Earlier this month, USDA announced a record $35 million in funding for 2501 grants, almost $20 million more than was available in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021, to help organizations conduct targeted outreach and provide technical assistance to socially disadvantaged farmers. The Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program, more commonly known as the “2501 Program,” and administered by USDA’s Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement (OPPE), helps to ensure that historically underserved producers have equitable access to the information, programs, and opportunities that will help them to find success in agriculture. June 8, 2022 is the deadline for applications. … Read More →
Research, Education & Extension
Heart and Soil: Farmer Advocate Rosie Burroughs Calls on Congressmembers to Take Climate Action
“Anytime you want to talk about enthusiasm on soils, talk to Rosie,” affirmed Representative Jim Costa (D-CA), Chair of the House Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture. At the February 3rd hearing “Sustainability in the Livestock Sector: Environmental Gain and Economic Viability” regenerative agriculture took center stage through the eyes and voice of Rosie Burroughs, matriarch of Burroughs Family Farms in the San Joaquin Valley of California…. Read More →
New Partnerships Between USDA Climate Hubs and Cooperative Extension to Boost Climate Research
$9 million in new grants for climate-friendly research through partnerships between USDA Climate Hubs and Cooperative Extension…. Read More →
The “Sweet Spot” for Farms to Enhance On-farm Biodiversity
In this guest blog post Patrick Baur and Kenzo Esquivel discuss their newly published study that shows how some diversified farms have found a “sweet spot” to expand their crop portfolio and adopt ecologically based practices like hedgerows or cover crops. … Read More →
A Year in Review: Wins and Reflections for Sustainable Agriculture in 2021
As this unpredictable year comes to a close and we look to the future, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition takes a look back at our coalition’s hard-fought wins towards building a more sustainable, equitable food and farm system in 2021…. Read More →
From Supply Chains to Regenerative Agricultural Practices, NIFA Awards Over $146 Million for Sustainable Agriculture Systems Research
This year, fifteen projects were awarded grants to address a range of agricultural issues including groundwater use, decreasing food waste in the food supply chain, regenerative practices, and algal feed additives for dairy cows…. Read More →
SARE Roundup: Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program Opportunities
This is the latest in a series of periodic blog posts on the happenings in each of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) regions, focusing on project solicitations and grant award announcements…. Read More →
Over $30 Million Awarded for Organic Research, Education, and Extension
NIFA has awarded over $30 million to fund organic research, education, and extension projects to improve yields, quality, and profitability for producers and processors who have adopted organic standards…. Read More →
COMMENT: NSAC Responds to House Agriculture Committee FY22 Budget Reconciliation Markup
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition lzaks@sustainableagriculture.net Tel. 347.563.6408 Comment: NSAC Responds to House Agriculture Committee FY22 Budget Reconciliation Markup Washington, DC, September 13, 2021 – In response to the markup and approval of the House Agriculture Committee’s portion of the $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation package today, the National Sustainable Agriculture […]
2501 Funding Now Available for FY 2021
Historically, farmers of color have been unable to participate in or benefit from USDA programs to the same extent as their white neighbors. This presents an enormous challenge for farmers of color when they are looking to start or maintain viable and resilient careers in farming. Rising costs and limited availability of farmland, access to […]
Unpacking the House Appropriations Committee FY 2022 Agriculture Funding Bill
On June 30th, the House Appropriations Committee marked up and approved its fiscal year (FY) 2022 Agriculture Spending bill. The full House Appropriations Committee markup and approval followed the Agriculture Subcommittee’s approval of the funding bill on Friday, June 12. The agriculture appropriations bill includes funding for a wide range of farm and food programs, […]
Farmers Trapped in Unsustainable Cycle by Biotechnology, Seed Consolidation
A deep dive into the role that corporate consolidation and concentration play in the commoditization and appropriation of seed and farming practices and what this means for farmers. … Read More →
President Biden’s First Budget Request and Sustainable Agriculture Priorities
A closer look at President Biden’s First Budget Request and Sustainable Agriculture Priorities…. Read More →
SARE’s Farmer Driven Research Shines At Virtual Briefing
Anyone familiar with USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program is already aware of how impactful the program’s farmer-driven research and educational outreach has been over the last 30 years. In fact, SARE has granted $327 million to more than 7,600 projects across the country since its inception. Its groundbreaking work on cover crops […]
RELEASE: Agriculture Resilience Act Delivers Bold Vision for Net Zero Agriculture
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Eric Deeble National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Email: edeeble@sustainableagriculture.net Agriculture Resilience Act Delivers Bold Vision for Net Zero Agriculture National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Applauds Trailblazing Climate and Agriculture Bill Washington, DC, April 22, 2021 – Today, Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) introduced the Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA), which […]
Farmers Care About SARE: NSAC Hosts Virtual Annual Appropriations Fly-in
Every year, NSAC partners with coalition members to organize dozens of farmers and ranchers across the country to share their stories, ideas, and needs with Congressmembers. Marking one year since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, NSAC gathered once again this spring to host our third virtual farmer fly-in here (and everywhere) in DC.! Last […]
USDA Invests Over $11 Million in Research for Small and Mid-Sized Farms
Twenty-four grants have been awarded to 20 institutions for research that would help small and medium-sized farm operators increase their competitiveness in local markets while providing greater access to food in their communities. The awards, totaling $11.5 million, are provided by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) […]
Guest Post: New Pasa Report Unearths Soil Health Insights
Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Franklin Egan, Director of Education at Pasa Sustainable Agriculture, an NSAC member organization. This article originally appeared in March 2021 on Pasa’s blog. Our new report offers fresh insights into how farmers can improve soil stewardship to more effectively protect ecosystems and communities, better withstand severe weather, and […]
Government Funding Bill – Sustainable Agriculture Wins
With the country facing an imminent government shutdown, the President finally signed the $2.3 trillion Emergency Coronavirus Relief Act of 2020 on December 28th. This bill includes both badly needed emergency COVID-19 relief aid as well as regular fiscal year (FY) 2021 appropriations. For more information on the COVID-19 relief aspects of the bill check […]
New Funding Opportunity for Organic Transition and Education Research for 2021 and 2022
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced the Request for Applications (RFA) for the Organic Transitions Program (ORG) in late 2020. Like its counterpart, the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI), ORG supports research to improve the competitiveness of organic farming. However, ORG is distinct from OREI […]
Top 20 Wins (and Fights!) for Sustainable Agriculture in 2020
The end of the year is just around the corner – and what a year it has been! In these times of pain, uncertainty, reflection, and action, two things are certain: (1) our country and our world as we know it will never quite be the same, and (2) the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) […]
$150M for Sustainable Agriculture Research, Impacts, and Assessment
Long-term sustainable agriculture research is critical to growing and supporting every American farm, especially as farmers across the country continue to address the challenges posed by a changing climate. USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Sustainable Agriculture Systems (SAS) program – initiated to enhance the sustainable production of food in the face of […]
How the Biden-Harris Administration Can Support a More Sustainable and Resilient Food System
NSAC has identified the most pressing issues facing the sustainable agriculture community for the Biden-Harris Administration to prioritize in order to rebuild our food system. At the top of the list are issues like addressing the climate crisis, building a more resilient food supply chain, addressing longstanding issues of racial inequities, strengthening anti-trust enforcement, and scaling up investments in public research…. Read More →
More Funding Available for 2021 Organic Research
Just a few weeks after the 2019 Organic Survey reported a 31 percent growth for organic sales and an increase in certified organic farms and transitioning acres, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) released its FY 2021 Request for Application (RFA) for the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension […]