On May 22, 2025, the House of Representatives approved its budget reconciliation legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB, HR 1), by a vote of 215-214-1. Just a week earlier, on May 15, the House Committee on Agriculture approved, by a party line vote of 29-25, components of OBBB that fall within its jurisdiction. […]
CSP
Release: Budget Bill Steamrolls Farm Bill Future, Slashing Billions
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net Tel. 347.563.6408 Release: Budget Bill Steamrolls Farm Bill Future, Slashing Billions Washington, DC, May 13, 2025 – Yesterday evening, the House Agriculture Committee released its budget reconciliation bill text. Although a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) score was not yet available, summary materials provided by […]
Newly Updated Farmers’ Guide to the Conservation Stewardship Program Available
NSAC has published an updated 2025 Farmers’ Guide to the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). The guide provides an in-depth look at the program and is designed to help farmers, ranchers, and foresters prepare and apply for this comprehensive conservation program that is authorized by the federal farm bill and administered by the US Department of […]
Farmers Lose When Climate-Smart Partnerships are Frozen
Recent Executive Orders have led to the freezing of billions of dollars of already committed grant money, including funds for the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities (PCSC), an innovative program to support public-private partnerships to develop markets for climate-smart agricultural commodities. Through PCSC, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has entered into agreements with 135 partner […]
Release: NSAC Holds Briefing as USDA Funding Freeze and Layoffs Threaten Farmers and Communities Nationwide
For Immediate Release Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net Release: NSAC Holds Briefing as USDA Funding Freeze and Layoffs Threaten Farmers and Communities Nationwide Washington, DC, March 6, 2025 – Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), a coalition of more than 150 farm, food, conservation, and rural organizations, held a virtual briefing […]
Broken Promises: Over 30,000 Farmers Denied Funds
Shortly after his inauguration on January 20, 2025, President Trump issued an array of executive orders, a practice that has become common in recent years. However, abnormally, several of these executive orders triggered a pause on broad swaths of federal funding. As a result of this pause, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is now […]
Comment: NSAC Responds to “First Tranche” Release of Popular Conservation Funding
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Laura ZaksNational Sustainable Agriculture Coalitionpress@sustainableagriculture.netTel. 347.563.6408 Comment: NSAC Responds to “First Tranche” Release of Popular Conservation Funding Washington, DC, February 21, 2025 – Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) released the following statement attributable to Mike Lavender, NSAC Policy Director, in response to USDA’s announcement that it would release a fraction […]
Sifting Through the 2024 Spending Deal, and Looking Ahead to 2025
The 2024 calendar year ended with a flurry of Congressional activity. In the early morning of December 21, 2024, Congress passed, and the President signed the American Relief Act, averting a government shutdown. Beyond extending government funding, the American Relief Act also included – and excluded – numerous policy provisions that will bring lasting impacts […]
Stewarding Success: How Did CSP Perform in My State?
EDITOR’S NOTE: On October 3, 2024, NSAC released Stewarding Success: CSP Under the 2018 Farm Bill, a comprehensive analysis of the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) over the course of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill). The report offers an in-depth analysis of CSP’s enrollment trends, conservation practices supported, and funding impacts, including […]
Stewarding Success: CSP Renewals Suffered in the 2018 Farm Bill Period
EDITOR’S NOTE: On October 9, 2024, NSAC released “Stewarding Success: CSP Under the 2018 Farm Bill”, a comprehensive analysis of the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) over the course of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill). The report offers an in-depth analysis of CSP’s enrollment trends, conservation practices supported, and funding impacts, including […]
Stewarding Success: Enhancing Access for Underserved Farmers in CSP
EDITOR’S NOTE: On October 9, 2024, NSAC released “Stewarding Success: CSP Under the 2018 Farm Bill”, a comprehensive analysis of the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) over the course of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill). The report offers an in-depth analysis of CSP’s enrollment trends, conservation practices supported, and funding impacts, including […]
Stewarding Success: IRA Funding is Cultivating New Conservation Acres and Farmers
EDITOR’S NOTE: On October 9, 2024, NSAC released Stewarding Success: CSP Under the 2018 Farm Bill, a comprehensive analysis of the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) over the course of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill). The report offers an in-depth analysis of CSP’s enrollment trends, conservation practices supported, and funding impacts, including […]
Stewarding Success: Conservation Stewardship Program
EDITOR’S NOTE: On October 9, 2024, NSAC released Stewarding Success: CSP Under the 2018 Farm Bill, a comprehensive analysis of the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) over the course of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill). The report offers an in-depth analysis of CSP’s enrollment trends, conservation practices supported, and funding impacts, including […]
Release: NSAC Publication Analyzes Conservation Stewardship Program Data Since the 2018 Farm Bill
For Immediate Release Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net Release: NSAC Publication Analyzes Conservation Stewardship Program Data Since the 2018 Farm Bill Washington, DC, October 9, 2024 – The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) recently published a new report: Stewarding Success: CSP Under the 2018 Farm Bill. This comprehensive analysis delves into Conservation […]
Promising Conservation Results in the 2022 Agricultural Census
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, […]
Digging into the House Farm Bill: Part 4
Editor’s Note: This is the fourth post in a multi-part blog series analyzing the Farm Food and National Security Act of 2024 (FFNSA), which was reported out of the House Agriculture Committee on Friday, May 24. The first post details an overview of the markup process, the bill as a whole, and its likely (or […]
Summer in Saint Paul: NSAC Members Meet, Reenergize in Minnesota
NSAC members gathered once again for our annual summer Coalition meeting, this time on the banks of the Mississippi River in Saint Paul, Minnesota on August 5-8, 2024. Over the course of the meeting, NSAC members and staff strategized collectively about current campaigns and future Coalition activities. NSAC members also had the chance to hear […]
Release: House Farm Bill Misses Opportunity to Move Agriculture Forward
In its latest release, NSAC notes how the Farm, Food, and National Security Act does not take meaningful steps toward building a fair, responsible, and accessible farm safety net and how it dismisses climate change – in part by decoupling the climate-focus from conservation investments – while countless farmers and ranchers nationwide experience the worsening impacts of a changing climate. … Read More →
Farmers and Ranchers Love the IRA’s Climate-Smart Funding. Will the House Farm Bill Pull the Rug Out from Under Them?
Farmers and ranchers across the US have been vocal in their support for the climate-smart agriculture funding provided by the Inflation Reduction Act since its enactment in 2022, with demand far surpassing availability. Despite this overwhelming popularity and the demonstrated effectiveness of the IRA in addressing conservation needs, there are concerns that the House Agriculture Committee may undermine these efforts in the upcoming farm bill. Data from FY2023 shows continued oversubscription of key conservation programs and significant investment in climate-smart practices even alongside IRA funding, highlighting the ongoing need for and popularity of such initiatives. Congress is urged to maintain and even expand funding for these programs in recognition of their success and farmer demand…. Read More →
Release: NSAC Welcomes Pragmatic Senate Proposal as a Concrete Step Toward a Bipartisan Farm Bill Reauthorization
NSAC applauded the renewed momentum toward a bipartisan farm bill reauthorization prompted by the Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow’s (D-MI) release of a detailed section-by-section description of its farm bill reauthorization proposal. The Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act framework charts a path for completing a farm bill this year. NSAC is extremely encouraged to see a pragmatic Senate farm bill proposal that includes numerous bipartisan policies. The proposal takes meaningful steps to build a fair and accessible farm safety net for farmers and ranchers, protect conservation and climate spending, and invest in local and regional food systems…. Read More →
Take Action: This Farm Bill Should Center Conservation, Not Consolidation
This week, farmers, consumers, and advocates across the country are making calls to Congress with a central message: pass a farm bill for all farmers that centers conservation, not consolidation. Farm bill negotiations may be heating up once again after a standstill that has left members of Congress divided about what to prioritize. Now is the time to act. … Read More →
CBO’s Farm Bill Baseline, Explained
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 →
Everything You Need to Know About FY2024 Agriculture Appropriations
On March 8, 2024, Congress finally approved a final FY2024 Agriculture Appropriations bill. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 funds USDA and FDA – alongside numerous other departments and agencies – through September 30, 2024. This blog post examines the food and agriculture components of the CAA and its significance amidst Congress’s delayed appropriations process. … Read More →
Release: NSAC Applauds Introduction of the Innovative Practices for Soil Health Act of 2024
The Innovative Practices for Soil Health Act provides common-sense, straightforward support for high-impact perennial practices through NCRS conservation programs. It also ensures increased technical capacity at USDA for new and exciting perennial practices through a series of agroforestry centers. This bill is a win for farmers committed to building soil health across their operation through plant diversity and strong, living roots…. Read More →