Senators John Fetterman (D-PA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Ed Markey (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced the Supporting Urban & Innovative Farming Act. This bill expands support for urban, suburban, and rural farmers through programmatic reforms to improve the content and delivery of technical assistance to urban and innovative producers, increases access to grant funds among farmers, and scales composting and food waste initiatives spearheaded by the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production…. Read More →
Local & Regional Food Systems
Comment: NSAC Praises Introduction of the Enabling Farmers to Benefit from Processing Nutrition Programs Act of 2023
NSAC issued a comment in response to the introduction of the Enabling Farmers to Benefit from Processing Nutrition Programs Act, which takes significant steps to increase opportunities for local farmers to benefit from nutrition benefits. … Read More →
Comment: NSAC Welcomes Further Investment in Regional Meat Processing By USDA
In response to the announcement of the “Biden-Harris Administration Partners with Agricultural Producers to Promote Competition, Strengthen Food Supply Chain and Rural Economies,” NSAC stated that it welcomes a new round of investment in the local and regional meat processing industry. This investment, through its focus on regional lending, will bring new avenues of growth to rural and urban communities alike. … Read More →
Report illustrates initial success of local food purchasing agreements
In the short time since its inception in 2021, the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) program has demonstrated its capacity to create economic opportunities for producers, scale regional supply chains, and deliver healthy, culturally relevant food to those in need. The Wallace Center at Winrock International, an NSAC member, recently released a report highlighting the results of initial research that evaluates the preliminary impact of USDA’s Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) program in communities nationwide. … Read More →
Why Congress Should Mandate a Farm Credit Grant
The Farm Credit System (FCS), agriculture’s government sponsored enterprise (GSE), is a nationwide network of customer-owned lenders with a mission to support rural communities and agriculture. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) 2023 Farm Bill Platform includes a proposal that requires FCS, agriculture’s GSE, to grant 15 percent of its annual profits to support underserved producers and food systems enterprises. These grants will build upon successful programs already facilitated by some Farm Credit associations and help fulfill its mission and public mandate to serve young, beginning, and small farmers and ranchers. … Read More →
Historical Perspectives on Food System Transformation
This blog post is the culmination of a fellowship research project by NSAC Grassroots Fellow Anthony Singh-Reynoso and highlights three case studies: the struggle for farmworker justice and the United Farm Workers; the necessity of community-based methods of self-sufficiency and the Freedom Farm Cooperative; and the origins of the Farm Bill and the farmer response to the Dust Bowl…. Read More →
Release: USDA Announces Details of 12 Regional Food Business Centers and $420 Million for the Regional Food System Initiative
The USDA shared details of two of its programs, the Regional Food Business Centers (RFBCs) and the new Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI). USDA has announced the lead organizations selected for each of the twelve RFBCs. These Centers will provide coordination, technical assistance, and capacity building to help farmers, ranchers, and other food businesses access new markets and navigate federal, state, and local resources. … Read More →
Local Farms and Food Act Strengthens Regional Food Economies Across the US
Senator Brown (D-OH) and Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-ME-1) and Dan Newhouse (R-WA-4) introduced the Local Farms and Food Act (S.1205, H.R. 2723) that would offer reforms to LAMP among other programs, to respond to lessons learned throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, sustain investments in impacted communities, and promote a resilient local and regional food system. In this post, NSAC outlines how the bill will strengthen local and regional food systems. … Read More →
Release: Local Farms and Food Act Introduced in Both Houses
Today, Representatives Pingree (D-ME-1), Newhouse (R-WA-4), Caraveo (D-CO-8), Tokuda (D-HI-2) and Senators Brown (D-OH), Smith (D-MN), Welch (D-VT), and Fetterman (D-PA) introduced the Local Farms and Food Act (LFFA) in both the House and the Senate. The LFFA is a comprehensive bill that offers reforms to the Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP), Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP), and the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP). … Read More →
Farmers, Communities and Congressional Leaders Seek Full Funding for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production
This week, NSAC, together with over seventy organizations and farm businesses, delivered a letter to Congressional Appropriators to urge them to fully fund the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (OUAIP) and the urban agriculture data collection initiative. This request echoed one made by over 50 Senate and House leaders in a separate letter to agriculture appropriators. … Read More →
Largest Federally-Funded Climate Change Planning Effort Gets Underway
This guest blog post authored by Jeanne Merrill, policy consultant representing NSAC on U.S. EPA’s Farm, Ranch and Rural Communities Advisory Committee, discusses plans and next steps related to EPA-funded climate planning efforts resulting from the Inflation Reduction Act. … Read More →
Comment: NSAC Praises Introduction of the Farmers’ Market & Food Bank Local Revitalization Act of 2023
NSAC applauds the introduction of the Farmers Market & Food Bank Local Revitalization Act of 2023, which increases access to healthy local food for seniors and families with children while creating new market opportunities for local farmers. Investments like those in this bill are essential to connect the dots between local producers and local customers and can generate social and economic benefits for farmers and consumers from rural and urban communities alike. … Read More →
Funding available for rural farmers and cooperatives
On March 17, 2023, USDA Rural Development announced the availability of at least $31 million in total funding for Value-Added Producer (VAPG) projects and $3 million for Socially Disadvantaged Groups Grant (SDGG). The application window to apply is now open. Online applications will be accepted until May 11 for VAPG and May 16 for SDGG through grants.gov. Additional information on paper application deadlines is below. We encourage all readers to help get the word out to qualified individuals and groups…. Read More →
USDA ANNOUNCES LATEST ROUND OF FUNDING TO SUPPORT LOCAL AND REGIONAL FOOD SYSTEM PROJECTS
On February 14, The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced $133 million available in competitive grant funding through the Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP) to develop, coordinate, and expand producer-to-consumer marketing, local and regional food markets, and local food enterprises. The deadline to apply for the FMLFPP and RFSP program is Monday, May 2, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time via www.grants.gov…. Read More →
A Look at the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production
This post offers a look at the status of the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production’s program activities since the 2018 Farm Bill. While full implementation has yet to be fulfilled, there has been immense progress. NSAC is optimistic that the 2023 Farm Bill will continue to build upon its successes to date. … Read More →
Guest Post: USDA’s Proposed Rule for School Meals Shines a Light on Local
Editor’s Note: This guest blog post by FoodCorps, an NSAC member, discusses the USDA’s proposed school nutrition and local sourcing guidelines to update nutrition standards for school meals. These recommendations build off of the work of school nutrition professionals to deliver nourishing food to students every day. The public comment period on the guidelines is open until April 10. … Read More →
NSAC’s Top 10 of 2022: A Year in Review
The end of a year signifies a time to reflect on all the most important accomplishments and tribulations of the past year. At NSAC, we had the opportunity to celebrate and find new reasons to expand our advocacy to support sustainable agriculture practices, small-scale producers, diversified farming, local food systems, and beginning and underserved farmers and ranchers. This post shares NSAC’s Top 10 accomplishments of 2022. … Read More →
USDA announces another year of critical local food funding
USDA recently announced the 2022 Regional Food System Partnership and the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion program awards, totaling $64 million through 185 grants to bolster local and regional food economies across the country. In this post, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) highlights fourteen NSAC members that were awarded a grant this year. … Read More →
NSAC’s 2023 Farm Bill Platform: Investing in Healthy Communities
This is the second post in NSAC’s series covering key pillars of NSAC’s 2023 Farm Bill Platform, focusing on how the Farm Bill can invest in healthy rural and urban communities by strengthening the resilience of local and regional supply chains, increasing market opportunities for small and mid-sized farms and processors, enhancing job growth and local economic development through workforce development and training, and ensuring the most vulnerable have ample access to nutritious, culturally-relevant, locally-produced foods…. Read More →
Attention All Farmers: Be Represented in US Farm Policy by Participating in the 2022 Census of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is gearing up to send its survey for the 2022 Census of Agriculture. Whether or not you have participated in the past, filling out the survey is an important way for every farmer in America to influence the policies and programs that impact US agriculture every day…. Read More →
USDA Invests $550 Million to Assist Underserved Producers: Funding Seeks to Increase Access to Land, Capital, and Markets and to Train the Next Generation of Agricultural Professionals
USDA is making a historic new investment to fund and direct action to help underserved producers with the resources, tools, programs, and technical assistance they need to succeed in agriculture. With funding through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Section 1006, as amended by Section 22007 of the Inflation Reduction Act, USDA will make available $550 million for projects that enable underserved producers to access land, capital, and markets, as well as train the next generation of agricultural professionals…. Read More →
Comment: NSAC Applauds National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) applauds the National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health ahead of the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. … Read More →
USDA Accepting Proposals for Regional Food Business Centers
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) recently announced the availability of $360 million to establish at least six new Regional Food Business Centers, envisioned to provide “coordination, technical assistance, and capacity building support to small and mid-sized farm and food businesses, with the goal of creating a more resilient, diverse, and competitive food system.” Applications are due November 22, 2022…. Read More →
Comment: NSAC Applauds USDA Announcement of Regional Food Business Centers
NSAC applauds USDA’s announcement of $400 million to establish Regional Food Business Centers. NSAC is pleased to see that USDA is structuring this critical investment in a way that builds on existing partnerships and initiatives and prioritizes resources where they are most needed. … Read More →