NSAC's Blog
DON’T HARM CROP INSURANCE, IMPROVE IT!
January 19, 2023
Barriers in program design and implementation leave small and nonconventional farmers without access to crop insurance.
Big Wins on Whole-Farm Revenue Protection
October 5, 2022
The Risk Management Agency (RMA) recently announced significant changes to improve the Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) program.
$300 Million Invested into New Organic Transition Initiative
September 15, 2022
The Organic Transition Initiative (OTI) is USDA’s recent program aimed at helping “build new and better markets and streams of income” for organic farmers and producers, by providing producers with technical assistance, including farmer-to-farmer mentoring, financial assistance for conservation and crop insurance, and support developing markets.
Comment: NSAC Applauds USDA Investment in New Organic Transition Initiative
August 22, 2022
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) issued a comment applauding today’s announcement of an up to $300 million investment into the new Organic Transition Initiative.
Whole-Farm Revenue Protection Analysis: A Few Bad Apples
April 20, 2022
Due to complicated rules, farmer skepticism, and insurance agent disinterest, the Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) program is not performing near its optimal potential.
Important Emergency USDA Changes for Farm Loans and Crop Insurance
April 2, 2020
With the ongoing pandemic sweeping throughout the country, farmers who are just ahead of spring planting are already feeling the impacts on their farms and in their communities of price volatility, labor shortages, lack of rural healthcare facilities, and dwindling or ever changing markets. And while NSAC has been pushing Congress to do more to […]
$9 Million in Funding Available for Risk Management Training
May 30, 2018
This week, USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) announced the availability of nearly $9 million to support risk management farmer education grants. Funded projects will be awarded through two distinct but related RMA grant programs: the Risk Management Education Partnership Program (RMEP) and the Crop Insurance in Targeted States (TS) program. Additional details on each funding […]
Progress on Organic Insurance Options and Data Collection
May 22, 2017
According to two recent reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to Congress, the Department is making some significant progress in their effort to increase the availability of data on organic production as well as the availability of insurance options for organic producers. Quality production data and the expansion of insurance options are inexorably […]
Unified Support for Conservation as Good Farming Practice Needed at USDA
December 16, 2016
Every farmer with crop insurance knows they need to comply with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Good Farming Practices (GFP) standard in order to maintain their coverage. Under guidelines established by USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA), farmers must undertake all the “generally recognized practices” that will give their crops the best chance to reach […]
Have Access Improvements to the Federal Crop Insurance Program Gone Far Enough?
July 28, 2016
If you’re an onion farmer in Louisiana or a blueberry farmer in Iowa, the answer is most likely – no. The Federal Crop Insurance Program has gone through a host of changes since 2000 (the last time Congress passed a major stand-alone overhaul of the program), including several as part of the 2014 Farm Bill, […]