Last month, USDA NRCS announced awards for 49 new projects under the Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (GLCI). This post gives an overview of the most recent round of cooperative agreements and makes the case for why continuing to fund the GLCI is critical to ensure that all farmers and ranchers with grazing operations can access the resources they need to implement conservation on the land…. Read More →
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Managed Grazing Champions Celebrate Funding Announcement for GLCI
This guest blog post by Margaret Krome, Policy Program Director at the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, an NSAC member based in East Troy, WI, details the recent announcement of $12 million for cooperative agreements under this year’s request for applications for the Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (GLCI).
… Read More →
$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 →
Agricultural Conservation Easement Program: Between Farm Bills
The Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) was created in the 2014 Farm Bill through the combination of the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRE), the Grassland Reserve Program, and the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program. The program is administered through Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS,) and is divided into two tracks: a wetland easement component and an agricultural land easement (ALE) component. The 2018 Farm Bill gave ACEP a major increase in annual funding – adding $200 million per year as compared to levels under the 2014 Farm Bill. The 2018 Farm Bill also added new provisions to prioritize projects that maintain farm viability and land affordability. … Read More →
RELEASE: House Adopts Three Significant Amendments to Advance Sustainable Agriculture
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition lzaks@sustainableagriculture.net Tel. 347.563.6408 RELEASE: House Adopts Three Significant Amendments to Advance Sustainable Agriculture NSAC urges the passing of the full minibus of Fiscal Year 2022 appropriations bills Washington, D. C., July 29, 2022 – The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) applauds the adoption of three […]
A Deeper Dive: The Regional Conservation Partnership Program Rule
The Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) has helped conserve thousands of acres across the country by promoting partnerships between producers and organizations, with support from the federal government. These partnerships, most often led by non-profit conservation organizations, involve sometimes hundreds of landowners and work to address resource concerns across landscapes and watersheds. Earlier this year, […]
New Organic Champions Opportunity at NRCS
Conservation is in the best interest of all farmers, however, best practices for conservation can vary significantly depending on the region, type of crops or animals raised, and nature of the farming operations. Organic and transitioning-to-organic farmers have particularly unique challenges and opportunities when it comes to on-farm conservation practices. Given the unique-nature of the […]
High Tunnels Create Opportunities for New Farmers
Zoë Bradbury of Valley Flora Farm is part of a team of family farmers (Zoe, her sister Abby, and her mother Betsy) raising over 100 varieties of organic fruits and vegetables on 90 acres along Flora’s Creek in Langlois, Oregon. Their CSA serves families within a 50-mile radius and the farm is committed to sustainable […]