September 30, 2021
On-farm conservation is a vital part of ensuring a thriving rural landscape. Organic farmer, Paul Mugge a member of Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI), has been experimenting with ecological approaches to agriculture for many years.
May 5, 2021
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced its list of fiscal year (FY) 2021 Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) awards. In addition, USDA announced the availability of up to $75 million for Alternative Funding Arrangements (AFAs) under RCPP. Applications for RCPP AFA will be accepted until May 28, 2021. In this blog post, we […]
May 6, 2020
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, […]
April 16, 2020
The Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) has helped conserve thousands of acres of land across the United States. This program focuses on protecting watersheds by promoting soil health, well-managed working farmland, and general good conservation practices. In order to apply for RCPP’s Alternative Funding Arrangements (AFAs) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2020, applications should be submitted […]
September 20, 2019
This month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the availability of $300 million in project funding for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) in fiscal year (FY) 2019. RCPP, administered by USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), takes a cooperative approach to conservation activities with the private sector and local agencies working with NRCS […]
May 10, 2019
Congress is back from their April recess with an extensive to-do list of urgent items to be addressed. Several agenda items are tied to the annual appropriations process for fiscal year (FY) 2020, including coming to agreement on a new budget deal (no small feat!). Whether or not Congress is able to come together to […]
September 25, 2018
Just three legislative days remain for Congress to find a way to miraculously complete the 2018 Farm Bill or, barring that, to pass a temporary extension of the 2014 Farm Bill. If lawmakers opt to do neither of these things, they will kick off a series of program implementation delays that will harm farmers, communities, […]
February 8, 2018
Whether we produce food, or just enjoy eating it, we all benefit from farming practices that keep our water, air, and soil clean and healthy. The path to and challenges of sustainability, however, varies greatly from region to region. In order to target resources toward the areas of greatest need and impact in each region, […]
March 14, 2017
Editor’s Note: As a lead up to the 2018 Farm Bill, around which discussions and debate in Congress have already begun, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is previewing some of the major programs and policies advocates need to know in order to effectively engage. The second post in our series, “Path to the 2018 Farm […]
January 17, 2017
Last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the results of the fiscal year (FY) 2017 competition for conservation project funding through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). As we reported in a previous post, USDA’s investment of $225 million was met with a non-federal investment of $500 million from a variety of local […]