February 9, 2010
First Lady Michelle Obama today unveiled Let’s Move, her comprehensive approach to eliminating childhood obesity in this generation. The morning began with President Obama establishing the Task Force on Childhood Obesity, a group of government agency representatives tasked with implementing an action plan to improve child nutrition and increase physical activity. At noon, Tiki Barber […]
February 4, 2010
This post is the sixth in a series of commentaries by NSAC staff on the President’s 2011 budget, released on February 1st. Read the overview by Executive Director Aimee Witteman. Look out in the following days for the final budget analyses on conservation and organic programs. USDA’s 2011 Budget request includes a new Regional Innovation […]
February 4, 2010
This post is the fifth in a series of commentaries by NSAC staff on the President’s 2011 budget, released on February 1st. Read the overview by Executive Director Aimee Witteman. Look out in the following days for more budget analysis on organic programs, conservation, rural programs and more. The Administration’s 2011 Budget request includes a […]
February 4, 2010
By Jess Daniel April Harrington of the Oklahoma Food Coop laughs and throws her hands in the air as she describes her organization’s phenomenal growth since its founding in November 2003. Some of the speakers on the domestic Community Food Enterprise Panel. From left to right: April Harrington of the Oklahoma Food Cooperative, Amy Emberling […]
February 3, 2010
In 2007, part of Washington State’s block grant went to fund an initiative led by the Organic Seed Alliance to start a producer-led organic seed cooperative in Washington State. Today’s Federal Register included a Notice of Funds Available (NOFA) for Specialty Crop Block Grants (SCBG). These funds go out to state Departments of Agriculture for […]
February 1, 2010
By Aimee Witteman Today, President Obama unveiled his $3.8 trillion budget for fiscal year 2011. The big fat volumes with all of the program line items for each department of government were published online at the U.S. Government Printing Office this morning. This post summarizes just a few of the proposed losses and gains for […]
January 29, 2010
By Annette Higby The Growing Safe Food Act would support small local growers by providing training and technical assistance on food safety standards. Call your senator today and suggest that he or she co-sponsors the bill. While we all cheer this Administration’s emerging emphasis on local and regional food production, let’s not forget that the […]
January 27, 2010
By Ariane Lotti, NSAC Credit: California Farmlink — Rebecca King is a beginning farmer in northern California. She owns and operates Monkey Flower Ranch When USDA Deputy Secretary Merrigan addressed the crowd at the Ecological Farming Association’s 30th Anniversary EcoFarm Conference last week, she was talking to a crowd of seasoned organic pioneers as well […]
January 26, 2010
By Ferd Hoefner, NSAC It has taken more than a year, but USDA finally has a proposed presidential appointment to the position of Under Secretary for Food Safety (see USDA press release below). After all that time, with many prominent names from the outside floated over the last 12 months, the Administration has settled on […]
January 25, 2010
The Office of Advocacy and Outreach has released the 2010 Request for Applications for the Outreach Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Competitive Grants Program (also known as “Section 2501”). The program is designed “to enhance the coordination of outreach, technical assistance, and education efforts authorized under USDA programs through eligible entities and to […]