Capitol Hill was buzzing last week with hundreds of people in town for meetings with their Congress members in advance of the next farm bill and upcoming fiscal year (FY) 2019 appropriations decisions. Among the crowds and long lines were 20 farmers and farm advocates in town for NSAC’s March “farmer fly-in” – grassroots events […]
2018 farm bill
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 […]
RELEASE: NSAC Endorses SOIL Stewardship Act of 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Endorses SOIL Stewardship Act of 2018 Washington, D.C. March 6, 2018 – Few things in agriculture are more fundamental to success than healthy soil. Today, Representative Tim Walz (D-MN) introduced a bill that will make on-farm conservation easier and more accessible for family […]
National CSA Day: From Farm Fresh to the Farm Bill
National CSA Day is a great day to get a jumpstart on healthy eating for the year, and it’s also a great day to reflect on how public policy shapes our food system and to learn more about what we can do to make a positive impact. CSA stands for “Community Supported Agriculture” program, and […]
Briefing Underscores Need for Farm Bill Investments in Food Safety
Food safety is always on farmers’ minds, but this year – with the Farm Bill on the horizon and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) implementing its new Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) regulations – farmers will be closely following federal food safety policy debates. Last week, farmers and food safety advocates came to Washington […]
What the Budget Deal Means for American Agriculture
After months of negotiations, the House and Senate have finally reached a two-year budget deal to keep the government running, increase annual discretionary spending caps for defense and non-defense programs ($300 billion), and provide disaster relief ($89 billion). The Senate passed the bill 71-28 around 2am this morning, and the House followed shortly thereafter with […]
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 […]
Regional Conservation Partnership Program: 2018 Awards and Farm Bill Opportunities
Whether we produce food, or just enjoy eating it, we all benefit from farming practices that keep our water, air, and soil clean and healthy. The path to and challenges of sustainability, however, varies greatly from region to region. In order to target resources toward the areas of greatest need and impact in each region, […]
Racial Equity in the Farm Bill: Recommendations and Opportunities
Editor’s Note: This blog post is the third and final post in a three-part blog series by NSAC Policy Intern Noah McDonald, which examines how the Farm Bill can take steps to advance racial equity within the food system. The first post discussed the historical context and foundations for racial inequities with the food system. […]
RELEASE: New Legislation Will Expand Access to Crop Insurance and Commitment to Conservation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Bill Expands Access to Crop Insurance, Commitment to Conservation NSAC supports effort to modernize crop insurance program Washington, DC, January 19, 2018 – Today, Representative Rick Nolan (D-MN), Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee’s General Farm Commodities and Risk Management Subcommittee, introduced […]
CBO Report Provides Roadmap to Crop Insurance Modernization
In December, right before Christmas, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) quietly released a bombshell report revealing what many agriculture policy analysts have long known – that modernizing the federal crop insurance program wouldn’t spell disaster, but rather savings and improvements. For example, the report found that by introducing a $50,000 cap on crop insurance premium […]
RELEASE: Healthy Fields and Farm Economies Act to Strengthen Federal Conservation Programs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Healthy Fields and Farm Economies Act to Strengthen Federal Conservation Programs National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition applauds effort by Representatives Faso (R-NY) and Fudge (D-OH) Washington, DC, January 10, 2018 – The Healthy Fields and Farm Economies Act, a bipartisan bill introduced today in the […]
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) […]
Racial Equity in the Farm Bill: Barriers for Farmers of Color
Editor’s Note: This blog post is the second in a multi-part series by NSAC Policy Intern Noah McDonald that explores how the next Farm Bill can advance racial equity in food and agriculture. The first post in this series focused on the historical context of racial equity and the farm bill and highlighted some […]
A Small Step Toward Crop Insurance Modernization: Modifying the Prevented Planting Policy
For years, one presidential budget after the next has proposed modernizing our federal crop insurance program. Historically, those proposals have fallen by the wayside; but this week the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) made a small but significant step forward by updating the crop insurance program’s “prevented planting” policy. Prevented planting […]
Path to the 2018 Farm Bill: Crop Insurance Modernization
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. This is the sixth and final post in a multipart series that breaks down NSAC’s policy priorities for the 2018 Farm Bill. […]
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 […]
Path to the 2018 Farm Bill: Local and Regional Food Economies
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 […]
Path to the 2018 Farm Bill: Comprehensive Conservation Reform
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 third post […]
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 […]
Path to the 2018 Farm Bill: Beginning and Socially Disadvantaged Farmers
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 second […]
RELEASE: By Focusing on Beginning Farmers, Legislators Are Crafting a Farm Bill for the Future
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net By Focusing on Beginning Farmers, Legislators Are Crafting a Farm Bill for the Future Washington, DC, November 8, 2017 – Today, a bipartisan coalition led by Representatives Tim Walz (D-MN) and Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) introduced the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act (BFROA) of […]
RELEASE: Farmers Take the Fight for the Farm Bill to the Capitol
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik, 202-547-5754 rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Farmers Take The Fight for the Farm Bill to the Capitol National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition leads farmer/advocate fly-in in advance of 2018 Farm Bill Washington, D.C., November 8, 2017 – This week, 20 farmers and farm advocates representing 13 agricultural states flew into Washington D.C. as part […]