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 […]
Conservation / Land Stewardship
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 […]
Path to the 2018 Farm Bill: Conservation
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 is previewing some of the major programs and policies advocates need to know in order to effectively engage. The second post in our series, “Path to the 2018 Farm […]
$15 Million Available to Protect and Enhance Agricultural Wetlands
On Thursday, March 9th, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) made up to $15 million available for conservation partnerships that provide technical and financial assistance for on-farm wetland conservation in fiscal year (FY) 2017. These funds are made available through the Natural Resource Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Wetland Reserve Enhancement Partnership (WREP), a key component of […]
Congressional Hearings Kick Off Farm Bill and Appropriations Season
In recent weeks, the debate around the next farm bill – which will be up for reauthorization next year – has begun to gain momentum. The Senate Agriculture Committee held its first field hearing last week in Kansas and yesterday the House Agriculture Committee held its first subcommittee hearing focused on the farm bill, choosing […]
NSAC Special Report: Analysis of CCRP’s Record Breaking Enrollment
In fiscal year (FY) 2016, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CCRP) enrolled a record number of farm acres into conservation contracts. To get a better sense of how and where the continuous enrollment option is having the biggest impact, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) has put together an in-depth […]
Farm, Food, and Conservation Communities Urge Congress to Respect Farm Bill Process
The 2014 Farm Bill was the only reauthorization bill of the 114th Congress that voluntarily offered savings, an estimated $23 billion in deficit reduction over 10 years. Despite significant cuts made to farm bill conservation programs in that bill – roughly $4 billion over ten years, and more than $6 billion when sequestration is included […]
Final Week to Apply for Comprehensive Conservation Support in 2017
Farmers and ranchers seeking 2017 funding under the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) have five more days to submit their initial applications. CSP, which is the nation’s largest working lands conservation program, supports farmers and ranchers in their efforts to actively manage and expand conservation activities on their agricultural lands. The 2017 CSP sign-up period […]
$252 Million for Conservation Partnerships in FY 2018
Last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the results of the fiscal year (FY) 2017 competition for conservation project funding through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). As we reported in a previous post, USDA’s investment of $225 million was met with a non-federal investment of $500 million from a variety of local […]
Cover Crops and CAFOs: An Analysis of 2016 EQIP Spending
The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) awarded more than $1 billion in financial assistance (FA) to American farmers and ranchers in fiscal year (FY) 2016. These funds are provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and offer financial cost-share and technical assistance to help growers implement conservation practices on working […]
CRP Land Transfer Option Provides Opportunity for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers
In a 2011 survey by National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) member organization, National Young Farmers Coalition, access to land was ranked as the biggest challenge by 68% of responding farmers. With the average age of American farmers steadily rising, supporting the cultivation and success of our next generation of growers must be prioritized. The U.S. […]
NSAC’s Sweet 16: Top Wins for Sustainable Agriculture in 2016
If some years are rollercoasters, 2016 was more like the tilt-a-whirl – a lot of effort spent to turn just slightly in one direction or another, much spinning in circles, and a headache at the end for your trouble. Despite all the stop and starts, however, the sustainable agriculture community came out of the last […]
New Conservation Projects Take Root with $725 Million Public-Private Investment
In response to a 2014 Farm Bill provision, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been attempting to demonstrate the power of well-designed public-private partnerships to maximize the impact of federal conservation programs. Since the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) began in 2014, USDA partners have invested over $2 billion in conservation projects across the […]
Unified Support for Conservation as Good Farming Practice Needed at USDA
Every farmer with crop insurance knows they need to comply with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Good Farming Practices (GFP) standard in order to maintain their coverage. Under guidelines established by USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA), farmers must undertake all the “generally recognized practices” that will give their crops the best chance to reach […]
RELEASE: Expanding Opportunities to Participate in CCRP Will Enhance Agricultural Conservation Efforts
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik, 202-547-5754, RKovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Greg Fogel, 202-547-5754, GFogel@sustainableagriculture.net Expanding Opportunities to Participate in CCRP Will Enhance Agricultural Conservation Efforts Washington, DC, December 7, 2016 – The new rental rate cap for continuous CRP (CCRP) practices is a great example of USDA thinking creatively about how to improve conservation opportunities while also responding […]
USDA Grasslands Initiative Expanding in States with Highest Losses
At the end of just its second sign up period, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Grasslands Initiative has enrolled over 600,000 acres of vulnerable grazing land across the country. Strong support for the Grasslands Initiative so early on is a positive sign, but high variability in participation amongst the […]
USDA Publishes New Resource to Help Farmers Adapt to Climate Change
Farming is an inherently risky business. On top of daily weather events, market fluctuations, land access, taxes, and expenses, the stress of climate change exacerbates these problems and serves to make agriculture even less predictable. Farmers and ranchers all over the United States are already experiencing the effects of climate change and severe weather events, […]
New Report Shows Continued, Dramatic Losses of American Grasslands
For years, grasslands across the country have been plowed up to make way for the production of commodity crops, such as wheat, alfalfa, corn, and soybeans. The loss of grasslands is devastating for local ecosystems, and also has long-term, negative effects for ranchers, the hunting industry, and for communities that depend on them for flood […]
How Can Agriculture Address the Growing Economic and Environmental Pressures of Climate Change?
The devastating consequences of climate change threaten our natural resources, food security, and the productivity and economic viability of farming operations. Agriculture has an important role to play in helping us mitigate and adapt to climate change, and as we approach a major administrative transition and early discussions around the 2018 Farm Bill, the connection between agriculture […]
USDA to Invest $25 Million in Conservation Innovation Grants
Farming is equal parts art and science; farmers and ranchers continuously combine their time-tested knowledge and experiences with creativity and innovation in order to develop new practices that help improve their businesses and protect their lands and waters. From soil sensing to crop scanning, agtech involves a spectrum of technologies coming to bear on agriculture. […]
New Grasslands Conservation Opportunity for Small Dairy Operations
America’s grasslands are among our most productive natural resources, providing wildlife habitat, flood mitigation, erosion control, and helping to sequester an enormous amount of carbon dioxide. Moreover, grasslands are a critical component of our ranching and hunting economies. Unfortunately, these lands are also some of the most threatened natural resources in the country. A study […]
CSP Sign-Up Opens, Program “Reinvention” Details Remain Elusive
Farmers and ranchers are important managers of our shared air, water, and soil resources, and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) recognizes and rewards this critical role. CSP is built on the belief that we must enhance natural resource and environmental protection as we simultaneously produce profitable food, fiber, and energy. By providing comprehensive conservation assistance […]
Press Release: Major Questions Remain as USDA Announces 2017 Conservation Stewardship Program Sign-Up
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik, 202-547-5754, RKovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Alyssa Charney, 202-547-5754, ACharney@sustainableagriculture.net Major Questions Remain as USDA Announces 2017 CSP Sign-Up Washington, DC, November 4, 2016 – Today the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the beginning of the 2017 sign-up period for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), the nation’s largest working lands conservation program. […]