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Promising Conservation Results in the 2022 Agricultural Census

CRP

Promising Conservation Results in the 2022 Agricultural Census

September 13, 2024

Editor’s Note: This post is part of a multi-part blog series. Our first post in this series explored initial themes from the Census, while this post offers a deeper dive into conservation practices. Our next post in the series will explore what the Census shows us about local and regional food systems. In early 2024, […]

Filed Under: Carousel, Conservation, Energy & Environment

Government Funding and Farm Bill’s Future Top Congress’ September To-Do List

September 6, 2024

On September 9, 2024, Congress will be back in session in Washington, DC for the first time since early August. Yet, their return will be short lived. In an election year, Members of Congress spend all of October and early November in their states and Congressional districts. In total, Congress will be in session for […]

Filed Under: Budget and Appropriations, Carousel, Farm Bill

CBO’s Farm Bill Baseline, Explained

April 8, 2024

The Congressional Budget Office releases annual baseline projections for federal agriculture policy, including the farm bill, which significantly influence policy debates and outcomes. The latest projections show a decrease in the ten-year cost of farm bill-related programs, primarily due to a drop in SNAP costs but countered by a substantial increase in the crop insurance program’s expenses. Changes in these projections impact the cost and effectiveness of policy proposals, especially regarding crop insurance reform and commodity programs, while also affecting conservation programs and nutrition assistance, ultimately shaping the direction and scope of future farm bills…. Read More →

Filed Under: Budget and Appropriations, Carousel, Climate Change

What the Expiration, and Likely Extension, of the 2018 Farm Bill Means for Food and Agriculture

October 25, 2023

On October 1, 2023, the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 – more commonly known as the 2018 Farm Bill – expired. Thankfully, in recent days Congress has begun to turn its attention toward a much-needed extension of the 2018 Farm Bill. Yet until an extension is passed, many essential programs will continue to be impacted. This blog post takes a deep dive into the current and potential future impacts of the expired bill, examining which programs are stranded, and what it means for food and agriculture…. Read More →

Filed Under: Budget and Appropriations, Carousel, Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Farm Bill, Local & Regional Food Systems, Organic, Research, Education & Extension

The Agriculture Resilience Act in 2023

March 29, 2023

The Agriculture Resilience Act represents a comprehensive approach to addressing climate change in agriculture. First of its kind, the act addresses climate change throughout much of US Department of Agriculture (USDA) programming–not only that which affects farmers, but elements that shape the larger food system, as well. There is broad public support for government incentive-based solutions to climate challenges in agriculture. With its focus on incentives for best practices throughout agricultural programs, the ARA represents exactly what the public, researchers, and advocates have been calling for to move agriculture toward climate resilient systems…. Read More →

Filed Under: Carousel, Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs

NSAC’s 2023 Farm Bill Platform: Building a Climate-Resilient Future

December 15, 2022

This is the fourth post in our series covering key pillars of NSAC’s 2023 Farm Bill Platform which details how conservation programs and research centered on ecologically beneficial approaches can support farmers and their communities, contributing to a climate-resilient future. … Read More →

Filed Under: Carousel, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Farm Bill

Comment: NSAC Praises USDA Announcement of More Than 3.1 Million Acres Offered Through CRP Grassland Signups

July 15, 2022

NSAC applauds the announcement that the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting offers for more than 3.1 million acres from agricultural producers and private landowners through this year’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Grassland Signup…. Read More →

Filed Under: Conservation, Energy & Environment, Grants and Programs, Press Releases

CLEAR30 Sign-Up Open Now!

July 7, 2022

On April 1, the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) opened enrollment for the Conservation Reserve Program’s (CRP) CLEAR30 subprogram – an important component of the larger Continuous Conservation Reserve Program. With both programs taking applications, NSAC offers a quick review of how these essential conservation tools function and shares key information for producers interested in applying…. Read More →

Filed Under: Carousel, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Grants and Programs

Climate and Agriculture Legislation Roundup

June 7, 2022

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.
… Read More →

Filed Under: Carousel, Climate Change, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Grants and Programs, Local & Regional Food Systems, Organic, Research, Education & Extension

CRP Signup: Scraping the Bottom of the Barrel

May 27, 2022

For more than 35 years, the Farm Bill’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has paid farmers and landowners to take highly erodible and other environmentally sensitive lands out of crop production and enroll them in conserving practices instead. Through CRP, USDA pays farmers to set aside land for grass or tree cover for a period of 10 or 15 years. This May, the Farm Service Agency announced that it had accepted over 2 million new acres into the FY22 CRP General Signup. This included more than 1.75 million re-enrolled acres, over 85% of the total accepted…. Read More →

Filed Under: Carousel, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Grants and Programs

CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM SIGNUP BEGINS JANUARY 31, 2022

January 28, 2022

For more than 35 years, the Farm Bill’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has paid farmers and landowners to take highly erodible and other environmentally sensitive lands out of crop production and enroll them instead in conserving practices. CRP signups begin January 31, 2022…. Read More →

Filed Under: Carousel, Conservation, Energy & Environment

COMMENT: Conservation Reserve Program Expanded and Renewed

April 21, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Eric Deeble, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalitionpress@sustainableagriculture.net  COMMENT: NSAC Commends Expansion and Enhancement of Conservation Reserve Program Higher payment rates, new incentives, and a greater focus on climate change mitigation better support farmers and ranchers Washington, DC, April 21, 2021 – In response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s announcement on the changes made to the […]

Filed Under: Conservation, Energy & Environment, Press Releases

Conservation Reserve Program Signup Extended

February 16, 2021

For almost 35 years, the farm bill’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has compensated farmers and landowners for taking highly erodible and other environmentally sensitive lands out of crop production and enrolling them instead in conserving practices. Through CRP, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) pays farmers to set aside land for grass or tree cover […]

Filed Under: Carousel, Conservation, Energy & Environment

Big 2020 Signup Numbers For CRP Grasslands

September 8, 2020

In July 2020, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced that it accepted around 1.2 million new acres into the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Grasslands initiative. These acres were accepted from applications submitted between March 16 and May 15, 2020. While other variations of CRP support conservation by removing land from cultivation for extended periods of […]

Filed Under: Carousel, Conservation, Energy & Environment, General Interest, Grants and Programs

Conservation Reserve Program Signup Begins, USDA Announces New Rule

December 18, 2019

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 […]

Filed Under: Conservation, Energy & Environment, Implementation & Rule-making

Upcoming Deadline to Enroll in Continuous CRP or Transition Incentives Program

June 24, 2019

UPDATE: The deadline for farmers wishing to re-enroll or enroll new land under the Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CCRP) signup period (“signup 52”) is August 23, 2019. Information provided about the signup window from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) originally stated that there was not a deadline set for applicants […]

Filed Under: Conservation, Energy & Environment

Continuous Conservation Reserve Program Enrollment Window Opens Next Month

May 23, 2019

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 […]

Filed Under: Conservation, Energy & Environment, Grants and Programs

2018 Farm Bill Drilldown: Conservation

December 13, 2018

Editor’s Note: This is the fourth post in a multi-part blog series analyzing the final 2018 Farm Bill, which was released on December 11, 2018 by the leaders of the Farm Bill Conference Committee. Subsequent posts focus on: research and seed breeding, and crop insurance and commodity subsidies; previous posts focused on local and regional food and beginning/socially disadvantaged farmers, and organic […]

Filed Under: Conservation, Energy & Environment, Farm Bill

Leveraging Conservation Dollars: Agricultural Practices that Deliver

December 7, 2018

Editor’s Note: This guest blog was written by Duane Hovorka, Agriculture Program Director at the Izaak Walton League of America, which is a long-time member of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. To download a copy of the full report, a summary, and the League’s 10 Steps to Leverage Conservation Dollars, visit the Izaak Walton League […]

Filed Under: Conservation, Energy & Environment

Down to the Wire for Farm Bill Extension

September 25, 2018

Just three legislative days remain for Congress to find a way to miraculously complete the 2018 Farm Bill or, barring that, to pass a temporary extension of the 2014 Farm Bill. If lawmakers opt to do neither of these things, they will kick off a series of program implementation delays that will harm farmers, communities, […]

Filed Under: Conservation, Energy & Environment, Farm Bill, General Interest

Note to Congress: Be Responsible, Don’t Let the Farm Bill Expire

September 14, 2018

This month, we have been drawing attention to a set of programs that run out of funding at the end of this fiscal year, and that will cease to fund new projects and applicants if no new funding is provided. These “tiny but mighty” programs are some of the most innovative, far-reaching programs in the […]

Filed Under: Farm Bill, Grants and Programs

Time Running Out to Sign up for Continuous Conservation Reserve Program

August 14, 2018

Farmers and landowners have less than one week remaining to sign-up for the Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CCRP), a federal conservation program that pays farmers to install partial field conservation practices, primarily conservation buffers or wildlife habitat. Earlier this summer, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) ended a nearly yearlong freeze […]

Filed Under: Conservation, Energy & Environment, Grants and Programs

Enrollment for Continuous Conservation Reserve Program Unfrozen

June 1, 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Enrollment for Continuous Conservation Reserve Program Unfrozen National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition applauds reopening of enrollment  Washington, DC, June 1, 2018 – Today, the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced it would resume Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CCRP) enrollment following a freeze initiated last year on enrollment of any new […]

Filed Under: Conservation, Energy & Environment, Press Releases

RELEASE: GROW Act to Strengthen Conservation Programs in Farm Bill

March 15, 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net GROW Act to Strengthen Conservation Programs in Farm Bill National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition endorses conservation bill  Washington, D.C. March 15, 2018 – Today, Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced the Give our Resources the Opportunity to Work (GROW) […]

Filed Under: Conservation, Energy & Environment, Farm Bill, Press Releases

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