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The Farm Safety Net: A Closer Look at ARC and PLC

2018 farm bill

The Farm Safety Net: A Closer Look at ARC and PLC

February 7, 2025

As the 119th Congress begins, the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) reauthorization is again on the agenda after numerous extensions. The farm safety net, which includes commodity support programs and federal crop insurance, is a fundamental component of any farm bill.  The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) has long supported a federal […]

Filed Under: Carousel, Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs, Grants and Programs

Sifting Through the 2024 Spending Deal, and Looking Ahead to 2025

January 14, 2025

The 2024 calendar year ended with a flurry of Congressional activity. In the early morning of December 21, 2024, Congress passed, and the President signed the American Relief Act, averting a government shutdown. Beyond extending government funding, the American Relief Act also included – and excluded – numerous policy provisions that will bring lasting impacts […]

Filed Under: Budget and Appropriations, Carousel, Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Farm Bill

2024 Year in Review: Key Wins, Challenges, and What’s Next for Sustainable Agriculture

December 19, 2024

There’s no such thing as a ‘quiet’ year when it comes to federal food and farm policy, and 2024 proved to be no exception! As the year comes to a close, we are reflecting on the progress we have made toward building a more resilient and equitable farm and food system. Amidst endless delays in […]

Filed Under: Budget and Appropriations, Carousel, Farm Bill, General Interest, NSAC Coalition

Stewarding Success: How Did CSP Perform in My State?

October 31, 2024

EDITOR’S NOTE: On October 3, 2024, NSAC released Stewarding Success: CSP Under the 2018 Farm Bill, a comprehensive analysis of the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) over the course of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill). The report offers an in-depth analysis of CSP’s enrollment trends, conservation practices supported, and funding impacts, including […]

Filed Under: Carousel, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Farm Bill

Stewarding Success: CSP Renewals Suffered in the 2018 Farm Bill Period

October 28, 2024

EDITOR’S NOTE: On October 9, 2024, NSAC released “Stewarding Success: CSP Under the 2018 Farm Bill”, a comprehensive analysis of the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) over the course of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill). The report offers an in-depth analysis of CSP’s enrollment trends, conservation practices supported, and funding impacts, including […]

Filed Under: Carousel, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Farm Bill

Release: NSAC Publication Analyzes Conservation Stewardship Program Data Since the 2018 Farm Bill

October 9, 2024

For Immediate Release Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net Release: NSAC Publication Analyzes Conservation Stewardship Program Data Since the 2018 Farm Bill Washington, DC, October 9, 2024 – The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) recently published a new report: Stewarding Success: CSP Under the 2018 Farm Bill. This comprehensive analysis delves into Conservation […]

Filed Under: Conservation, Energy & Environment, Farm Bill, Press Releases

A Deep Dive on the Senate’s Farm Bill Proposal: the Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act of 2024

May 10, 2024

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) released a detailed section-by-section summary of her farm bill proposal. NSAC welcomed the pragmatic Senate bill, the Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act of 2024 (RPFSA), as an important step toward completing a bipartisan farm bill reauthorization this year. In this post, NSAC takes a deep dive into the proposals contained in the RPFSA. … Read More →

Filed Under: Carousel, Farm Bill

Release: NSAC Welcomes Farm Bill Extension, Urges Lawmakers to Pass the Next Farm Bill in Early 2024

November 16, 2023

NSAC celebrates the passage of an extension to the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the Farm Bill, which had expired on September 30) until September 2024. The Senate’s passage yesterday of the House continuing resolution means the government will avoid a shutdown and lawmakers will have time to develop a comprehensive five-year farm bill. President Biden is expected to sign the extension, which is included in the continuing resolution to fund the government, this week…. Read More →

Filed Under: Farm Bill, Press Releases

What’s At Stake: Appropriations, Shutdown, and Farm Bill

September 22, 2023

Last week, both the House and Senate were back in session after more than a month of Congressional recess. As of today, Congress has one week – just 4 session days – until the end of Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 on September 30. This post looks at where things stand across all of these moving pieces as Congress enters a crucial week of fiscal negotiations that will undoubtedly impact on federal food and farm policy…. Read More →

Filed Under: Budget and Appropriations, Carousel, Farm Bill

More Money Out the Door! Farm Bill and IRA Funding Available Through Conservation Innovation Grants

September 15, 2023

USDA NRCS announced the availability of $65 million for the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program. This funding is split into two separate opportunities: $50 million for CIG On Farm Trials and $15 million for CIG Classic. Half of the funding for the On Farm Trials competition was provided through the historic Inflation Reduction Act. This post provides details on both programs and how to apply before the October 30, 2023 deadline…. Read More →

Filed Under: Carousel, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Farm Bill

NSAC’s 2023 Farm Bill Platform: Leveling the Playing Field

December 15, 2022

This is the third post in our series covering key pillars of NSAC’s 2023 Farm Bill Platform, which advances recommendations that would level the playing field for small and mid-sized farms by supporting beginning farmers’ access to land and capital; fixing the flawed farm safety net and improving access for diversified farmers; and addressing corporate consolidation and restoring fair competition. … Read More →

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Carousel, Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs, Farm Bill

Digging into the 2023 Farm Bill: Senate Hearings Kick-Off the Long Road to the 2023 Farm Bill

July 22, 2022

NSAC details the recent Senate Agriculture Committee field hearing as a first step as part of the upcoming 2023 Farm Bill reauthorization process. This is the first post in a multi-part series taking a deeper look into the 2023 Farm Bill process…. Read More →

Filed Under: Carousel, Farm Bill

Agricultural Conservation Easement Program: Between Farm Bills

June 28, 2022

The Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) was created in the 2014 Farm Bill through the combination of the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRE), the Grassland Reserve Program, and the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program. The program is administered through Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS,) and is divided into two tracks: a wetland easement component and an agricultural land easement (ALE) component. The 2018 Farm Bill gave ACEP a major increase in annual funding – adding $200 million per year as compared to levels under the 2014 Farm Bill. The 2018 Farm Bill also added new provisions to prioritize projects that maintain farm viability and land affordability. … Read More →

Filed Under: Carousel, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Grants and Programs

Release: NSAC Publishes Newly Revised Growing Opportunity Guide

March 24, 2022

NSAC published a brand new, fully updated Growing Opportunity: A Guide to USDA Sustainable Farming Programs. This free, comprehensive, practical guide is for farmers and ranchers who want to better understand which key federal programs offered by USDA can help them meet their needs and support their diversified, sustainable farming operations…. Read More →

Filed Under: Press Releases

Everything You Wanted to Know About Budget Reconciliation

September 23, 2021

Editors Note: At the time of publication, the anticipated conservation and debt relief provisions were not yet publicly available, they have since been released to the public, for analysis on those previously missing pieces, check out our subsequent post “Budget Reconciliation: The Missing Pieces”. At this point if you are paying attention to the news […]

Filed Under: Budget and Appropriations, Carousel, General Interest

USDA Listening Sessions Offer Opportunities for Stakeholder Engagement in Farm Bill Implementation

March 1, 2019

In an effort to engage farmers and other stakeholders in the implementation process for the 2018 Farm Bill, this week the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) launched the first of many formal listening sessions to gather public input.  On Tuesday, USDA’s Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) Mission Area held a formal listening session at the […]

Filed Under: Farm Bill

Congressional Hearings Kick Off Farm Bill Implementation Phase

March 1, 2019

This week, Congress started a new chapter in the 2018 Farm Bill process: oversight of the Department’s implementation efforts. The passage and signing of the new farm bill at the end of last year marked the conclusion of the bill’s “authorization phase,” and now that the fiscal year (FY) 2019 appropriations bill is finally in […]

Filed Under: Farm Bill

A Closer Look at the 2018 Farm Bill: Farming Opportunities Training and Outreach Program

February 19, 2019

Editor’s Note: This is the final post in a multi-part blog series digging deeper into some of the new programs and policies of the 2018 Farm Bill. These posts detail how the new farm bill is likely to impact core sustainable agriculture programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Previous posts focused on: working lands conservation, local and regional food systems, and nutrition incentive and anti-hunger programs. […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Farm Bill

A Closer Look at the 2018 Farm Bill: Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program

January 24, 2019

Editor’s Note: This is the third post in a multi-part blog series digging deeper into some of the programs and policies of the 2018 Farm Bill. These posts will detail how the new farm bill is likely to impact core sustainable agriculture programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Previous posts focused on: working lands conservation and local/regional food programs. Our final post of […]

Filed Under: Farm Bill, Local & Regional Food Systems, Nutrition & Food Access

A Closer Look at the 2018 Farm Bill: Local Agriculture Market Program

January 22, 2019

Editor’s Note: This is the second post in a multi-part blog series digging deeper into some of the programs and policies of the 2018 Farm Bill. These posts will detail how the new farm bill is likely to impact core sustainable agriculture programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Previous posts focused on: working lands conservation. Subsequent posts will focus on: nutrition incentive and anti-hunger […]

Filed Under: Farm Bill, Local & Regional Food Systems

2018 Farm Bill by the Numbers

December 21, 2018

The farm bill is complex package of legislation – like other authorizing bills, the bill’s primary focus is on policies and programs, but unlike many authorization bills, the farm bill also provides direct funding for many of the programs it authorizes. Farm bill programs, therefore, have two ways to receive funding: mandatory (or direct) funding through the […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Farm Bill, Local & Regional Food Systems

COMMENT: Just in Time for the New Year, a New Farm Bill

December 20, 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana KovalcikNational Sustainable Agriculture Coalition202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net  Just in Time for the New Year, a New Farm Bill National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition applauds swift action on final 2018 Farm Bill,readies for next stages Washington, DC, December 20, 2018 – Following nearly two years of intense debate and several suspenseful months in farm […]

Filed Under: Farm Bill, Press Releases

2018 Farm Bill Drilldown: Commodity Programs and Crop Insurance

December 14, 2018

Editor’s Note: This is the sixth post in a multi-part blog series analyzing the final 2018 Farm Bill, which was released on December 11, 2018 by the leaders of the Farm Bill Conference Committee. Previous posts focused on local and regional food and beginning/socially disadvantaged farmers, organic agriculture, conservation, and research and plant breeding. The bill was passed by the House […]

Filed Under: Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs, Farm Bill

2018 Farm Bill Drilldown: Research and Plant Breeding

December 14, 2018

Editor’s Note: This is the fifth post in a multi-part blog series analyzing the final negotiated 2018 Farm Bill, which was released on December 11, 2018 by the leaders of the Farm Bill Conference Committee. Subsequent posts focus on crop insurance and commodity subsidies; previous posts focused on local and regional food and beginning/socially disadvantaged farmers, organic agriculture, and conservation. The bill was […]

Filed Under: Farm Bill, Research, Education & Extension

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