As part of today’s activities associated with the National Rural Summit hosted by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack in Hillsboro, Missouri, USDA announced the long-awaited awards for the 2009 round of Value-Added Producer Grants. Read the full press release here. Some $22.5 million in grants were available. Grants were made in 45 states, with Wisconsin, California, […]
Local & Regional Food Systems
New Farm to School Act in House
Last Friday, May 28, Representatives Betty McCollum (D-MN), Tom Latham (R-IA), and Bobby Scott (D-VA) introduced the National Farm to School Act of 2010 (H.R. 5456) along with 22 original cosponsors. The Act would authorize USDA to administer competitive grants of up to $100,000 to support planning, implementation, training, and technical assistance for schools, educational […]
Congress Yet to Finish on Pigford, Farm Credit, Child Nutrition Funding
Last week we reported on several major pending pieces of legislation. At that time, two bills — the so-called tax extenders bill and the emergency supplemental appropriations bill — seemed like they might be resolved by today, the beginning of the congressional recess week for Memorial Day. Alas, while progress was made on both this […]
30 Days To Comment on VAPG Rule
The long anticipated proposed rule for the Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program was published in today’s Federal Register. The comment period for the proposed rule is only 30 days with comments on the regulatory provisions due by June 28, 2010. We expect the announcement of VAPG awards from the 2009 competition next week, and will […]
Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program Rule is Out with NOFA to Follow
Today’s Federal Register included the interim final rule for the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP), one of NSAC’s 2008 Farm Bill priority program. The interim rule goes into effect on June 28, 2010, but the USDA will be taking public comments until July 27, 2010. RMAP is a new program created in the 2008 Farm […]
Mobile Slaughter Units and Untapped Markets
On Tuesday USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) published a compliance guide to help operators of mobile slaughter units understand the regulatory requirements that pertain to them. It should also be must reading for entrepreneurs considering building a mobile slaughter facility. FSIS is requesting feedback on the guidance by July 26 and will incorporate […]
Moving Legislation – What’s in it for Food and Agriculture
With the financial regulation bill approved in the Senate and moving to conference with the House-passed bill, and with the one week Memorial Day recess just a week away, several key legislative items are starting to move quickly. A brief review follows, highlighting what is in the bills for food and agriculture. Budget Resolution – […]
USDA releases comprehensive Local Food Systems Report
This week, USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) released a comprehensive report on Local Food Systems drawing together findings from the existing academic literature and ERS analysis. The report is divided into five main sections: local food definitions characteristics of local food suppliers demand for local food from consumers and institutions government programs and policies affecting […]
Farmers Market Directory Registration Deadline Extended
USDA has extended the deadline for registering farmers markets for inclusion in the National Farmers Market Directory until June 4, 2010. The Directory is used by the general public and has also become an important tool for policymakers and researchers. The deadline extension is part of an effort to ensure the count is accurate as […]
Times may be tough, but there’s room in the Farm Bill tent
Thursday’s hearing in the House Agriculture Committee brought in two panels of farm and food policy experts to continue the conversation kicked off on late April in preparation for the 2012 Farm Bill. As in the first hearing in late April, the witnesses’ testimony and Representatives’ questions covered a wide range of topics, but consistently […]
Let’s Move! Plan to Beat Child Obesity Ventures Into Ag Policy
On Tuesday May 11 the White House released its action plan to reduce childhood obesity. Tied to the First Lady’s “Let’s Move!” initiative, the plan clearly endorses a role for local agriculture in improving food environments and suggests “discussion areas” to explore the role agriculture policy plays relative to the prices of healthy food and […]
NSAC to host Ag of the Middle Briefing on June 8
Click here to forward on the invitation to colleagues. On June 8, 2010, NSAC, Farm Aid, Organic Valley, and Heifer International US Country Program will host a congressional briefing on Agriculture of the Middle: New Strategies to Support America’s Mid-sized Family Farmers. In recent decades, many mid-sized farmers and ranchers who rely on farming as […]
Organizations Urge Congress to Fund Farm to School
This Monday, May 3, NSAC and 40 other national agriculture, health, and food business organizations delivered a letter to House and Senate Congressional leaders urging them to include $50 million in mandatory funding for programs linking farmers with local schools as part of the 2010 Child Nutrition Act reauthorization. Among the signers were American Public […]
Small Socially Disadvantaged Producer Grants
The USDA announced Wednesday that almost $3.5 million will be available for the Small Socially Disadvantaged Producer Grant program (SSDPG) which provides competitive grant funds for cooperatives or an association of cooperatives to provide technical assistance to socially disadvantaged, small-scale producers. Applications are due by July 27, 2010. Applicants may propose projects up to $200,000 […]
New NSAC Guide to USDA funding for Food Systems
This week, NSAC is launching a new tool to help producers, community-based organizations, local governments, and other groups who are engaged in work to develop their local or regional food system. The Guide to USDA Funding for Local and Regional Food Systems seeks to de-mystify some of the federal grant programs most likely to be […]
Groups Urge Ag Funding Fairness
More than 100 national, regional, state and local groups have signed on to a letter urging President Obama to pay for proposed increases in child nutrition and to settle long standing claims stemming from systemic discrimination in USDA programs without cutting critical conservation programs. The letter circulated by the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, the Rural […]
Choices Magazine Unpacks Local Food
The latest issue of Choices Magazine, a publication of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, features seven articles centered around perspectives, prospects, and policy involved with local food systems. The first two articles focus on perceptions and definitions of local food, the next two focus on challenges and opportunities to expand the market, and the […]
Proposed Rule Defines Geographic Preference Option for Child Nutrition
In an important step forward for local purchasing by federal nutrition programs, the USDA today released a proposed rule on a geographic preference option that would allow institutions who receive federal Child Nutrition funds to give extra points to unprocessed locally grown or raised products in the procurement process. The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) will […]
Research Grants Drilldown: Integrated projects on Sustainable Food Systems
This is the second in a series of articles drilling down into some sections of the six Request for Applications (RFAs) recently released by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) for the 2010 Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI). Check out the first post about Small and Medium-Sized Farms and Rural Community Prosperity. […]
Research Grants Drilldown: Small and Medium Farms and Rural Communities
This is the first in a series of articles drilling down into some sections of the six Request for Applications (RFAs) recently released by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) for the 2010 Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI).Look out over the course of this week for more information on other opportunities in […]
Rural Business Opportunity Grants Available
Yesterday’s Federal Register announced* the availability of grants to fund projects designed to help rural communities create wealth, repopulate and become self-sustaining. Projects can receive up to $250,000 across a period of up to two years and there is a total of $2.48 million available in 2010. These Regional Business Opportunity Grants (RBOG) give preference […]
USDA Releases Request for Applications for AFRI Competitive Grants
This week, USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (formerly, the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service) released the long-anticipated 2010 Request for Applications (RFAs) for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI). Significantly overhauled and with more funding to award than ever, the AFRI RFAs define a substantive portion of USDA’s research agenda, […]
USDA Women and Working Lands Panel and Discussion
March is National Women’s History month, making yesterday (March 25) a fitting date for the USDA “Women and Working Lands: Past, Present, Future” forum held at the USDA headquarters in Washington, D.C. The forum celebrated the hard work and achievements of women farmers, ranchers and foresters across the nation, and was moderated by USDA Deputy […]
Senate Agriculture Committee Reports Child Nutrition Bill: Farm to School Included; Conservation Cuts Major Point of Contention
On Wednesday, March 24, the Senate Agriculture Committee approved the child nutrition reauthorization bill (Healthy Hunger-Free Kids’ Act of 2010) by unanimous consent. The bill increases spending on nutrition programs by $4.5 billion over the next ten years and includes several important school meal program improvements including improved access, nutritional standards, and per meal federal […]