Final appropriations package for Fiscal Year 2016 will fund programs supporting sustainable agriculture… Read More →
Nutrition & Food Access
Congress Reverses Crop Insurance Reform; Agriculture Appropriations and Nutrition Decisions Loom
Last week, Congress voted to reverse several basic reforms to the federal crop insurance program – reforms that both the House and Senate agreed to as part of a two-year budget deal signed into law by the President back in late October. That budget deal required the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to renegotiate its […]
Farm to School Awards Made Just as Congress Faces Last Chance to Pass A New Child Nutrition Bill
On Tuesday, November 17, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced more than $4.8 million in grants for 74 projects in 39 states through the USDA Farm to School Grant Program for fiscal year (FY) 2016. The Farm to School Grant Program promotes healthy kids through nutritious school meals and snacks from local and regional producers […]
New Farm to School Census: Local Food Purchasing Increasing
On Tuesday, October 20, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced new Farm to School Census data confirming the multiple benefits of farm to school programs for kids, communities, and farmers. These early results from the latest Farm to School Census provide data on the 2013-2014 school year. Early Results Are In – and […]
Funding Cycle Now Open for Next Year’s Community Food Project Grants
In addition to announcing awardees for the Community Food Projects Grant Program (CFP) on October 13, the USDA National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) posted on its CFP webpage the latest Request for Application for fiscal year 2016. NIFA anticipates awarding approximately $8.64 million in grants through CFP. The deadline for applications is 5:00pm EST on Monday, […]
$9 Million Awarded to Increase Community Food Security
On Tuesday, October 13, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded $8.6 million through the Community Food Projects (CFP) competitive grant program to organizations dedicated to increasing food security in underserved communities through local solutions that also build up local food systems. The Community Food Projects program seeks to address food insecurity by supporting nonprofits, tribal organizations, […]
Guest Post: Touring Sustainable WA Farms with Representative Newhouse’s Staff and Tilth Producers
We’re pleased to share this piece from NSAC member organization Tilth Producers of Washington, written by Ariana Taylor-Stanley. It was originally published on Tilth Producers of Washington’s blog and has been reposted with permission. Congress on the Farm While Congress was on August recess, Tilth Producers hosted Kyle Kunkler, DC Agriculture Staffer for Congressman Dan Newhouse, for […]
Grants Available to Incentivize SNAP Produce Purchases
USDA recently announced the availability of $16.8 million through the Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentives Grant program…… Read More →
New Initiative to Fight Rural Child Poverty
As a follow-up to recent announcements by the White House on efforts to combat rural child poverty, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) last week announced the selection of ten communities for the Rural Integration Models for Parents and Children to Thrive (Rural IMPACT) Demonstration project. […]
Child Nutrition Act Markup Postponed – Time for Renewed Action!
The highly anticipated Senate markup for the Child Nutrition Act Reauthorization (CNR) that was scheduled for Thursday, September 17th, has been postponed. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS), announced the postponement yesterday, September 14, 2015, noting in a statement that he is “continuing negotiations with ranking member [Debbie] Stabenow [D-MI] to get a bipartisan, […]
New Report Highlights Successes of Farm to School Grantmaking
On Friday, September 11, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the release of a new report on the USDA Farm to School Grant Program, highlighting the successes of the program over its three year history. Authored by the USDA Farm to School Team, with assistance from PEER Associates and the Center for Rural Studies […]
Congress Returns to Full Plate and Looming Deadlines
Congress returned to Washington, D.C. this week to face a full fall agenda after more than one month away. The docket for the next three months includes: A long-term bill to fund infrastructure repairs and updates on bridges, highways, and transit; An extension of funding authority for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); An extension of […]
National School Food Survey Reveals Strong Support for Farm to School
A new national survey that was released Tuesday, August 18, commissioned by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), shows strong support for the current U.S. school nutrition standards as well as farm to school. The 2015 School Food Poll was a follow up to a similar survey administered by WKKF in 2010 to find out if American […]
Congress Leaves for Summer Recess with Big Plate Pending for Fall
Members of Congress are heading out of town this week and next for their month-long August recess, and have left many loose ends, with more to follow when they return after Labor Day. The House began their recess mid-week, while the Senate may continue their work into early next week before leaving for recess. There […]
House Committee Passes USDA-FDA Funding Bill, Rejects Reform Amendments
On Wednesday, July 8, the House Appropriations Committee passed the 2016 Agriculture Appropriations bill, which funds most of the programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA). You can visit our previous post for a full breakdown of the bill as it stood before debate by the full […]
DC School Demonstrates Farm to School Success With the Help of Farm to School Grant
For many schools with summer sessions, June means farm to school activities running in high gear. At Walker Jones Education Campus in the nation’s capital, summer brings students outside and onto the farm (“K Street Farm”) for lessons in agriculture, food, and nutrition while allowing them to enjoy an abundance of local food through its […]
House Hearing Unexpectedly Highlights Farm to School
With Congress just days away from a week-long recess coinciding with Independence Day, the House Education and Workforce Committee’s Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education held a hearing on Wednesday, June 24th entitled Child Nutrition Assistance: Looking at the Cost of Compliance for States and Schools. The hearing is one of several that […]
Farm to School Benefits Make Another Appearance at House Hearing
Joint blog post from the National Farm to School Network and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition On Tuesday, June 16th, the House Education and Workforce Committee held a hearing in preparation for the Child Nutrition Act Reauthorization. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack was the sole witness for this hearing entitled “Child Nutrition Assistance: Are Federal Rules and Regulations Serving the Best […]
New Grant Funding to Help Farmers Markets Accept SNAP Benefits
On Tuesday, May 5th, Kevin Concannon, USDA Undersecretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services (FNS), announced the availability of $3.3 million in funding for Farmers Market SNAP Support Grants. The program aims to support the ability of farmers markets to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits as a form of payment. “We have seen […]
The Farmer Perspective: Championing the Farm to School Act of 2015
“Farm to school is great for a community because it builds social capital around health and wellness and makes the connection between the farming community and local schools.” —Jason Grimm, Farmer, Iowa Valley Food Co-op (North English, IA) When most people think of the Child Nutrition Act Reauthorization (CNR), they think of children. However, federal […]
House Committee Hearing Highlights Farm to School
Guest blog post by the National Farm to School Network. The House Education and Workforce Committee held a hearing on Wednesday April 15 to discuss the importance of federal child nutrition programs as the Committee begins an effort to reauthorize these programs within the upcoming Child Nutrition Act Reauthorization (CNR). The current bill expires at […]
$31 Million Awarded for Programs Assisting Fruit and Vegetable Purchases by SNAP Participants
Today in Orlando, Florida, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced $31.5 million in funding for the Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) program. FINI grants are awarded to organizations to advance incentive programs to improve the nutrition and health status of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households. Authorized in the 2014 Farm Bill, FINI is a joint effort […]
Farm to School Resources Released Along with Plea to Participate in Farm to School Census
Farm to School programs not only help instill healthy eating habits and agricultural literacy in the next generation, but also support the local farming economy. Whether incorporating food products from local and regional farmers into school meals, providing lessons about agriculture and nutrition, or building school gardens full of vegetables, farm to school programs exist […]
Local Food and Farm to School Funding Available
USDA announced $96.8 million for four programs supporting specialty crop producers, local food entrepreneurs, and farm to school efforts…. Read More →