Cover crops are a critical tool that farmers can use to improve soil health, reduce erosion, retain moisture, and suppress weeds. Especially as farmers are up against devastating floods, drought, and unpredictable weather and pressures, cover crop adoption is an essential practice to build resilient systems and mitigate risk. Despite these clear benefits for risk […]
farm bill 2018
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 […]
Fight for Border Wall Blocks Farm Funding, Triggers Shutdown
Just one day after the President signed the 2018 Farm Bill into law, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) – the department tasked with implementing the new law – was forced to close its doors as part of a partial government shutdown. Last night at midnight, funding expired for both USDA and the Food and […]
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 […]
NSAC Members Convene in Washington DC to Set 2018 Priorities
Last week, NSAC held its annual Winter Meeting in Washington, DC. This year’s meeting was held at the Kellogg Conference Hotel at Gallaudet University and was generously sponsored by Annie’s Homegrown, Clif Bar, Organic Valley, and Patagonia. Over 100 members representing the majority of NSAC’s 120 member organizations convened over four days in the nation’s […]
Farm Advocate Testifies on Importance of USDA Financing for Farmers
In the run up to the 2018 Farm Bill debate, the House Agriculture Committee has been holding regular hearings to examine key agricultural and food issues. This week, the Committee’s Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit Subcommittee held a hearing focused on the farm credit programs. The backdrop for the hearing was was the depressed farm economy […]
Congress Evaluates Health of Farm Credit System
This week, the House Agriculture Committee held its 14th hearing in a marathon of hearings this month leading up to the Committee’s initial work on the 2018 Farm Bill. The scope of the hearing was to review the health of the Farm Credit System, especially in light of the recent economic downturn in the farm […]
Appropriations on the Agenda: Farmer-Advocates Fly-in to Washington DC
Each spring, the blossoming of the district’s famous cherry blossom trees draws visitors from across the country to the nation’s capital. For a select set of dedicated advocates, however, a very different annual event brings them to DC – the annual appropriations process. Every year, Congress takes up its annual appropriations process in order to […]