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Report illustrates initial success of local food purchasing agreements 

June 28, 2023

In the short time since its inception in 2021, the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) program has demonstrated its capacity to create economic opportunities for producers, scale regional supply chains, and deliver healthy, culturally relevant food to those in need. The Wallace Center at Winrock International, an NSAC member, recently released a report highlighting the results of initial research that evaluates the preliminary impact of USDA’s Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) program in communities nationwide. … Read More →

Filed Under: Carousel, Local & Regional Food Systems

USDA ANNOUNCES LATEST ROUND OF FUNDING TO SUPPORT LOCAL AND REGIONAL FOOD SYSTEM PROJECTS

March 7, 2023

On February 14, The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced $133 million available in competitive grant funding through the Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP) to develop, coordinate, and expand producer-to-consumer marketing, local and regional food markets, and local food enterprises.  The deadline to apply for the FMLFPP and RFSP program is Monday, May 2, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time via  www.grants.gov…. Read More →

Filed Under: Carousel, Grants and Programs, Local & Regional Food Systems

$100 Million to Support Transitioning and Existing Organic Producers

November 11, 2022

On October 24, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced cooperative agreements in six regions across the country for the Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP). TOPP will invest up to $100 million over five years in cooperative agreements with non-profit organizations to provide technical assistance to transitioning and existing organic farmers. … Read More →

Filed Under: Carousel, Organic

USDA Accepting Proposals for Regional Food Business Centers

September 15, 2022

USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) recently announced the availability of $360 million to establish at least six new Regional Food Business Centers, envisioned to provide “coordination, technical assistance, and capacity building support to small and mid-sized farm and food businesses, with the goal of creating a more resilient, diverse, and competitive food system.” Applications are due November 22, 2022…. Read More →

Filed Under: Carousel, Grants and Programs, Local & Regional Food Systems

$300 Million Invested into New Organic Transition Initiative

September 15, 2022

The Organic Transition Initiative (OTI) is USDA’s recent program aimed at helping “build new and better markets and streams of income” for organic farmers and producers, by providing producers with technical assistance, including farmer-to-farmer mentoring, financial assistance for conservation and crop insurance, and support developing markets. … Read More →

Filed Under: Carousel, Grants and Programs, Organic

Comment: NSAC Applauds USDA Investment in New Organic Transition Initiative

August 22, 2022

The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) issued a comment applauding today’s announcement of an up to $300 million investment into the new Organic Transition Initiative. … Read More →

Filed Under: Conservation, Energy & Environment, Grants and Programs, Organic, Press Releases

Release: NSAC Applauds Proposed Rule to Reform Poultry Tournament Payment System

June 8, 2022

Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition applauded Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack for the publication of a long-awaited proposed rule regarding “Transparency in Poultry Growing Contracts and Tournaments.” This is the first of several expected rules to strengthen the century-old Packers and Stockyards Act (PSA) announced in President Biden’s Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy. … Read More →

Filed Under: Competition & Anti-trust, Implementation & Rule-making, Press Releases, Sustainable Livestock

USDA Opens Latest Round of Funding to Support Local and Regional Food Economy Development Projects

March 11, 2022

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 →

Filed Under: Carousel, General Interest, Grants and Programs, Local & Regional Food Systems, Rural Development

Undo the Packers and Stockyards “Undue Preference” Final Rule

February 17, 2021

In the waning days of the Trump Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published a final rule on the undue or unreasonable preference provision, Section 202(b), of the Packers & Stockyards Act of 1921 (P&SA). Unfortunately, the rule fails to protect livestock and poultry farmers from the abusive and exploitative practices that have become […]

Filed Under: Competition & Anti-trust, Implementation & Rule-making, Sustainable Livestock

The Untold History of Federal Farm to School Support and its Impact on Local Food Research

October 4, 2019

Editor’s Note: This post was written by Debra Tropp, former Deputy Director, Local Food Research and Development, Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Debra retired from USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service in January 2019 after 26 years of service. She continues to keep her hand in local and regional food issues through her appointments […]

Filed Under: Local & Regional Food Systems, Marketing and Labeling, Nutrition & Food Access

Trump Administration Undertaking Historic Reorganizing of USDA, But to What End?

September 15, 2017

Back in May, US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue announced a USDA reorganization plan that eliminated its Rural Development Mission Area and downgraded the status of what was the Under Secretary for Rural Development to an Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development, closing the Office of the Under Secretary in the process. […]

Filed Under: Competition & Anti-trust, Food Safety, Nutrition & Food Access, Research, Education & Extension, Rural Development

Expanded Options for Organic Certification Cost Share in 2017

April 19, 2017

Late last year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP) underwent some significant changes as administration of the program was shifted from the Agricultural Market Service (AMS) to the Farm Service Agency (FSA). The change was intended to expand opportunities for producers and handlers to access certification funding, as when the […]

Filed Under: Grants and Programs, Organic

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Applauds Action to Preserve Grassfed Label

September 30, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Ferd Hoefner, 202-547-5754   National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Applauds Action to Preserve Grassfed Label Ongoing oversight will be needed to prevent against misleading label claims Washington, DC, September 30, 2016 – In response to significant criticism from producers and consumers of sustainable meats following their revocation of the grassfed label claim in early […]

Filed Under: Press Releases

First Opportunity for Public Input on GMO Labeling Law Implementation

September 6, 2016

In late July, President Obama signed into law Congress’ much contested GMO Labeling law, creating a mandatory disclosure requirement for “bioengineered” foods and directing the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to develop regulations and standards to carry out the requirement. Now that the law has been finalized, the long process of rulemaking and implementation begins. […]

Filed Under: General Interest

GroupGAP Offers Affordable Certification Option for Small and Mid-sized Farms

April 5, 2016

GAP (short for “good agricultural practices) certification is a USDA audit program… Read More →

Filed Under: Food Safety, Grants and Programs, Local & Regional Food Systems

RELEASE: NFU and NSAC Join Letter Urging FSIS to Adopt Meaningful Grassfed Label Standard

March 23, 2016

A coalition of nine agricultural and consumer organizations today sent a letter urging USDA to reinstate a meaningful grassfed label… Read More →

Filed Under: Press Releases, Sustainable Livestock

More Funding Available for Fruits and Veggies through Specialty Crop Grant

March 11, 2016

The term “specialty crop” is a bit of a misnomer. A specialty crop is not some kind of exotic plant, not an obscure herb or flower, specialty crops are quite simply the fruits and vegetables that are (or should be) a staple of most diets. Even though specialty crops consist of some of the healthiest […]

Filed Under: Food Safety, General Interest, Grants and Programs, Local & Regional Food Systems

New Funding Available for Local and Regional Food Systems

March 10, 2016

APPLICATION DEADLINE is this week – 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on May 12, 2016 Local and regional food systems are expanding nationwide. These systems create new economic opportunities for small and mid-sized family farmers, increase consumer access to fresh and healthy food, and improve rural livelihoods. Over the past decade, local and regional food systems have […]

Filed Under: General Interest, Grants and Programs, Local & Regional Food Systems

New Outreach and Education Tools Available to Support to Organic Certification

March 8, 2016

New resources for transitioning organic producers are now available through the Agriculture Marketing Service’s National Organic Program (NOP). Through the Sound and Sensible initiative, NOP aims to makes organic certification more “accessible, affordable, and attainable” by helping transitioning farmers on a wide array of issues including record keeping and documentation, preventative practices, and much more. Utilizing […]

Filed Under: Conservation, Energy & Environment, Grants and Programs, Organic, Research, Education & Extension

USDA Revokes Grass Fed Meat Labeling Standard

January 12, 2016

On Tuesday, January 12, the USDA AMS rescinded the labeling standard for grass fed meat… Read More →

Filed Under: Sustainable Livestock

RELEASE: USDA Revokes Grass Fed Label Standard

January 12, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Ferd Hoefner 202-547-5754 USDA Revokes Grass Fed Label Standard Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Speaks Out Against Decision Washington, DC, January 12, 2016 – Today in the Federal Register, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) rescinds the labeling standard for grass fed meat that was developed over the course of […]

Filed Under: Press Releases

Dr. Elisabeth Hagen to be appointed Food Safety Under Secretary: on the to-do list, meat label claims

January 26, 2010

By Ferd Hoefner, NSAC It has taken more than a year, but USDA finally has a proposed presidential appointment to the position of Under Secretary for Food Safety (see USDA press release below).  After all that time, with many prominent names from the outside floated over the last 12 months, the Administration has settled on […]

Filed Under: Food Safety, Local & Regional Food Systems

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