The new year presents a final window of opportunity for the Administration to act upon climate change … Read More →
Research, Education & Extension
Top 15 Wins for Sustainable Agriculture in 2015
All that we have to be grateful for in 2015, from promoting conservation to empowering beginning farmers… Read More →
Massive Year-End Funding Bill A Mixed Bag But Includes Significant Wins for Sustainable Agriculture
Final appropriations package for Fiscal Year 2016 will fund programs supporting sustainable agriculture… Read More →
$17.5 Million Now Available for Organic Research
Yesterday, December 11th, the United States Department of Agriculture announced the availability of millions of dollars to help solve some of the most pressing challenges facing organic farmers today…. Read More →
New Soil Health Institute Will Begin with $20 Million over Ten Years
On Thursday, December 3, the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation and the Farm Foundation, NFP announced the creation of a new Soil Health Institute, to be headquartered in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. The Institute is an offshoot of an ongoing effort known as the Soil Renaissance. According to today’s press release, “The Soil Health Institute’s […]
New Study Finds Investment in Agroecology Falls Short
On Friday, November 10, the Journal of Environmental Science & Policy published an article, Investing in the transition to sustainable agriculture, which provides an analysis by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) and partners to identify how much U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 2014 competitive grant funding for research and education incorporated agroecology. According to […]
Organic and IPM Working Group Releases White Paper on Sustainable Systems
The Organic and IPM Working Group released a new white paper Monday, entitled Organic Agriculture and Integrated Pest Management: Synergistic Partnership Needed to Improve the Sustainability of Agriculture and Food Systems. The white paper is the result of more than a year of work to put on paper the Working Group’s shared vision for taking […]
Food Safety Training Centers Announced
With one Food Safety Modernization Act (FMSA) rule finalized, and another expected by the end of the month, the talk has turned to implementation. NSAC has long advocated that robust farmer education, outreach, and training are critical components to successful FSMA implementation. Particularly for produce growers, valued-added farming operations, and small food processors – many […]
Over $25 Million for Organic Research Awarded
On Tuesday, October 13, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced over $25 million in grants to support organic farming research. The money was awarded through the Organic Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) — the flagship research competitive grants program dedicated to funding research relevant to organic producers […]
NSAC Delivers 2016 Sustainable Agriculture Funding Requests
On Tuesday, October 6, NSAC delivered a letter to members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, urging them to support sustainable agriculture priorities in the final fiscal year 2016 appropriations legislation. Congress is currently debating funding levels for the remainder of 2016 fiscal year, which began on October 1. On the final day of […]
USDA Awards Millions to Support New Farmers
Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced awards totaling $17 million through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP). BFRDP is the only USDA program exclusively dedicated to training new farmers and ranchers, particularly in sustainable production practices. NSAC and our members who serve beginning farmers across the country originally conceptualized BFRDP nearly 15 […]
Specialty Crop Grant Awards Announced by USDA
On October 5, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced $63 million in grants for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) and over $50 million in grants for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI). These awards help support farmers growing fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and nursery crops, also known as “specialty crops,” […]
New Publication Highlights Opportunities and Challenges for Organic Transition
Farmers and ranchers transition to organic production for a wide range of environmental, economic, and production reasons, but throughout the transition process, they may also encounter challenges regarding labor requirements, input supplies, weed management, yields, or cash flow. A new publication, Making the Transition to Organic: Ten Farm Profiles, highlights organic opportunities and offers strategies to […]
The Role of Publicly Funded Plant Breeding in the Future of Food
On September 21, one of the leading plant breeding experts in the country came to Washington, D.C. to discuss the importance of public funding for plant breeding research during two Congressional briefings for Senate and House staff. Dr. William (Bill) Tracy is a professor and chair of the Department of Agronomy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he leads the […]
RELEASE: New Data Shows Organic Farmers Continue to Expand Markets and Increase Sales
Contact: Paul Wolfe or Juli Obudzinski, 202-547-5754 New Data Shows Organic Farmers Continue to Expand Markets and Increase Sales Washington, D.C., September 17 — Today, The United States Department of Agriculture’s National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) released results from the 2014 Organic Production Survey. This is the first comprehensive snapshot of organic agriculture since 2008. “This survey is […]
USDA Announces $20 Million in Awards for Innovative Conservation Projects
On Tuesday, September 15, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it will award $20.5 million across 45 conservation projects through the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program. The CIG program supports the development and testing of promising new conservation technologies and approaches, with the goal of making them available for use as quickly as […]
Programs in Action: SARE Supports Collaborative Effort to Reduce Nitrogen Losses
Editor’s Note: This is the fourth in a series of blog posts highlighting Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) projects. Our last blog featured two farmers in Wisconsin who used SARE funding to support food security and business development. The SARE program is a farmer driven research, education, and extension grants program designed to help advance […]
Programs in Action: North Central SARE Recipients Build New Partnerships
Editor’s Note: This is the third in a series of blog posts highlighting Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) projects that support the next generation of farmers. Our last blog featured two beginning farmers who used SARE to support innovative organic research on their farms. The SARE program is a farmer driven research, education and […]
Program Roundup – SARE Funding Available around the Country
Editor’s Note — This is the latest in a series of periodic blog posts on the latest happenings in each of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) regions as they roll out project solicitations and announce grant awards. The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education or SARE program is a farmer driven research and education competitive grants […]
Cover Crop Survey Confirms Benefits and Points to Future Research
For the third year in a row, the results of an annual cover crop survey of farmers around the country confirm the benefits and expansion of cover crops on U.S. cropland. USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program recently released the results of the 2014-2015 Cover Crop Survey, which assessed the benefits, challenges, and […]
What’s in the Senate Funding Bill for Sustainable Agriculture?
Pop quiz: What do Frankenfish, Orca Whales, and whole grains all have in common? Answer: They were all part of the amendment process today as the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced their version of next year’s federal funding bill for food, agriculture, and rural development. Read on for our analysis of the Senate funding bill that […]
Study Aims to Help Food Hubs Become More Profitable
To help regional food hubs to grow, it’s important to have data for baseline performance measures – data that can help assess successes, needs, and opportunities. A new report on food hubs released yesterday, July 14, 2015, provides just such data. COUNTING VALUES: Food Hub Financial Benchmarking Study draws on 2013 data from 48 diverse and […]
National Working Group Recommends Path to Improved Soil Health
Late last month, the National Working Group on Cover Crops and Soil Health released a list of ten recommendations for improving soil health and expanding the use of cover crops to achieve that goal. The Working Group rolled out the recommendations in a presentation to a variety of Washington D.C. based agriculture and conservation groups, including […]
Sustainable Agriculture Research Falling Further Behind
Farmers are constantly innovating on their farms, and experimenting with new ways to control pests or boost yields or conserve water on their fields. Farmers’ bottom lines are at stake, especially new farmers getting started out. They have no choice but to find better, more effective ways to address the many challenges that Mother Nature […]