While the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has not confirmed the number of employees that have already been laid off or their plans for a forthcoming “reduction in force”, staffing chaos has reigned at the agency for the past several weeks. The firing of nearly 6,000 probationary employees was ruled illegal and extensive terminations are […]
Rural Development
Path to a New Farm Bill: Increasing Access and Affordability in Local Food Systems
Editor’s Note: This post is part of a multi-part series exploring some of the key sustainable agriculture and food systems challenges that the farm bill can address. Through a series comparing the House and Senate Agriculture Committees’ proposals, we provide an assessment of how each chamber’s bill would address a given challenge, and our recommended […]
USDA Announces Recipients of New Healthy Food Financing Expansion Grant
The USDA Rural Development, in collaboration with Reinvestment Fund, has announced the recipients of over $40 million in grants for the inaugural round of the Local and Regional Healthy Food Financing Partnerships Program, aimed at expanding or creating new Healthy Food Financing Programs with technical and financial assistance; this program, funded partly through the American Rescue Plan, supports public-private partnerships to increase access to healthy food in underserved areas, emphasizing capacity building and credit enhancement activities…. Read More →
Comment: NSAC Welcomes Further Investment in Regional Meat Processing By USDA
In response to the announcement of the “Biden-Harris Administration Partners with Agricultural Producers to Promote Competition, Strengthen Food Supply Chain and Rural Economies,” NSAC stated that it welcomes a new round of investment in the local and regional meat processing industry. This investment, through its focus on regional lending, will bring new avenues of growth to rural and urban communities alike. … Read More →
Why Congress Should Mandate a Farm Credit Grant
The Farm Credit System (FCS), agriculture’s government sponsored enterprise (GSE), is a nationwide network of customer-owned lenders with a mission to support rural communities and agriculture. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) 2023 Farm Bill Platform includes a proposal that requires FCS, agriculture’s GSE, to grant 15 percent of its annual profits to support underserved producers and food systems enterprises. These grants will build upon successful programs already facilitated by some Farm Credit associations and help fulfill its mission and public mandate to serve young, beginning, and small farmers and ranchers. … Read More →
Historical Perspectives on Food System Transformation
This blog post is the culmination of a fellowship research project by NSAC Grassroots Fellow Anthony Singh-Reynoso and highlights three case studies: the struggle for farmworker justice and the United Farm Workers; the necessity of community-based methods of self-sufficiency and the Freedom Farm Cooperative; and the origins of the Farm Bill and the farmer response to the Dust Bowl…. Read More →
Release: Local Farms and Food Act Introduced in Both Houses
Today, Representatives Pingree (D-ME-1), Newhouse (R-WA-4), Caraveo (D-CO-8), Tokuda (D-HI-2) and Senators Brown (D-OH), Smith (D-MN), Welch (D-VT), and Fetterman (D-PA) introduced the Local Farms and Food Act (LFFA) in both the House and the Senate. The LFFA is a comprehensive bill that offers reforms to the Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP), Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP), and the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP). … Read More →
NSAC’s Top 10 of 2022: A Year in Review
The end of a year signifies a time to reflect on all the most important accomplishments and tribulations of the past year. At NSAC, we had the opportunity to celebrate and find new reasons to expand our advocacy to support sustainable agriculture practices, small-scale producers, diversified farming, local food systems, and beginning and underserved farmers and ranchers. This post shares NSAC’s Top 10 accomplishments of 2022. … Read More →
NSAC’s 2023 Farm Bill Platform: Investing in Healthy Communities
This is the second post in NSAC’s series covering key pillars of NSAC’s 2023 Farm Bill Platform, focusing on how the Farm Bill can invest in healthy rural and urban communities by strengthening the resilience of local and regional supply chains, increasing market opportunities for small and mid-sized farms and processors, enhancing job growth and local economic development through workforce development and training, and ensuring the most vulnerable have ample access to nutritious, culturally-relevant, locally-produced foods…. Read More →
Attention All Farmers: Be Represented in US Farm Policy by Participating in the 2022 Census of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is gearing up to send its survey for the 2022 Census of Agriculture. Whether or not you have participated in the past, filling out the survey is an important way for every farmer in America to influence the policies and programs that impact US agriculture every day…. Read More →
Diversified Growing: Farmers Cultivating Community and the Necessity of Federal Funding for Farmer-led Education and Research Programs
Cultivating and substantiating farmer leadership through education and research initiatives is essential to generating an equitable and resilient food and farming system…. Read More →
Comment: NSAC Applauds President Biden’s Remarks on Funding Adaptive Measures, But Urges Action on Climate Mitigation
NSAC responded to President Biden’s remarks today on tackling the climate crisis…. Read More →
Comment: NSAC Responds to House Passage of FY 2023 Agriculture Spending Bill
“The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) applauds the House Appropriations Committee members for voting to support robust funding for Conservation Operations and a significant increase in Conservation Technical Assistance that farmers and ranchers need to adopt new conservation practices that improve the sustainability and profitability of their family farms.”… Read More →
THE FUTURE OF CONSERVATION AND THE GRAZING REVOLUTION: FARMERS AND RANCHERS ASK CONGRESS TO FUND THE GRAZING LANDS CONSERVATION INITIATIVE (GLCI)
Graziers, or producers who utilize systematic grazing management in raising livestock, are making the case for the widespread adoption of pasture based practices that demonstrate synchronous benefits for both local food systems and ecosystems. The Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (GLCI) enters the landscape provides local and regional resources for farmers and ranchers – both established and beginning – who are interested in understanding and utilizing grazing management practices…. Read More →
USDA Opens Latest Round of Funding to Support Local and Regional Food Economy Development Projects
NSAC looks at USDA’s recently announced round of grant funding for the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program (FMLFPP) and Regional Food Systems Partnership (RFSP) program to build and expand local and regional food and agriculture markets. The deadline to apply for the FMLFPP and RFSP program is Monday, May 16, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. Full details on the NSAC blog. … Read More →
Release: NSAC Publishes Newly Revised Farmers’ Guide to the USDA Value-Added Producer Grant Program
This week USDA announced its 2022 Notice of Solicitation of Applications (NOSA) for the Value-Added Producer Grant Program (VAPG). For the last several years, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) has updated its Farmers’ Guide to Applying for the Value-Added Producer Grant Program to help producers navigate this program. … Read More →
Value-Added Producer Grants Are Now Open
On March 1, 2022, USDA Rural Development announced the availability of at least $19.75 million in total funding for VAPG projects. … Read More →
Release: USDA Launches Partnership for Climate-Smart Commodities
Today, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced the launch of the Partnership for Climate-Smart Commodities, a USDA effort to combat the climate crisis by partnering with agriculture, forestry, and rural communities to provide climate solutions that strengthen rural America…. 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 →
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 →
Farmers, Get Your Applications in! COVID-19 Aid Program Closes Next Week
With the cooler fall weather, farmers all across the country are finally beginning to slow down and prepare for the end of this year’s farming season. With the second harvest amidst a global pandemic shortly coming to a close, many farmers will be taking stock over the next few months of how their operations and […]
Farmers Need Our Help Tackling Climate Change
On-farm conservation is a vital part of ensuring a thriving rural landscape. Organic farmer, Paul Mugge a member of Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI), has been experimenting with ecological approaches to agriculture for many years…. Read More →
Closed out: How U.S. farmers are denied access to conservation programs
Editor’s Note: This blog post is co-authored by Cathy Day, PhD, NSAC Climate Policy Coordinator and Michael Happ, Program Associate for Climate and Rural Communities at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, (IATP). ITAP is an NSAC member organization with a 30-year history of pursuing cutting edge solutions that benefit family farmers, rural communities and […]
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 […]