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 →
Environmental Quality Incentives Program
$25 MILLION AVAILABLE FOR ON-FARM CONSERVATION INNOVATION GRANTS
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service announced the availability of $25 million in funding to advance the adoption and evaluation of innovative conservation practices on agricultural lands. The funding is for on-farm trials, a subprogram of the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program. The deadline to apply for On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials is September 22, 2022…. Read More →
How do working lands conservation programs shape cover crop adoption?
A recent study led by the American Soybean Association (ASA) claims to demonstrate the differing value of two agricultural working lands conservation programs and their ability to create increased adoption of cover crops. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) takes issue with several aspects of the study. … Read More →
Farmers Virtually Visit the Hill to Advocate for Climate Action
What do you get when you mix a pandemic context, a carbon-conscious group of farmers and advocates, and a critical window for Congressional action on the climate crisis? The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)’s latest Virtual Farmer “Fly-In” on Climate and Agriculture. Bringing farmers to Washington, D.C. to tell their stories to their lawmakers and […]
Guest Post: Climbers and Farm Policy
Like it or not, the laws and policies we enact at the state, local, and federal level all play a critical role in shaping our food and farming system. The climbing and outdoor community has an important role to play in being advocates for the land that sustains us…. Read More →
Combating the Climate Crisis Through Conservation
Editor’s Note: This is the fourth blog in a series that focuses on the provisions of the Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA) introduced by Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) in February 2020. The ARA represents the first comprehensive piece of legislation introduced in the House of Representatives addressing climate change and agriculture. Read our previous blogs in […]
EQIP Interim Final Rule Falls Short on Sustainability
Every five years (or so), a new farm bill is passed which makes important changes to federal farm and food programs. The 2018 Farm Bill, passed in late December 2018, was no exception. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) was one of many programs to receive updates in the farm […]
$12.5 Million Available for Conservation Innovation Grants
Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced the availability of $12.5 million for the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program. This funding is in addition to the $25 million in funding that was announced last week for on-farm trials (a new CIG sub-program established under the 2018 Farm Bill). This […]
$25 Million Available for On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials
Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced the availability of $25 million in annual funding to advance the adoption and evaluation of innovative conservation practices on agricultural lands. The funding for on-farm trials is available as a sub-program of the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program, authorized under […]
A Closer Look at the 2018 Farm Bill: Working Lands Conservation Programs
Editor’s Note: This is the first post in a multi-part blog series digging deeper into some of the programs and policies of the 2018 Farm Bill. These posts will detail how the new farm bill is likely to impact core sustainable agriculture programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Subsequent posts will focus on: local/regional food systems, nutrition incentive and anti-hunger programs, and beginning/socially disadvantaged farmers. With the 2018 Farm […]
2018 Farm Bill Drilldown: Conservation
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 […]
Conservation Agriculture in the Delaware River Basin: Opportunities and Challenges
With the 2014 Farm Bill officially expired without a new bill in place, the fate of key federal conservation programs is now in limbo. Although much of the Farm Bill Conference Committee’s work is being done behind closed doors, farmers and farm advocates still have time to weigh in. Additionally, it is critical that family […]
RELEASE: Major Ag States Stand to Lose Billions in Conservation Dollars Under House Farm Bill
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Major Ag States Stand to Lose Billions in Conservation Dollars Under House Farm Bill New report shows losers far outnumber winners if 2018 Farm Bill eliminates CSP Washington, DC, August 23, 2018 – Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) released a new […]
Draft Senate Farm Bill: Conservation
This is the first post in a multi-part blog series analyzing the draft farm bill released on June 7, 2018 by the Senate Agriculture Committee. Subsequent posts focus on: local/regional food systems and rural development, research and seed breeding, organic agriculture, beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers, and crop insurance and commodity subsidies. The bill is expected to be considered and “marked-up” (aka […]
Top Ten Reasons to Reject the House Farm Bill
1. Helps the big get bigger and rich get richer Over the last three decades, American agriculture has become increasingly consolidated. As of 2015, a majority of our food (51 percent) came from farms with over $1 million in annual sales – up 20 percent since 1991. Federal policy has historically contributed to this consolidation […]
Draft House Farm Bill: Conservation
This is the fifth post in a multi-part blog series analyzing the draft farm bill released on April 12, 2018 by House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway (R-TX). Other posts in this series focus on: beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers, crop insurance and commodity subsidies, local/regional food systems and rural development, research and seed breeding, and organic […]
RELEASE: The Facts About Working Lands Conservation in the House Draft Farm Bill
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net The Facts About Working Lands Conservation in the House Draft Farm Bill Washington, DC, April 13, 2018 – Yesterday, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway (R-TX) presented a draft farm bill to America’s farmers and ranchers that would eradicate the nation’s largest voluntary […]
Land Tenure Provision Provides Opportunities for Current and Future Farmers
For producers enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Land Tenure Provision provides an opportunity to bring land back into production and give a hand up to the next generation. The Land Tenure Provision, which is only available for the least environmentally sensitive CRP acres, incentivizes producers to transfer (by […]
Conservation Groups Deliver Farm Bill Recommendations
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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: 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 […]
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 […]