Today USDA announced the availability of $66 million through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBG) to fund projects related to the research, marketing, and development of specialty crops. The funding is available to State Departments of Agriculture, which must apply for funding and then use it to supplement state programs or make grants. SCBG […]
Nutrition & Food Access
Conservation and Consumer Interests Again Excluded from Ag Research Advisory Board
After a lengthy nomination process, USDA announced yesterday the appointment of eight new members to serve on the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics (NAREEE) Advisory Board. The NAREEE Advisory Board advises the Secretary of Agriculture, USDA’s research agencies, and land-grant colleges and universities on agricultural research, extension, education, and economics policies and priorities. […]
New Local Food Procurement Guide for School Nutrition Programs
Last week, the Farm to School Program of USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) published Procuring Local Food for Child Nutrition Programs, a guide to help K-12 schools operating one or more Child Nutrition Programs with identifying and procuring locally grown and produced food for use at school cafeterias. Using examples from school districts, State agencies, […]
House Budget Resolution Moves Ahead
Budget Resolution Overview On Tuesday, Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI) released the House GOP’s Fiscal Year 2015 House budget Resolution as a symbolic representation of party priorities and fiscal austerity. It is likely to squeak through passage on the House floor, but that is as far as it will go. The Senate is not planning to […]
Working Together to Bring Healthy Foods to Communities in Need
Guest Blog – Cross posted from the White House Rural Council Blog Editor’s note: The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition played a lead role in helping to organize a recent White House meeting that brought together government agencies, spokespeople for innovative projects from around the country that involved both healthy food access and local and regional food system […]
Rural Poverty Increasing, Especially Among Children
Rural poverty increased significantly in the U.S. following the 2007 recession, especially among children, according to data released earlier this month in the March Supplement of the Current Population Survey and the American Community Survey (sponsored by the US Census Bureau and US Bureau of Labor Statistics). The 2012 data reveals that the rural poverty […]
What Does the President’s 2015 Budget Mean for Sustainable Agriculture?
President Obama sent his budget proposal for 2015 to Capitol Hill yesterday. The overall spending number in the proposed budget for the next fiscal year (FY) would match the two-year budget deal Congress reached last year, though the President also includes an aspirational $56 billion add-on, which he calls the Opportunity, Growth, and Security (OGS) […]
Community Food Projects Grant Program Funding Available for FY 2014
Late last week, the USDA’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) posted a Request for Applications (RFA) for the 2014 round of the Community Food Project Grants Program (CFP). Unfortunately, NIFA posted this to their website without issuing a press release or a Federal Register notice, so there was no way of knowing the RFA had […]
Funding Available for Farm to School
Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the release of a request for applications for the third round of USDA’s Farm to School grants, including the addition of a new funding track for training events and conferences. These grants help to improve the health and well being of students through school meals […]
2014 Farm Bill Drill Down: The Bill by the Numbers
With the 2014 Farm Bill recently signed into law, NSAC is doing a seven-part series here on our blog that delves into the details of the bill for sustainable food and farming systems. This first post summarizes the big picture funding decisions reflected in the final bill. Coming posts will look at specific issues within […]
What is in the 2014 Farm Bill For Sustainable Farms and Food Systems?
At the start of this long and twisted farm bill reauthorization process, NSAC released an ambitious farm bill platform with the goal of expanding opportunities for family farmers to produce good food, sustain the environment, and contribute to vibrant communities. Reflecting input from sustainable and organic farmers, rural and urban communities, and food entrepreneurs, the […]
USDA Farm to School Webinar Series
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm to School office supports the efforts of organizations and school districts across the nation that are working to bring educational activities and foods from local or regional sources into schools. Activities encompass incorporating locally or regionally produced foods into school meals and snacks, creating hands-on learning activities, such […]
New Resource Helps Farmers and Farmers Markets Accept SNAP Benefits
Last week the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) announced MarketLink, a website that provides farmers’ markets and direct-marketing farmers with a new, streamlined process for becoming authorized Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps) vendors and information about obtaining the equipment needed to accept SNAP benefits. Up […]
Community Food Project Grantees Announced for 2013
Yesterday, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced 26 awardees from 15 states and the District of Columbia for the 2013 Community Food Project (CFP) competitive grant program. Administered by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and launched in 1996, the Community Food Project program seeks to fight hunger and food insecurity […]
Farm to School Grant Awards Announced for 2014
In his third communication in as many days on the importance of local and regional food systems and marketing for America’s farmers and rural communities, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the Fiscal Year 2014 awardees of the national Farm to School Grant Program. USDA awarded $5.2 million in grants to 71 funded […]
Growing Connections Between Local Farms and Schools
Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its first-ever census of Farm to School activities of school districts across the country, with promising results. The census revealed a rising rate of school district participation in Farm to School programs, reflecting the growing popularity of local foods in the United States. According to the […]
House Passes Nutrition Bill with Huge SNAP Cuts
The long and very winding road to a new five-year farm bill took the expected new turn today when the House voted 217 to 210 to cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (better known as food stamps) by $39 billion over the next decade. The bill includes a prominent proposal to prohibit states from waiving […]
Bill to Slash Food Stamp Funding on House Floor this Week
After a two month-long wait that began with the unprecedented split of the Farm Bill back in July, the House released text of the nutrition title-only Farm Bill (H.R. 3102) yesterday afternoon. The House Rules Committee will debate and approve the rule governing debate and voting on the bill on Wednesday afternoon, with the vote […]
House Committee Releases Bill to Fund Government into December
Late on Tuesday, September 10, the House Appropriations Committee released a draft of its continuing appropriations resolution (CR) for the first two and a half months of fiscal year (FY) 2014. With few exceptions, the bill would fund programs until December 15 at the levels provided in the final FY 2013 CR. Despite the House […]
House SNAP Cuts Will Eliminate Assistance for Millions, New Report Finds
Editor’s Note: We are sharing with our readers the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) new analysis of the forthcoming House food stamp bill, and then conclude with some of our own thoughts about how it fits into the broader farm bill debate. New Analysis of the Proposed SNAP Bill The Center on Budget […]
A Brightly Colored Quilt: Farmers Market Promotion Program Evaluation Reveals Wide Diversity of Activities and Impacts
Guest Post by Stacy Miller, Farmers Market Coalition Farmers markets are increasingly recognized as having multiple benefits, spurring community and economic development, encouraging healthier eating patterns, and offering a reliable outlet for innovative farmers to build lasting customer bases. The Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) was established in the 2002 Farm Bill to advance these […]
Why Did the Farm Bill Fail in the House?
This week, we are doing a three-part blog series on the House’s failure to pass a farm bill last week. The first post covered the topic of farm program reform, this second post analyzes why the bill failed, and the third will discuss options for moving the bill forward. Last week, the House of Representatives […]
House Committee Passes 2014 Agriculture Funding Bill
Today, the House Appropriations Committee approved the fiscal year (FY) 2014 agricultural appropriations bill, which the House Agricultural Appropriations Subcommittee passed on June 5. The bill sets discretionary funding at $19.5 billion, which is $1.3 billion below the FY 2013 enacted level, but is roughly equal to the FY2013 level minus the cuts imposed by […]
Making Healthy Eating Affordable
A USDA study contends that healthy foods like fruits and vegetables are often no more expensive than less-nutritious foods such as processed foods. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack spoke to a crowd from the aisles of a Hy-Vee Grocery Store in Sioux Falls, South Dakota this week to highlight the efforts the Agency has undertaken to […]