On March 1, 2022, USDA Rural Development announced the availability of at least $19.75 million in total funding for VAPG projects. … Read More →
coronavirus
Farmers, Get Your Applications in! COVID-19 Aid Program Closes Next Week
With the cooler fall weather, farmers all across the country are finally beginning to slow down and prepare for the end of this year’s farming season. With the second harvest amidst a global pandemic shortly coming to a close, many farmers will be taking stock over the next few months of how their operations and […]
RELEASE: New Farmers’ Guide to the Value-Added Producer Grant Program Published
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Wes King, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net New Farmers’ Guide to the Value-Added Producer Grant Program PublishedNational Sustainable Agriculture Coalition announces updates to free guide, including new COVID-19 resources Washington, DC, March 12, 2021 – In conjunction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s recent announcement of at least $76 million in […]
Congress Clears Another Round of Pandemic Aid with Historic Support for BIPOC Farmers
This week, Congress passed the American Rescue Plan, which will provide relief for farmers and strengthen food supply chains and processing capacity disrupted by the pandemic…. Read More →
Contract Farmers Now Eligible for CFAP Aid
Update 3/1/21: USDA has announced that the application deadline listed below of February 26 has been eliminated and USDA’s Farm Service Agency will continue to accept applications while the agency undergoes a review of the CFAP program. Interested applicants will have at least an additional 30 days to sign up after any decision is announced. […]
Farmers Impacted by COVID-19 Now Eligible to Defer FSA Loan Payments
USDA recently announced changes to federal farm loan programs that may provide immediate, short-term relief to some farmers impacted by the COVID pandemic. However, there are important details and restrictions that farmers need to know about to see if they are eligible for relief…. Read More →
What Farmers Need to Know About the USDA COVID-19 Aid Program Opening Next Week
USDA recently announced details of the new Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) which will open for enrollment on May 26, 2020. CFAP will provide $16 billion in aid to farmers who suffered economic losses due to the pandemic. NSAC is glad to see relief begin to flow to farmers, but there are several shortcomings in the program that will make it more difficult for some farmers to seek relief. In this blog, we break down what farmers need to know about this new program…. Read More →
Farmers Feeding Families Act Would Prioritize Local Relief Efforts
With the official unemployment rate approaching 15 percent, the number of food insecure families is growing. This can be seen in a dramatic increase in applications for SNAP benefits and in the long lines at food banks and emergency feeding sites across the country. This difficult situation is made even worse because as the demand […]
RELEASE: USDA’s COVID-19 Farmer Relief Will Leave Out Farmers Most Impacted by Crisis
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Eric Deeble, Policy Director National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition USDA’s COVID-19 Farmer Relief Will Leave Out Farmers Most Impacted by Crisis Thousands of Farmers and Ranchers Working to Feed their Communities Will Not be Fairly Compensated for Losses Washington, DC, May 20, 2020 – Yesterday, the Trump Administration announced the impending opening […]
Will the HEROES Act Rescue Farmers?
As farmers and communities across the country continue to struggle to adapt to the new normal that is life amidst a global pandemic, Congress set the stage this week for the fourth round of federal aid to combat this crisis. And while previous aid packages have addressed some of the most urgent relief, our nation’s […]
USDA COVID Aid Program Raises More Questions than Answers
USDA recently announced plans to distribute $19 billion in aid to farmers impacted by COVID, raising serious concerns about which farmers will benefit. … Read More →
$3 Billion in Coronavirus Response Funds Available to Food Hubs and Distributors to Provide Fresh Food Boxes to Those in Need
Editor’s Note: The RFP has now been published and can be accessed below. We will continue to update this post as more information and resources become available. Last updated 4/27 at 5:02pm Late on a Friday night (4/17), Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the highly anticipated plan for how the U.S. Department of Agriculture […]
A Closer Look at Legal Experts’ Helpful COVID-19 Resources for Farmers
Note: This post has been updated since its original publication and is current as of April 28. We will continue to update this post as more information becomes available. As farmers and communities across the country continue to face health, safety, and business impacts as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, many grassroots organizations […]
RELEASE: NSAC Joins With More Than 750 Organizations Calling on USDA to Provide Direct Aid to Farmers Who Rely on Local and Regional Markets
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Eric DeebleNational Sustainable Agriculture Coalition NSAC Joins With More Than 750 Organizations Calling on USDA to Provide Direct Aid to Farmers Who Rely on Local and Regional Markets Washington, DC, April 9, 2020 – Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and more than 750 farm and food system organizations from all across […]
Farmers Now Eligible for SBA Emergency COVID-19 Assistance
Note: This post has been updated since its original publication and is current as of July 8. We will continue to update this post as more information becomes available. As small businesses of all kinds struggle to stay afloat and cope with the intensifying impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Congress has taken important steps […]
A Closer Look at Farmer Relief in Senate Pandemic Aid Package
As farmers and communities all across the country continue to deal with the impacts of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Congress has been working around the clock to pass another round of emergency aid – this time targeted at small businesses and those who have lost income as a result of the crisis (including farmers), as […]
RELEASE: NSAC Applauds First Step Toward Aid for Farmers in Senate Pandemic Package
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Eric DeebleNational Sustainable Agriculture Coalitionedeeble@sustainableagriculture.net RELEASE: NSAC Applauds First Step Toward Aid for Farmers in Senate Pandemic Package National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Commends Congress for Important First Step Toward Supporting Farmers During the COVID-19 Pandemic Washington, DC, March 25, 2020 – Today, Senate leadership announced a bipartisan deal on a new […]
COVID-19 Economic Impact on Local Food Markets
The following economic impact assessment was compiled on March 18, 2020 for the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition by Dawn Thilmany, Becca Jablonski, Debra Tropp, Blake Angelo, and Sarah Low. More information about the authors can be found at the end of the document. Last updated March 21, 2020. Bottom Line Across key local and regional […]
RELEASE: NSAC Response to COVID-19 and its Impacts on the Farm and Food System
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Eric Deeble National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, edeeble@sustainableagriculture.net RELEASE: NSAC Response to COVID-19 and its Impacts on the Farm and Food System National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition calls on Congress to Support the Most Vulnerable Farmers During the COVID-19 Pandemic Washington, DC, March 19, 2020 – The rapidly developing COVID-19 pandemic is already […]