Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the availability of approximately $13 million in Farm Bill funding for organic certification cost-share assistance for organic producers and handlers. Payments for certification-related expenses incurred from October 1, 2013 through September 30, 2014 can cover up to 75 percent of an individual producer’s or handler’s certification costs, […]
Organic
Progress Report on Organic Price Elections for Crop Insurance
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released a new report updating Congress on USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) progress towards completion of organic price elections for all insurable organic crops. USDA has improved crop insurance offerings for organic farmers, but report makes it clear there is still a lot more work to do. With […]
Funding Available to Support Integrated Pest Management Efforts
On Wednesday, May 28, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced the availability of more than $16 million in funding for fiscal year 2014 to address critical integrated pest management (IPM) needs. Applications for funding are due June 19, 2014. IPM is a science-based, decision-making process that allows […]
House Subcommittee Passes 2015 Agriculture Funding Bill
The House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee passed a bill to fund USDA and FDA programs in 2015… Read More →
2012 Census Drilldown: Organic and Local Food
On May 2, USDA released data from the 2012 Census of Agriculture. The Census of Agriculture has been conducted since 1840 and currently is collected once every five years. This is the second in a series of drill down posts, looking at particular themes from the Census that relate to local and regionally produced food and organic agriculture. […]
Bill Introduced to Thwart State Efforts to Require GMO Labeling
The issue of labeling products that contain genetically modified (GMO) material is contentious and has faced strong opposition from many industry groups but has been backed aggressively by consumer advocacy groups. It is estimated that 80 percent of food in the United States contains at least one genetically engineered ingredient, and polls have indicated that […]
More 2015 Funding Hearings – Food Safety, Rural Development, and Marketing Programs
This week, the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee held hearings on the Obama Administration’s FY 2015 funding requests for three USDA mission areas – Food Safety, Rural Development, and Marketing and Regulatory Programs, which includes the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA). The Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee also held […]
Funding Once Again Available for Organic Research!!
After a year-long hiatus, NSAC is pleased to report that the cornerstone organic research program is once again up and running — with $20 million in funding to award in 2014!! Yesterday, USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) released its 2014 Request for Applications (RFA) for the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI). OREI […]
Spring 2014 National Organic Standards Board Meeting Announced
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced its next National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) meeting set for April 29-May 2, 2014, in San Antonio, TX. The meeting is open to the public, and interested parties can submit comments prior to the meeting. The NOSB meets twice annually to discuss allowed and prohibited substances in organic production, […]
NSAC Submits Coexistence Comments to USDA
Yesterday, NSAC submitted comments to USDA in response to a request for information about how farmers who raise genetically engineered (GE) crops and those who don’t can better coexist as neighbors. NSAC’s was one of the over 4,000 comments that were submitted on the topic by yesterday’s deadline. The challenges associated with coexistence have significant […]
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) […]
2014 Farm Bill Drilldown: Sustainable and Organic Research
With the 2014 Farm Bill recently signed into law, NSAC is doing a blog series that delves into the details of the bill for sustainable food and farming systems. Previous posts in this farm bill series dove into the overall farm bill by the numbers, beginning and socially disadvantaged farmer issues, working lands conservation programs, […]
2014 Farm Bill Drilldown: Local and Regional Food Systems, Healthy Food Access, and Rural Development
With the 2014 Farm Bill recently signed into law, NSAC is doing a blog series that delves into the details of the bill for sustainable food and farming systems. Previous posts in this farm bill series dove into the overall farm bill by the numbers, beginning and socially disadvantaged farmer issues, working lands conservation programs, […]
Organic Transitions Research Funding Available
The USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture has announced the release of its FY2014 Organic Transitions Integrated Research, Education, and Extension Program (ORG) Request for Applications (RFA). The overall goal of the Organic Transitions program is to support the development and implementation of research, extension and higher education programs to improve the competitiveness of […]
Organic Producers Can Insure Crops at Contract Price
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) recently issued a fact sheet explaining the organic Contract Price Addendum — a crop insurance option that allows organic producers to insure their crops at the contract price specified in a guaranteed contract. The Contract Price Addendum is available for 62 crops. The list of qualifying […]
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 […]
Congress Outlines 2014 Funding Package
Update: Both the House and Senate passed the omnibus package this week, and the President is expected to sign the bill shortly. For a detailed breakdown of the funding levels provided in the bill, see our updated appropriations chart. On Monday, January 13, House and Senate appropriators released the text of the fiscal year (FY) 2014 […]
USDA extends “coexistence” comment period
On Tuesday, December 31, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced plans to extend a public comment period by 60 days to March 4, 2014 to allow for additional input on “how agricultural coexistence in the United States can be strengthened.” More specifically, USDA seeks comments to help further agricultural coexistence by identifying “ways to […]
Organic, High Tunnel, & Nutrient Management Assistance Available for 2014
Last week, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provided its state NRCS offices with national guidance on when and how to administer 13 conservation initiatives for fiscal year (FY) 2014. The national guidance covers a number of initiatives that NSAC tracks closely, including the National Organic Initiative (NOI), National Seasonal High Tunnel Initiative (NSHTI), and […]
New Organic Farming Research Awards
This week, USDA announced $3 million in funding for research, education, and extension projects that aim to improve the competitiveness of the organic producers and those who are adopting organic practices on their farms. These awards were made as part of the most recent round of awards for the Integrated Organic Transitions Program (ORG) — a national competitive […]
New Study Finds Health Benefits for Organic Milk
A new study has found that grass-fed, organic milk contains higher levels of health-promoting omega-3 fatty acids than milk from cows raised conventionally. Researchers suggested that substituting full-fat organic milk for milk from conventionally raised cows could help people meaningfully improve the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids in their diets and promote cardiovascular […]
As the Farm Bill Conference Kicks Off, A Reminder of What’s At Stake
Today marks the start of official conference negotiations over the farm bill, during which appointed members of the House and Senate will work reconcile two farm bills into one final conference report. By all accounts the task of reconciling the two chambers’ proposed bills will be a difficult one, but it is also critically important: […]
What’s at Stake? Organic Farmers
Last fall, Congress allowed the Farm Bill to expire without a new bill to take its place. Instead, Congressional leaders cobbled together a temporary extension on New Year’s Eve that shut down a number of innovative programs indefinitely. As of today, Congress, has once again allowed the farm bill to expire, and these programs are […]
National Organic Standards Board Meeting Cancelled
Last month we reported that the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) would be meeting in October to accept public input. That meeting has been cancelled due to the government shutdown. In the absence of a budget, NOSB is unable to reschedule the meeting.