This is the fourth post in a multi-part blog series analyzing the draft farm bill released on April 12, 2018 by House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway (R-TX). Other posts in this series focus on: beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers, crop insurance and commodity subsidies, local/regional food systems and rural development, conservation, and organic agriculture. The bill is expected to […]
Research, Education & Extension
COMMENT: American Agriculture Needs a Strong Farm Bill, Draft House Bill Doesn’t Deliver
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net American Agriculture Needs a Strong Farm Bill, Draft House Bill Doesn’t Deliver National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition urges Congress to develop a bipartisan bill Washington, DC, April 12, 2018 – Today, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway (R-TX) introduced his draft of the 2018 […]
SARE Celebrates 30 Years, Looks Forward to $35M in FY 2018 Funding
There was a lot to celebrate last week at the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program’s (SARE) Our Farms, Our Future conference in St. Louis, MO. For one, SARE and the Appropriate Technology Transfer to Rural Areas (ATTRA) program were celebrating their 30th anniversaries and all the amazing accomplishments each program had helped to make […]
Path To The 2018 Farm Bill: Legislative Campaign Update
The coming of spring has more than just the bees buzzing; activity on Capitol Hill is also shifting into high gear as the deadline for the 2018 Farm Bill approaches. This week represents perhaps one of the few quiet periods left in the capital as Congress takes a two-week recess back in their districts – […]
Spring 2018 RFA Roundup: Deadlines for Funding Opportunities
As part of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition’s (NSAC) ongoing efforts to help farmers and advocates stay up to date with federal policy and funding opportunities, we have provided a detailed list of open Request for Applications (RFA) that may be of interest to the sustainable agriculture community. For more information on U.S. Department of […]
Wins for Sustainable Agriculture in FY 2018 Omnibus
Early this morning, Congress passed a government spending package (the “omnibus appropriations bill”) to fund federal programs through the end of September, which is when the current fiscal year expires. The House passed the package 256-167 on Thursday, the Senate passed the bill 65-32 Friday morning, and the President signed the bill into law that […]
COMMENT: Appropriations Wins for Sustainable Agriculture in FY 2018 Bill
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Appropriations Wins for Sustainable Agriculture in FY 2018 Bill National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition urges Congress to pass omnibus swiftly Washington, DC, March 21, 2018 – “Congress, in particular the members of the House and Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittees, have produced an agriculture appropriations […]
RELEASE: Family Farmers Deliver Farm Bill Priorities to Congress
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik, 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Family Farmers Deliver Farm Bill Priorities to Congress National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition brings 20 farmer advocates to Capitol Hill Washington, D.C., March 9, 2018 – With the next farm bill and annual agriculture funding decisions actively being debated, now is the time to amplify the voices of […]
RELEASE: Seeding a Sustainable Future for American Agriculture
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Seeding a Sustainable Future for American Agriculture Seeds for the Future Act will increase support for and access to public seed breeding programs Washington, DC, March 8, 2018 – The relationship between seed and crop is a simple one – no seeds means no […]
30th Anniversary Conference Reflects on Future of Sustainable Agriculture
Over 30 years ago, the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (SAC) – predecessor to the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) – championed the development of the first-ever, farmer-driven research program as one of their first campaigns. SAC’s efforts bore fruit, and as a result, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program was created. In its 30-year […]
President’s Budget Proposal Threatens Food, Farm, and Nutrition Programs
The deeply problematic proposals of the President’s fiscal year (FY) 2019 budget, released on Monday of this week, include devastating cuts to critical farm and food programs. The budget, if enacted, would reduce the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) budget by a whopping 25 percent, from $24 billion to $18 billion. In addition to cutting […]
RELEASE: Senators Introduce Organic Agriculture Research Act of 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Senators Introduce Organic Agriculture Research Act of 2018 National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Applauds Senate Support for Organic Research Washington, DC, February 8, 2018 – The Organic Agriculture Research Act of 2018, a bipartisan bill that works to increase funding for the Organic Agriculture […]
Welcome Back Congress: New Year, Long To-Do List
Less than two weeks into the new year, and Congress already has an incredibly full plate. Both the House and Senate return to work this week (the Senate has officially been back since last week), and will need to immediately dig in their massive to-do lists, not least of which include finalizing fiscal year (FY) […]
RFA Roundup: Funding Opportunities in the New Year
The New Year may have just started, but there are already many federal funding opportunities available for eligible farmers, ranchers, non-profits, and universities. Several of these opportunities opened last year and have rapidly approaching deadlines. Others have been more recently posted, and you may have missed the Request for Application (RFA) announcement during the end-of-year […]
$17.6 Million Available for Organic Research Funding
After much anticipation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) released its Request for Applications (RFA) for the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) last week. OREI grants provide crucial support to the organic industry by funding research, education, and extension projects to improve and advance organic agriculture. NIFA estimates there […]
Path to the 2018 Farm Bill: Sustainable Agriculture Research
Editor’s Note: On October 24, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) released its 2018 Farm Bill policy platform, An Agenda for the 2018 Farm Bill, which provides a comprehensive vision for a more sustainable farm and food system based on the recommendations and experience of American family farmers and the organizations that represent them. This is the fifth […]
Farmers Answer the “Call to Farms”
Last week, farmers from across the nation descended upon Washington, DC for NSAC’s first 2018 Farm Bill “fly-in”. NSAC’s farmer fly-ins provide farmers and farm/food advocates with the opportunity to speak with directly with decision makers in Congress about the issues that most affect their lives, businesses, and communities. On November 8th, NSAC held our […]
RMA Grants Expand Awareness of Risk Management Opportunities
Last week, the Risk Management Agency (RMA) announced projects funded through two programs that help educate farmers about how to mitigate production, financial, and other forms of risk on their farms. These grants were awarded through the Risk Management Education Partnership Program and the Risk Management Program in Targeted States. Farm risk can take many […]
Path to the 2018 Farm Bill: A Comprehensive Approach to Food and Farm Policy
Editor’s Note: On October 24, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) released its 2018 Farm Bill policy platform, An Agenda for the 2018 Farm Bill. NSAC has been a leader in agricultural policy for over 30 years, and has been instrumental in helping to develop some of our nation’s most successful agricultural programs for conserving […]
Over $20 Million Awarded for Organic Research Projects
Editor’s Note: This blog was written in partnership with our member organization, the Organic Farming Research Foundation. Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced more than $20 million in competitive grant awards to support one of agriculture’s fastest growing sectors – organics. The funding was […]
SARE Roundup: News on Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program funds farmer-driven research and education through a competitive grants program. SARE is the only competitive research grant program offered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that focuses solely on sustainable agriculture; the program been supporting research in this field for nearly 30 years. SARE is administered […]
RELEASE: National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Releases 2018 Farm Bill Platform
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Releases 2018 Farm Bill Platform Washington, DC, October 24, 2017 – Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) released its comprehensive 2018 Farm Bill policy platform, An Agenda for the 2018 Farm Bill. NSAC has been a leader in […]
Coalition Calls for Congress to Prioritize Research in 2018 Farm Bill
Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition joined with over 60 other organizations and educational institutions in delivering a consensus document to legislators with priority recommendations for the Research, Education, and Extension Title of the 2018 Farm Bill. The undersigned universities, farmer and research organizations, and advocates emphasized the danger of allowing America’s investment in research […]
Clock Ticking On FY 2018 Appropriations
The end of the fiscal year (September 30) has come and gone, and with fiscal year (FY) 2017 funding levels extended through December 8, the time Congress has to negotiate final spending levels for FY 2018 is quickly running out. There is a lot on the line in this appropriations package for farmers and consumers […]