Conservation, agriculture, and wildlife organizations joined together this week to present a comprehensive list of recommendations for the conservation provisions of the upcoming 2018 Farm Bill. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) joined 25 other signatories in asking legislators to strengthen the next farm bill’s Conservation Title by improving and increasing funding for U.S. Department […]
Conservation / Land Stewardship
Threats to Conservation Easement Funding Put Farmland and Wetlands at Risk
America’s wetlands, grasslands, and farmland are under increasing threat of conversion to other land uses – wetlands and grasslands are routinely targeted for conversion to crop production, while existing farmland is often threatened by conversion to commercial or residential uses. It is critical that we protect these lands and their existing uses because each serves […]
Farmers Continue to Reap Big Benefits from Cover Crops
Farmers and agriculture advocates have for years been extolling the benefits of cover crops – crops grown specifically with the intention of enriching the soil. Not only have producers seen the health and biodiversity of their soil increase, erosion decrease, and improvements in crop production thanks to the use of cover crops, their experiences are […]
Conservation Stewardship Program: Advancing Soil Health
Editor’s note: On September 19, 2017 NSAC published on editorial piece in The Hill, which discussed how the 2018 Farm Bill could help to promote soil health. To read the full text of that article, click here. While agricultural consensus can be hard to come by, there is mounting agreement on the need to maintain […]
Conservation Compliance is a Key Thread in Farm Safety Net
In order to be eligible for most federal farm programs, including the taxpayer subsidized federal crop insurance program, farmers whose land includes highly erodible areas or wetlands must adhere to specific conservation requirements. These requirements, known collectively as conservation compliance, are in place to ensure that our shared natural resources have a minimum level of […]
Senate Agriculture Committee Tackles Farm Bill Heavy Hitters: Commodities, Credit, and Crop Insurance
Yesterday, Senate Agriculture Committee hunkered down for an epic farm bill hearing, during which 17 witnesses gave testimony on three of the bill’s most significant titles – the Commodity Title (Title I), Credit Title (Title V), and Risk Management Title (Title XI). Witnesses at the hearing included representatives from commodity groups, banks, general farm organizations, […]
Senate Appropriators Prioritize Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development
Following closely on the heels of the House Agriculture Appropriation Subcommittee’s funding bill, which was approved by the full House Appropriations Committee last week, the Senate Appropriations Committee has advanced its agriculture appropriations funding measure for fiscal year (FY) 2018. The Senate bill moved quickly through the Subcommittee and full Committee approval process, with just […]
$15 Million Awarded for Wetland Conservation Projects
Wetland Reserve Easements, like those funded as part of the Wetland Reserve Enhancement Partnership (WREP), provide private landowners with the resources they need to help protect and conserve vulnerable wetlands. Funding from WREP enables landowners to reduce the impact of flooding, enhance and conserve wildlife habitat, improve groundwater quality, and create space for outdoor recreational […]
The Numbers Behind the Farm Bill: the Commodity and Conservation Titles
Editor’s Note: This is the second of a four-part series explaining the background budget information that will be used to craft the upcoming 2018 Farm Bill. In this post we look in more detail at the commodity and conservation titles of the farm bill. In part three will focus on programs that will need to have […]
Senate Agriculture Committee Examines Conservation Options for Next Farm Bill
On-farm, voluntary conservation programs – such as the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) – provide farmers with the tools, technical assistance, and financial support they need to make their operations more sustainable and resilient. The farm bill, our nation’s largest and most significant package of food and farm funding legislation, […]
$23 Million for Conservation Innovation Projects!
In order to support the development of promising new conservation approaches, yesterday the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it will award more than $22.6 million in Conservation Innovation Grants (CIGs) to 33 projects that have demonstrated great potential in the advancement of resource conservation. This year’s projects focus on: conservation finance, pay-for-success, water […]
Trump’s Proposed Budget Cuts Would Spell Disaster for Rural America
The outcry from farmers, farm and food groups, and Members of Congress came swiftly this week following the release of President Trump’s fiscal year (FY) 2018 budget proposal. The nation got its initial preview of the Administration’s priorities this March in an outline budget document termed “the skinny budget”. This week the full proposal, which […]
RELEASE: Budget Proposal Throws Administration’s Promises to Rural America Out the Window
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik, 202-547-5754, RKovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Budget Proposal Throws Administration’s Promises to Rural America Out the Window Washington, DC, May 23, 2017 – President Trump’s FY 2018 budget request – “A New Foundation for American Greatness” – seeks to cut nearly $230 billion (21 percent) from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) bottom line, […]
RELEASE: Budget Proposal Guts Rural Development, Cuts Conservation and Research
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik, 202-547-5754, RKovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Budget Proposal Guts Rural Development, Cuts Conservation and Research National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Warns Trump Budget Will Be Devastating for Farmers Washington, DC, May 19, 2017 – Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) had the opportunity to view the second installment of the Trump Administration’s budget […]
USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue Defends Elimination of Rural Development Mission Area
Last week the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) reported on Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue’s plan to reorganize the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) by eliminating the Rural Development Mission Area and moving the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) from the Natural Resources and Environment Mission Area to a newly created “Farm Production and Conservation” Mission […]
Stories From the Field: Conservation Programs for New Farming Futures
Raised in western Kansas, Ryan Speer grew up knowing that he wanted to farm. What he didn’t know, however, was how to farm in a way that was both economically and environmentally sustainable. Having come of age during some difficult economic times in farm country, Ryan took the opportunity to study and practice agronomy. Though […]
USDA Freezes New Enrollments in Continuous Conservation Reserve Program
As of May 3, 2017, the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CCRP) will cease enrollment of any new acres – with the exception of State Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) enrollments – through the remainder of fiscal year (FY) 2017. While USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), which administers CCRP, will continue […]
A Late Start Doesn’t Have to Mean a Slow Start: 10 Things Secretary Perdue Can Do Now to Support Family Farmers
On his first day on the job, Sonny Perdue – a former two-term governor and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) long-awaited new Secretary – addressed two very important audiences. The first, a formal introduction to USDA staff, was an opportunity for the Secretary to lay out his general vision for the department’s next four […]
Celebrating Agro-Environmental Stewardship on Earth Day
Throughout this week hundreds of thousands of people across the U.S. will be leading projects, demonstrations, and activities in celebration of Earth Day (April 22). Whether you’re a farmer who’s proud of the advanced conservation activities on your farm, a gardener doing your part to add greenery to your neighborhood, or a consumer who loves […]
Stories from the Field: Conservation for a Better Future
Rick Story never imagined he’d be named one of the Natural Resource Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Conservation Farmers of the Year; but considering his extensive use of the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) over the last four years, it’s easy to see why he was chosen. A pilot by training, at first Rick was more comfortable flying […]
RELEASE: Over 220 Organizations Urge Appropriators to Protect Conservation Funding
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: National Association of Conservation Districts: Whitney Forman-Cook (202) 595-9139, Whitney-Forman-Cook@nacdnet.org National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition: Reana Kovalcik (202) 547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net National Wildlife Federation: Casey Skeens (202) 797-6808, SkeensC@NWF.org Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership: Kristyn Brady (617) 501-6352, kbrady@trcp.org Over 220 Agriculture, Wildlife, and Conservation Organizations Urge Appropriators to Protect Conservation Funding Washington, D.C., […]
Path to the 2018 Farm Bill: Priorities for Sustainable Agriculture
Editor’s Note: As a lead up to the 2018 Farm Bill, around which discussions and debate in Congress have already begun, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) is previewing some of the major programs and policies that advocates need to know in order to effectively engage. The final post in our series, “Path to the […]
One Month Left to Renew Expiring Conservation Stewardship Contracts!
Farmers and ranchers with expiring Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) acres have until May 5 to renew their contracts for an additional five years. Nearly 7,000 farmers, ranchers, and forest owners across the country enrolled 9.5 million acres in this comprehensive conservation program in 2013. These contracts will expire from the program if they are […]
RELEASE: Appropriations on the Agenda: Farmer-Advocates Fly-in to Washington DC
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik, 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Appropriations on the Agenda: Farmer-Advocates Fly-in to Washington DC National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition hosts first “farmer fly-in” of FY 2018 season Washington, DC, March 17, 2017 – This week, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) hosted its first “farmer fly-in” of the fiscal year (FY) 2018 season. Growers from […]