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NSAC News

Farmers Markets

Comment: NSAC Praises Introduction of the Enabling Farmers to Benefit from Processing Nutrition Programs Act of 2023

July 26, 2023

NSAC issued a comment in response to the introduction of the Enabling Farmers to Benefit from Processing Nutrition Programs Act, which takes significant steps to increase opportunities for local farmers to benefit from nutrition benefits. … Read More →

Filed Under: Local & Regional Food Systems, Nutrition & Food Access, Press Releases

National Farmers Market Week Provides Platform for Essential Engagement with Elected Officials

July 29, 2021

Editor’s Note: This is a guest blog post authored by Ben Feldman, Executive Director of the Farmers Market Coalition, an National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition member, in honor of the 22nd annual National Farmers Market Week, August 1-7th, 2021. For over two decades, National Farmers Market Week (NFMW) has been a time of celebration for everyone […]

Filed Under: Carousel, Local & Regional Food Systems, Marketing and Labeling, Nutrition & Food Access, Organic, Rural Development

$76.9 million in Local and Regional Food Project Grants Now Available

May 6, 2021

On May 5, 2021  USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced the availability of $76.9 million in funding for the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program (FMLFPP). FMLFPP has two subprograms – the Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) and the Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP) – with a separate Request for Applications (RFA) for each […]

Filed Under: Farm Bill, General Interest, Grants and Programs, Local & Regional Food Systems

USDA Awards $27 million to Support Local Food Projects

October 14, 2020

Local food systems and direct-to-consumer marketing through farmers markets, farm stands, and Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs) programs have flourished across the country over the past several decades. Once viewed as a  fad or niche part of the food sector, local food systems and direct marketing agriculture are now an integral part of American agriculture and […]

Filed Under: Carousel, Farm Bill, General Interest, Grants and Programs, Local & Regional Food Systems, Marketing and Labeling, Nutrition & Food Access

National Guide to Finding Local Food

April 29, 2020

Editor’s Note: This post was developed in spring 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, so some links may be outdated or no longer active! We’re in the process of reviewing and updating it in early 2025 — but in the meantime, feel free to look around! Just do expect some broken or outdated […]

Filed Under: Carousel, Local & Regional Food Systems, Nutrition & Food Access

$27 million in Grant Funding Available for Farmers Markets and Local Food Projects

March 24, 2020

On March 9, 2020  USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced the availability of $27 million in funding for the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program (FMLFPP). FMLFPP has two subprograms – the Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) and the Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP) – with a separate Request for Applications (RFA) for each […]

Filed Under: Farm Bill, Local & Regional Food Systems, Marketing and Labeling, Nutrition & Food Access

$23.5 Million to Support Local Food Projects Awarded

December 18, 2019

When consumers connect with farmers from their region, they not only get access to the freshest fruits, vegetables, and value-added goods, they also help to drive economic opportunity in rural and food producing communities. Developing the farm to fork supply chains that make those connections possible, however, is no small task. In order to help […]

Filed Under: Grants and Programs, Local & Regional Food Systems, Nutrition & Food Access

Stories from the Field: Growing Hope

March 20, 2019

In Ypsilanti, Michigan, Growing Hope works to reduce food inequity and inequality among their fellow residents. Growing Hope’s vision is to see Ypsilanti transformed into “a community where all people–particularly those with barriers due to race, class, culture, language, ability, and mobility–have access to nourishing local food that is culturally appropriate and affordable, can grow […]

Filed Under: Local & Regional Food Systems

RELEASE: Long-term Solutions Needed to Protect Vital Relationship Between Local Farmers, Farmers Markets, and SNAP Customers

August 20, 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net  Long-term Solutions Needed to Protect Vital Relationship Between Local Farmers, Farmers Markets, and SNAP Customers National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition issues statement on the future of SNAP at farmers markets Washington, DC, August 20, 2018 – In early July, Novo Dia Group, a major […]

Filed Under: Local & Regional Food Systems, Marketing and Labeling, Nutrition & Food Access, Press Releases

Celebrating Local Food by Taking Action for Family Farmers

August 16, 2018

Editor’s Note: This blog is a guest post written by Ben Feldman of the Farmers Market Coalition, a National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) Member group, and edited by Reana Kovalcik. Ben Feldman currently serves as the Policy Director for the national Farmers Market Coalition. He has spent his career working with farmers’ markets and the farmers […]

Filed Under: Farm Bill, Local & Regional Food Systems

$16.8 Million Awarded to Increase Access to Healthy Food

August 16, 2017

Millions of Americans struggle each day to access fresh, nutritious food. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) bridges that gap for many lower-income families across the country, connecting them with healthy foods in their supermarkets and at local farmers’ markets. Making healthy purchases at farmers markets has become a particularly desirable option over the last […]

Filed Under: Grants and Programs, Local & Regional Food Systems, Nutrition & Food Access

A Late Start Doesn’t Have to Mean a Slow Start: 10 Things Secretary Perdue Can Do Now to Support Family Farmers

April 26, 2017

On his first day on the job, Sonny Perdue – a former two-term governor and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) long-awaited new Secretary – addressed two very important audiences. The first, a formal introduction to USDA staff, was an opportunity for the Secretary to lay out his general vision for the department’s next four […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Budget and Appropriations, Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs, Competition & Anti-trust, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Farm Bill, Food Safety, Grants and Programs, Local & Regional Food Systems, Nutrition & Food Access, Research, Education & Extension

New Funding for Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion

January 13, 2017

USDA Farmers Market. Photo credit: USDA Over the past decade, the growth in local and regional food systems has been tremendous: farmers markets have shot up by 180 percent, regional food hubs have expanded by 288 percent, and school district participation in farm to school programs has increased by 430 percent. These systems are fast […]

Filed Under: Grants and Programs, Local & Regional Food Systems

Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentives Program Connects Low-Income Families with Healthy Options

October 21, 2016

Every family needs and deserves access to fresh, healthy foods, but for far too many Americans a healthy meal made from fresh ingredients seems like just a dream. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was designed to help assist lower-income families with food purchases, but because benefit levels are low, purchasing fresh, local produce remains […]

Filed Under: General Interest, Local & Regional Food Systems, Nutrition & Food Access

Direct-marketing Farms have Double the Regional Economic Impact

August 3, 2016

Editor’s Note: In honor of the upcoming National Farmers Market Week, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) is proud to present this guest blog from Dr. Shermain Hardesty, Small Farm Program Leader the University of California (UC) Small Farm Program and Cooperative Extension Economist in the Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics at UC Davis. […]

Filed Under: Local & Regional Food Systems, Research, Education & Extension

USDA Blogs about Farmers Market Data

November 18, 2011

In the last month, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has posted two blogs about exciting farmers market research and initiatives. USDA has updated its geo-coded dataset for farmers markets based on the 2011 National Farmers Market Directory.  In a blog posted on October 27, 2011, titled “Data-Lovers Rejoice: More Farmers Market Geocodes Available,” USDA […]

Filed Under: Local & Regional Food Systems, Research, Education & Extension

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