This is the second post in a two-part blog series highlighting stories of farmers who have used practices from the Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry practice list to build climate resilience and mitigation solutions. This week’s post shares stories of how farmers are preparing for and responding to climate change. … Read More →
Conservation Stewardship Program
Building Resilience Through the Conservation Stewardship Program
A key question in the 2023 farm bill reauthorization is whether Congress will approve a bill that builds climate resilience for farmers whose livelihoods depend on it. USDA’s Conservation Stewardship Program is perhaps the single most ready-made tool for farmers to voluntarily tackle climate change. This post examines how CSP’s unique design creates greater conservation benefits than other approaches and how spending within the program shows a record of delivering support to producers ready to implement climate friendly practices on their farms…. Read More →
On IRA’s One Year Anniversary, the Top 5 Things to Know About the Historic Investment in Climate-Friendly Agriculture
Just over a year ago, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law. The IRA invested nearly $20 billion in climate-friendly agriculture practices. As an organization that represents small and midsized-farmers across the nation, it is difficult to overstate the transformative potential of this funding to support all farmers in building vibrant and productive farms that can contribute to a climate-resilient future. As Congress inches toward Farm Bill reauthorization, this post highlights 5 key things to know about the IRA’s $20 billion investment in climate-friendly agriculture. … Read More →
Guest Post: Still Closed Out
This guest post by Michael Happ, Program Associate for Climate and Rural Communities at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, (IATP), provides an update on the federal conservation agriculture policy landscape since it’s 2021 publication, Closed Out: How U.S. farmers are denied access to conservation programs. … Read More →
IRA Rollout Begins: Conservation Program Application Dates Change
As of February 13, USDA began enrolling producers in working lands conservation programs using IRA funding. This blog post covers a few points farmers and food and agriculture system professionals need to know about how to access IRA funds in CSP and EQIP, and how these conservation programs will be affected…. Read More →
Release: NSAC Congratulates Senate on Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 Passage, Urges Swift House Action
For Immediate Release Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) press@sustainableagriculture.net / Tel: 347.563.6408 Release: NSAC Congratulates Senate on Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 Passage, Urges Swift House Action Funding Prioritizes Climate Solutions for Agriculture and Includes Key Coalition Priorities Washington, DC, August 7, 2022 – Today the full Senate passed the Inflation Reduction […]
How do working lands conservation programs shape cover crop adoption?
A recent study led by the American Soybean Association (ASA) claims to demonstrate the differing value of two agricultural working lands conservation programs and their ability to create increased adoption of cover crops. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) takes issue with several aspects of the study. … Read More →
Climate and Agriculture Legislation Roundup
During the 117th Congress, congressional legislators have introduced a number of bills that aim to address greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in agriculture and transform farms and the food system to better address climate challenges. In this post, NSAC summarizes those bills.
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CSP RENEWAL DEADLINE COMING UP QUICKLY!
Did you know that the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is currently accepting applications for contract renewals in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)? CSP is a comprehensive working lands conservation program that provides technical and financial assistance to farmers and ranchers to actively manage and maintain existing conservation systems and to implement additional conservation activities on land in production. The deadline to apply for a renewal is fast approaching! … Read More →
Release: NRCS Announces Improvements to CSP and EQIP
Yesterday, the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) made a series of changes to its premier conservation programs to better support farmers’ ability to face climate change. … Read More →
Center for Rural Affairs report looks at spending under Conservation Stewardship Program
“Mapping the Money: An Analysis of Spending Under the Conservation Stewardship Program,” is a new report from the Center for Rural Affairs that traces the path of the funding, from Congress to on-the-ground conservation. … Read More →
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 →
Unpacking the House Appropriations Committee FY 2022 Agriculture Funding Bill
On June 30th, the House Appropriations Committee marked up and approved its fiscal year (FY) 2022 Agriculture Spending bill. The full House Appropriations Committee markup and approval followed the Agriculture Subcommittee’s approval of the funding bill on Friday, June 12. The agriculture appropriations bill includes funding for a wide range of farm and food programs, […]
Farm Bill Program Addresses the Nation’s Biodiversity and Climate Crises
The Conservation Stewardship Program As our nation’s largest working lands conservation program, the Farm Bill’s Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), can and should be a boon for wildlife. But cuts in program funding under the previous administration left limited resources that farmers can use to enhance their conservation efforts on the lands they steward. During these […]
Guest Post: Climbers and Farm Policy
Like it or not, the laws and policies we enact at the state, local, and federal level all play a critical role in shaping our food and farming system. The climbing and outdoor community has an important role to play in being advocates for the land that sustains us…. Read More →
Combating the Climate Crisis Through Conservation
Editor’s Note: This is the fourth blog in a series that focuses on the provisions of the Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA) introduced by Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) in February 2020. The ARA represents the first comprehensive piece of legislation introduced in the House of Representatives addressing climate change and agriculture. Read our previous blogs in […]
RELEASE: Millions of dollars available for on-farm conservation: Deadline approaching soon!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Eric Deeble National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, edeeble@sustainableagriculture.net Millions of dollars available for on-farm conservation. Deadline approaching soon! NSAC releases information alert for renewals and first-time enrollments in the Conservation Stewardship Program Washington, DC, March 3, 2020 – Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) released an information alert for farmers […]
NSAC Special Report: Conservation Stewardship Program
Over the last decade, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) has enrolled over 94 million acres of farmland, ranchland, and forestland in conservation contracts. As of the end of 2018, over 74 million acres were enrolled in active CSP contracts – a landmass equal to the entire size of the states of Iowa […]
CSP Renewal Deadline Coming Up Quickly!
Did you know that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is currently accepting applications for contract renewal in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)? CSP is a comprehensive working lands conservation program that provides technical and financial assistance to farmers and ranchers to actively manage and maintain existing conservation systems and […]
Make Your Voice Heard: Conservation Stewardship Program Interim Rule
Careful stewardship of the land and natural resources is a top priority for most family farmers – a deep and abiding attachment to the land that provides for their livelihoods is part of what makes them so good at their jobs. Since 2003, the federal government has provided financial support to farmers who go above […]
One Week to Sign-up for the Conservation Stewardship Program in 2019
Farmers and ranchers have just one week left to sign up for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), the nation’s largest conservation program. Last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced a deadline of May 10, 2019 for CSP applicants who want to be considered for enrollment this year. To help […]
Less than One Month to Sign up for the Conservation Stewardship Program in 2019
Farmers and ranchers across the country have less than one month to sign up for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), the nation’s largest working lands program. Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced that the deadline for applicants to submit an initial application for CSP, in order to […]
RELEASE: Conservation Stewardship Program Enrollment Opens
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana KovalcikNational Sustainable Agriculture Coalition202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Conservation Stewardship Program Enrollment Opens National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition urges farmers to apply before the May 2019 deadline, releases updated program resources Washington, DC, April 5, 2019 – Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced that farmers and ranchers […]
Conservation Stewardship Program Contracts Eligible for Extension
Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) contract holders who originally signed up for the program in fiscal year (FY) 2014 are now eligible to extend their contracts for an additional year of payments. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) first announced the extension opportunity earlier this week. CSP is the only federal […]