Editor’s Note: This is the fourth and final post in a four-part blog series analyzing the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, which was reported out of the House Agriculture Committee on March 5. The first post provides an overview of the markup process and the bill as a whole. The second post […]
Farm Bill
Unpacking the House Farm Bill: Part 3
Editor’s Note: This is the third post in a four-part blog series analyzing the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, which was reported out of the House Agriculture Committee on March 5. The first post provides an overview of the markup process and the bill as a whole. The second post provides a […]
Unpacking the House Farm Bill: Part 2
Editor’s Note: This is the second post in a four-part blog series analyzing the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, which was reported out of the House Agriculture Committee on March 5. The first post provides an overview of the markup process and the bill as a whole. This post provides a deep […]
Unpacking the House Farm Bill: Part 1
Editor’s Note: This is the first post in a four-part blog series analyzing the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, which was reported out of the House Agriculture Committee on March 5. This post provides an overview of the markup process and the bill as a whole, as well as its likely (or […]
Comment: Without Investments and Reforms, House Bill Rings Hollow
For Immediate Release Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net Tel. 347.563.6408 Comment: Without Investments and Reforms, House Bill Rings Hollow Washington, DC, March 5, 2026 – The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) released the following statement attributable to Mike Lavender, NSAC Policy Director, following the House Agriculture Committee’s 34-17 passage of the Farm, […]
“Have you talked to a Farmer?” NSAC’S 2026 Winter Meeting Recap
Despite the winter weather blanketing much of the nation and Washington, DC, an ongoing shutdown, and continued national debates on food and agriculture policy, NSAC’s advocacy work continues. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) held its annual Winter Meeting from February 9 to 12 in Washington, DC. Over 150 farmers and advocates from NSAC’s network […]
At a Crossroads, House Farm Bill Falls Unmistakably Short
On Friday, February 13, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA-15) released the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (FFNSA). The introduction of the bill comes amidst an historic moment in federal food and agriculture policy. More than seven years removed from the enactment of the 2018 Farm Bill, farmers and ranchers […]
Release: Farmers and Advocates Converge in DC for NSAC Lobby Day
For Immediate Release Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net Release: Farmers and Advocates Converge in DC for NSAC Lobby Day Washington, DC, February 12, 2026 – Yesterday, nearly 150 farmers, ranchers, and food system advocates from Alaska to Florida, joined the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) in Washington, DC to press for action […]
Chaos, Collaboration, and Courage: A Look Back at 2025
A Year Like No Other As 2025 comes to a close, we find ourselves reflecting on a year that reshaped the food and farm policy landscape: from major disruptions in federal agencies to stalled policymaking in Washington, farmers and communities continue to feel the impacts. The historic government shutdown this fall was just the most […]
USDA Staffing Crisis: Rural Development Staff Cuts Leave Rural Communities Behind
This post examines the devastating loss of experienced staff within US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development and the consequences for the agency’s ability to support farmers, rural businesses, and communities. As the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) continues to track the staffing crisis across USDA, Rural Development stands out not only for the depth […]
Keeping Farmers on the Land
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) traces its earliest roots to the farm crisis of the 1980s, when cycles in the global economy and federal agricultural policy combined to push farmers losing their farms into the national spotlight. The 330,000 farm families who lost their farms between 1978 and 1992 were, unfortunately, not the last. […]
Release: Farm Bill Extension, USDA Funding Bill Underwhelm
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net Tel. 347.563.6408 Release: Farm Bill Extension, USDA Funding Bill Underwhelm Washington, DC, November 10, 2025 – After weeks of uncertainty, Congress has unveiled a one-year extension of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 as well as the fiscal year (FY) 2026 agriculture appropriations bill, […]
How the Government Shutdown is Impacting Farmers
The transition from one fiscal year to the next is not something that typically dominates headlines. In fact, as the calendar turns from September 30 to October 1 – when the federal government begins a new fiscal year – the less attention the better. Yet when Congress and the President are unable to reach an […]
Release: Nearly 600 Groups Deliver Joint Letter to Congress Urging a Strong and Fair Farm Bill
For Immediate Release Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net Release: Nearly 600 Groups Deliver Joint Letter to Congress Urging a Strong and Fair Farm Bill Washington, DC, September 22, 2025 – Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) and nearly 600 national, state, and local organizations delivered a joint letter to Congressional leaders […]
September in Washington, DC: FY26 Appropriations, Shutdown, and Farm Bill
When Congress returned from its August recess, it faced a long to-do list and little time to act. On the September list is to fund the government by September 30, when current funding expires for the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and across the federal government. A failure to fund the government by September 30 […]
Congress Wants Local Food Back on the Menu
While global supply chains have brought year-round abundance to families at the grocery store, it has come at a cost, particularly for small and mid-sized farmers right here at home. Consolidation of food distribution and retail has forced farmers to consider higher volume sales at lower prices, which can be difficult to consider while maintaining […]
Cross Post: Impacts of Budget Reconciliation and Colorado Farms: Hurt for Farmers and Farm Communities, and the Need for a New Farm Bill
Editor’s Note: This post was written by Nourish Colorado, an NSAC member. This is part three of a five part series. See part one, Budget Reconciliation: An Unwanted Outcome for Coloradans, and part two, Impacts of Budget Reconciliation and Coloradans’ Health. “Welcome” is an odd word to use to begin this post, given the profoundly and universally negative […]
What’s Really Inside the Final Budget Reconciliation Bill: A Breakdown of Food and Agriculture Provisions
On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB, P.L. 119-21) into law. Spanning nearly 900 pages of legislative text, OBBB relies on draconian cuts to the American social safety net – including Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – in order to fund an extension of 2017 […]
Comment: Partisan Senate Reconciliation Bill Ends Decades-Long Era
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net Comment: Partisan Senate Reconciliation Bill Ends Decades-Long Era Washington, DC, June 12, 2025 – The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) issued the following comment, attributable to Mike Lavender, NSAC Policy Director, in response to the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee’s title of the […]
Examining the House Agriculture Committee’s Reconciliation Bill
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. […]
We Took Action to Defend Our Food System — Now It’s Your Turn
In anticipation of President Trump’s 100th day in office, a coalition of organizations from across the nation participated in a Week of Action between April 22 and April 29, 2025, to collectively highlight the disruption and attacks the administration has made on our food system and farmers. During the Week of Action, organizations coordinated efforts […]
Comment: NSAC Responds to House Agriculture Committee Budget Reconciliation Approval
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net Tel. 347.563.6408 Comment: NSAC Responds to House Agriculture Committee Budget Reconciliation Approval Washington, DC, May 15, 2025 – Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) released the following statement attributable to Mike Lavender, NSAC Policy Director, in response to the House Agriculture Committee’s 29-25 […]
Healing Land and Legacy Through Urban Agriculture
Ask someone to imagine a “farm” and they will probably conjure a barn, a silo, rolling hills of crops, and pasture. That is, they will imagine rural areas. But one of the fastest growing – and underutilized – forms of agriculture is happening in America’s cities and suburbs, neighborhoods surrounded by industry, infrastructure, and millions […]
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 […]