Editor’s Note: In response to COVID-19, NRCS has extended the deadline for CIG On-Farm Trials. This post has been updated to reflect the latest information. On March 12, 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced the availability of $25 million in funding to advance the adoption and evaluation of innovative conservation […]
Conservation / Land Stewardship
RELEASE: Farmer Driven Conservation Outcomes Act to Strengthen Federal Conservation Programs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Eric Deeble National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, edeeble@sustainableagriculture.net Farmer Driven Conservation Outcomes Act to Strengthen Federal Conservation Programs National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition applauds effort by Senators Bob Casey and Shelly Moore Capito, and Representatives Marcia Fudge and Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson Washington, DC, March 11, 2020 – The Farmer Driven Conservation Outcomes Act, […]
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 […]
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 […]
EQIP Interim Final Rule Falls Short on Sustainability
Every five years (or so), a new farm bill is passed which makes important changes to federal farm and food programs. The 2018 Farm Bill, passed in late December 2018, was no exception. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) was one of many programs to receive updates in the farm […]
Conservation Reserve Program Signup Begins, USDA Announces New Rule
For almost 35 years, the farm bill’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has paid farmers and land owners to take highly erodible and other environmentally sensitive lands out of crop production and enroll them instead in conserving practices. Through CRP, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) pays farmers to set aside land for grass or tree […]
New On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials Program Awards Over $24 Million
Conservation innovators recently received a major infusion of support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), which last month announced over $24 million in awards for On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials (On-Farm Trials). Sixteen projects received awards this cycle ranging from $280,000 to $3,000,000. These projects will advance innovative conservation practices […]
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 […]
A Call for Climate-Focused Agriculture Policy
Editor’s Note: This post was written by Tara Ritter, Senior Program Associate with the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) and edited by the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC). IATP is a member organization of NSAC, and Tara serves as Co-Chair of NSAC’s Climate Change Subcommittee. The current Administration has gone to great lengths […]
$300 Million Announced for Conservation Partnerships, New Rulemaking Pending
This month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the availability of $300 million in project funding for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) in fiscal year (FY) 2019. RCPP, administered by USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), takes a cooperative approach to conservation activities with the private sector and local agencies working with NRCS […]
Cover Crops – Good for Crop Yields, Soil Health, and Bottom Lines
The benefits of cover crops have long been known to farmers, and today, they are also increasingly being studied by agricultural researchers. Despite their benefits to crop yields, soil health, and farmers’ bottom lines, however, many obstacles to cover crop adoption still remain. One significant barrier for many farmers is the cost of introducing cover […]
2017 Census of Agriculture Drilldown: Conservation and Energy
Earlier this spring, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released the long-awaited 2017 Census of Agriculture – a once every five years report that has been in publication since 1840. The Census of Agriculture is a critical tool for farmers, researchers, and food/farm activists because of the wealth of data it contains about everything from […]
$12.5 Million Available for Conservation Innovation Grants
Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced the availability of $12.5 million for the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program. This funding is in addition to the $25 million in funding that was announced last week for on-farm trials (a new CIG sub-program established under the 2018 Farm Bill). This […]
Congressional Hearings Examine Climate Change and Agriculture
Underscoring the growing national awareness of and concern over climate change’s impact on agriculture, last week Congress held two hearings in advance of their Memorial Day recess to examine the issue in detail. In the Senate, the Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing titled “Climate Change and the Agriculture Sector” which discussed how agriculture can […]
Continuous Conservation Reserve Program Enrollment Window Opens Next Month
Last week, the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced that they would begin accepting applications on June 3, 2019 for the Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CCRP). CCRP pays farmers to install partial field conservation practices, primarily conservation buffers or wildlife habitat. For this current enrollment opportunity, eligible practices are limited […]
COMMENT: Renewed Focus on Climate Change Presents Opportunities for Sustainable Agriculture
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Renewed Focus on Climate Change Presents Opportunities for Sustainable AgricultureNational Sustainable Agriculture Coalition applauds Senate Agriculture Committee for underscoring the important role of producers in climate change mitigation and adaptation Washington, DC, May 21, 2019 – Today, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, […]
$25 Million Available for On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials
Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced the availability of $25 million in annual funding to advance the adoption and evaluation of innovative conservation practices on agricultural lands. The funding for on-farm trials is available as a sub-program of the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program, authorized under […]
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 […]
RELEASE: Leading Farm, Conservation, and Wildlife Groups Unite to Protect Conservation Funding
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik Associate Director for Communications, NSAC 202-547-5754; rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Leading Farm, Conservation, and Wildlife Groups Unite to Protect Conservation Funding Appropriators urged to build on the farm bill’s commitment to conservation Washington, DC, April 2, 2019 – Having succeeded in protecting funding for the Conservation Title in the 2018 Farm Bill, […]
$450 Million for Conservation Easement Funding Announced
Last week, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced the availability of $450 million through the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) to restore critical wetlands and protect agricultural lands and grasslands. ACEP can help land owners improve environmental quality and wildlife habitat, as well as protect open spaces and/or historic spaces. ACEP’s wetland protection and restoration provisions can […]
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 […]
NSAC Members Convene to Set 2019 Priorities
Last week, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)’s annual winter meeting convened over 80 coalition members from all across the country to discuss food and agriculture policy in the nation’s capital. At the four-day convening, participants selected and made plans around NSAC coalition priorities, including implementation of the 2018 Farm Bill, which was signed into […]