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NSAC News

local and regional food systems

Comment: NSAC Applauds USDA Announcement of Regional Food Business Centers

September 7, 2022

NSAC applauds USDA’s announcement of $400 million to establish Regional Food Business Centers. NSAC is pleased to see that USDA is structuring this critical investment in a way that builds on existing partnerships and initiatives and prioritizes resources where they are most needed. … Read More →

Filed Under: Local & Regional Food Systems, Press Releases

Comment: NSAC Praises Introduction of the Farmers Market & Food Bank Local Revitalization Act of 2022

August 17, 2022

The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) issued a comment, attributable to Mike Lavender, NSAC Interim Policy Director, praising the introduction of the Farmers Market & Food Bank Local Revitalization Act of 2022 (HR 8707) by Representative Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-9). … Read More →

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

Digging into the 2023 Farm Bill: Senate Hearings Kick-Off the Long Road to the 2023 Farm Bill

July 22, 2022

NSAC details the recent Senate Agriculture Committee field hearing as a first step as part of the upcoming 2023 Farm Bill reauthorization process. This is the first post in a multi-part series taking a deeper look into the 2023 Farm Bill process…. Read More →

Filed Under: Carousel, Farm Bill

COMMENT: NSAC Lauds USDA Framework to Transform the Food System Announced Today by Secretary Vilsack 

June 1, 2022

Today, Wednesday, June 1, 2022 the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) issued a comment lauding the announcement made by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack regarding the USDA Framework to Transform the Food System. … Read More →

Filed Under: Coronavirus, Local & Regional Food Systems, Press Releases

COVID Relief Funding NOW Available for Farmers Markets, Processors and Underserved Farmers

October 6, 2021

With farmers pulling long hours at the height of harvest season, and cases of the coronavirus skyrocketing across the country, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is now providing additional funding to help many in our food and farm supply chains who were left out of previous aid programs. As of October 6, USDA […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Carousel, Coronavirus, General Interest, Grants and Programs, Local & Regional Food Systems, Marketing and Labeling

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

COMMENT: USDA Announces More Than $4 Billion to Strengthen Food System

June 8, 2021

NSAC responds to today’s announcement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) of plans to invest more than $4 billion to strengthen critical supply chains through the Build Back Better initiative…. Read More →

Filed Under: Budget and Appropriations, Coronavirus, General Interest, Local & Regional Food Systems, Press Releases, Rural Development

$15 million Now Available to Support Regional Food Economy Development Projects

May 20, 2021

On May 5, 2021 USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced the availability of $15.3 million in funding for the second ever Request for Applications (RFA) for the Regional Food Systems Partnership (RFSP) Program. RFSP is a new program that supports foodshed-level approaches to developing regional food economies. RFSP was launched in the 2018 Farm Bill […]

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

$76 MILLION AVAILABLE FOR VALUE-ADDED AND LOCAL FOOD PROJECTS

April 1, 2021

On March 5, 2021, USDA Rural Development announced the availability of at least $76 million in total funding for VAPG projects. The application window to apply is open now and online applications are accepted until April 29, 2020 through grants.gov, and paper applications must be postmarked by May 4, 2021. We encourage all readers to […]

Filed Under: General Interest, Grants and Programs, Local & Regional Food Systems, Rural Development

NASS 2020 Local Food Marketing Survey Needs Farmer Input

January 21, 2021

In recent years, the increasing interest in local and regional food systems has garnered consensus around the need for more robust economic data about the sector. The impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on farm and food systems in the U.S. have further underlined the need for better data. While many small to mid-sized farmers […]

Filed Under: Carousel, Local & Regional Food Systems

How the Biden-Harris Administration Can Support a More Sustainable and Resilient Food System

December 1, 2020

NSAC has identified the most pressing issues facing the sustainable agriculture community for the Biden-Harris Administration to prioritize in order to rebuild our food system. At the top of the list are issues like addressing the climate crisis, building a more resilient food supply chain, addressing longstanding issues of racial inequities, strengthening anti-trust enforcement, and scaling up investments in public research…. Read More →

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Carousel, Competition & Anti-trust, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Coronavirus, Local & Regional Food Systems, Research, Education & Extension

Inaugural Regional Food Systems Partnership Program Awards Announced

November 18, 2020

In October, the U.S. The Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced the inaugural round of grant awards for the Regional Food Systems Partnership (RFSP) program, providing $9.3 million in competitive grant funding for 23 projects.  RFSP supports the formation of public-private partnerships working at the foodshed-level to transform local and regional food […]

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

Calling all Researchers! Nearly $300 million in Ag Research Funding Now Available!

September 8, 2020

USDA recently announced over $290 million in research grant funding through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative – including funding for research on plant breeding, local and regional food systems, beginning farmers, farmers of color, and the impact of COVID-19 on our farmers and the food supply chain…. Read More →

Filed Under: Carousel, Grants and Programs, Research, Education & Extension

RELEASE: The Local and Regional Farmer and Market Support Act Would Deliver Critical Pandemic Aid for Farmers, Ranchers, and Local Food Businesses

August 26, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Eric DeebleNational Sustainable Agriculture Coalition The Local and Regional Farmer and Market Support Act Would Deliver Critical Pandemic Aid for Farmers, Ranchers, and Local Food Businesses Representative Alma Adams (D-NC-12) Introduces Comprehensive Bill to Provide Direct Aid to Farmers and Local Markets Feeding Families Amidst the Pandemic Washington, DC, August 26, 2020 […]

Filed Under: General Interest, Local & Regional Food Systems, Press Releases

The Senate is Negotiating Pandemic Aid: What Does it Mean for Farmers and Food Systems?

July 30, 2020

On Monday, July 27, 2020, Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) introduced the highly anticipated HEALS Act. This $1 trillion bill is the Senate Majority proposal for the fourth coronavirus response package (C4), which will serve as the starting point for Senate negotiations. In this post we will examine the farm and food systems provisions of the […]

Filed Under: Budget and Appropriations, Carousel, General Interest

USDA Programs Support Small Meat Processing Plants

July 16, 2020

There are a few existing federal programs that could be expanded to further support small, local, and regional meat and poultry processing plants and increase farmers’ access to slaughter and processing options…. Read More →

Filed Under: Budget and Appropriations, Carousel, General Interest, Local & Regional Food Systems, Sustainable Livestock

Healthy Food Financing Initiative Now Accepting Applications

May 27, 2020

The Reinvestment Fund (RF) recently announced the opening of 2020 applications for financial and technical assistance through the Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) Targeted Small Grants program. Funding for the HFFI is provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), authorized by the Farm Bill to offer $3 million in grant funds for food […]

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

Meat and Poultry Supply Chain Complications & COVID-19

May 21, 2020

There is more meat available than it seems, and that is thanks to farmers and ranchers, plant workers, small plant operators, and others working throughout the food supply chain…. Read More →

Filed Under: Competition & Anti-trust, Local & Regional Food Systems, Sustainable Livestock

Farmers Feeding Families Act Would Prioritize Local Relief Efforts

May 20, 2020

With the official unemployment rate approaching 15 percent, the number of food insecure families is growing. This can be seen in a dramatic increase in applications for SNAP benefits and in the long lines at food banks and emergency feeding sites across the country. This difficult situation is made even worse because as the demand […]

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

RELEASE: NSAC Joins With More Than 750 Organizations Calling on USDA to Provide Direct Aid to Farmers Who Rely on Local and Regional Markets

April 9, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Eric DeebleNational Sustainable Agriculture Coalition NSAC Joins With More Than 750 Organizations Calling on USDA to Provide Direct Aid to Farmers Who Rely on Local and Regional Markets Washington, DC, April 9, 2020 – Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and more than 750 farm and food system organizations from all across […]

Filed Under: Press Releases

Inaugural Regional Food Systems Partnership Program Funding Opportunity Announced

March 31, 2020

Local and regional food economy entrepreneurs and organizations received some long-awaited news earlier in March – the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) finally released the Request for Applications (RFA) for the Regional Food Systems Partnership (RFSP) Program. RFSP is a new program that supports foodshed-level approaches to developing regional food economies. […]

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

COVID-19 Economic Impact on Local Food Markets

March 23, 2020

The following economic impact assessment was compiled on March 18, 2020 for the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition by Dawn Thilmany, Becca Jablonski, Debra Tropp, Blake Angelo, and Sarah Low. More information about the authors can be found at the end of the document. Last updated March 21, 2020. Bottom Line Across key local and regional […]

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

RELEASE: NSAC Response to COVID-19 and its Impacts on the Farm and Food System

March 19, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Eric Deeble National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, edeeble@sustainableagriculture.net RELEASE: NSAC Response to COVID-19 and its Impacts on the Farm and Food System National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition calls on Congress to Support the Most Vulnerable Farmers During the COVID-19 Pandemic Washington, DC, March 19, 2020 – The rapidly developing COVID-19 pandemic is already […]

Filed Under: Press Releases

$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

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