AgroSciences to grant nonregulated status to a […]
Pesticides in U.S. Waters Remain High for Both Agriculture and Urban Use
A recently published study by researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) sheds light on how pesticide applications on land are impacting aquatic life in the nation’s rivers and streams. The study compares pesticide concentrations across two decades to note trends in the temporal and geographic distribution. The study, published in Environmental Science & Technology […]
House Votes to Halt Clean Water Act Rulemaking Process
On its second day back in session after a five-week August recess, the House of Representatives voted 262-152 on Tuesday, September 9 to pass H.R. 5078, a bill that would prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps) from finalizing and implementing the proposed Waters of the United States (WOTUS) […]
Program Roundup — Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program
Editor’s Note — Each SARE region operates independently, setting their own policies and priorities. They also solicit proposals and award grants at different times of the year. This is the first in a series of periodic blog posts on the latest happenings in each SARE region as they roll out project solicitations and announce grant […]
Planning for the Future: NSAC Members Gather in Montana
NSAC members recently gathered in Montana to discuss upcoming federal policy issues facing sustainable farmers… Read More →
Tyson Hillshire Merger Deserves DOJ Scrutiny
On July 16, Tyson food, Inc. (Tyson) announced a hostile takeover of Hillshire Brands Co. (Hillshire) with the hope that the Department of Justice (DOJ) would quickly approve the merger. On July 24, NSAC along with 81 other like-minded organizations wrote a letter opposing a quick review and asking for DOJ to undertake a more […]
Q&A on the “Waters of the US” Proposed and Interpretive Rule
There has been a lot of attention lately on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as it engages with the farming community on the proposed rule to define “Waters of the U.S.” The so-called WOTUS rule would define which bodies of water fall under EPA’s Clean Water Act jurisdiction. In an accompanying post, we provided an update […]
Waters of the US: What’s it all About?
Learn about EPA’s proposed water rules and what it means for the farming community… Read More →
Farmers Speak Out on Critical USDA Programs
Farmers and business leaders from around the country met with USDA, OMB, and members of Congress to advocate for USDA programs that support sustainable agriculture…. Read More →
Release: Time to Apply for Local Farm and Food Grants and Loan Guarantees
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Eugene Kim, Greg Fogel, or Ferd Hoefner – 202-547-5754 May 8, 2014, Washington, DC – Today, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced changes to two initiatives from the 2014 Farm Bill to support local and regional farm and food systems. Projects to benefit from the changes include direct-to-consumer marketing outlets such […]
Welcome to NSAC’s New Website!
NSAC’s website has a new look! There’s more coming soon, too. … Read More →
New England Food Policy Report Released
The American Farmland Trust, Conservation Law Foundation, and the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NESAWG) have released a new report New England Food Policy: Building a Sustainable Food System to advance innovative public policies that support a sustainable food and farming system in New England. New England Food Policy: Building a Sustainable Food System guides […]
Guest Blog: New report shows food buyers how regional hubs work
Editor’s Note: We want to thank John Fisk, from NSAC member the Wallace Center, for his contribution. Dr. Fisk is the director of the Wallace Center at Winrock International. He is also a founding board member of the National Food Routes Network, an editorial board member of the Journal of Sustainable Agriculture, and an active member […]
Spring 2014 National Organic Standards Board Meeting Announced
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced its next National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) meeting set for April 29-May 2, 2014, in San Antonio, TX. The meeting is open to the public, and interested parties can submit comments prior to the meeting. The NOSB meets twice annually to discuss allowed and prohibited substances in organic production, […]
Release: NSAC Applauds USDA Efforts to Aid Mid-Scale Farms and Regional Agriculture
For Immediate Release March 10, 2014, Washington, DC – Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack today announced several initiatives to assist small and mid-scale farms and local and regional agriculture. Among the highlights were two initiatives — changes to the Farm Storage Facility Loan program and the creation of Whole Farm Diversified Risk Management revenue insurance […]