National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

Supporting the economic and environmental sustainability of agriculture, natural resources, and rural communities.

Rural Development

Comment: NSAC Responds to House Passage of FY 2023 Agriculture Spending Bill

“The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) applauds the House Appropriations Committee members for voting to support robust funding for Conservation Operations and a significant increase in Conservation Technical Assistance that farmers and ranchers need to adopt new conservation practices that improve the sustainability and profitability of their family farms.”… Read More →

USDA Opens Latest Round of Funding to Support Local and Regional Food Economy Development Projects

NSAC looks at USDA’s recently announced round of grant funding for the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program (FMLFPP) and Regional Food Systems Partnership (RFSP) program to build and expand local and regional food and agriculture markets. The deadline to apply for the FMLFPP and RFSP program is Monday, May 16, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. Full details on the NSAC blog. … Read More →

Release: NSAC Publishes Newly Revised Farmers’ Guide to the USDA Value-Added Producer Grant Program

This week USDA announced its 2022 Notice of Solicitation of Applications (NOSA) for the Value-Added Producer Grant Program (VAPG). For the last several years, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) has updated its Farmers’ Guide to Applying for the Value-Added Producer Grant Program to help producers navigate this program. … Read More →

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

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 […]

Unpacking the House Appropriations Committee FY 2022 Agriculture Funding Bill

On June 30th, the House Appropriations Committee marked up and approved its fiscal year (FY) 2022 Agriculture Spending bill. The full House Appropriations Committee markup and approval followed the Agriculture Subcommittee’s approval of the funding bill on Friday, June 12. The agriculture appropriations bill includes funding for a wide range of farm and food programs, […]

Value-Added Agriculture: Creating New Opportunities in an Era of Uncertainty

Long before the Trump trade war was propelling the agriculture economy into new realms of uncertainty, many producers were already struggling with persistently low commodity prices. Under the yoke of a depressed agriculture economy, a growing cadre of family farmers have found success with value-added agriculture and tapping into growing markets for organic and local […]

Draft Senate Farm Bill: Local & Regional Food and Rural Development

This is the fourth post in a multi-part blog series analyzing the draft farm bill released on June 8, 2018 by the Senate Agriculture Committee. Subsequent posts will focus on beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers and crop insurance and commodity subsidies. The bill is expected to be considered and “marked-up” (aka amended) by the full Agriculture Committee […]

Funding Available for Rural Cooperative Development

This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Business-Cooperative Service announced the availability of nearly $9 million in grants to support rural cooperative development. $3 million of those funds are set-aside specifically for grants targeted to socially disadvantaged groups. Cooperative development grant funds are available through the general Rural Cooperative Development Grant Program (RCDG) […]

Trump Administration Undertaking Historic Reorganizing of USDA, But to What End?

Back in May, US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue announced a USDA reorganization plan that eliminated its Rural Development Mission Area and downgraded the status of what was the Under Secretary for Rural Development to an Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development, closing the Office of the Under Secretary in the process. […]

RELEASE: “Farmers’ Guide” Will Help Producers Navigate VAPG

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net   “Farmers’ Guide” Will Help Producers Navigate Value-Added Producer Grant Program National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Releases Newly Updated Resource Washington, DC, September 11, 2017 – Following months of consternation by farmers and advocacy groups alike, on Monday, August 28, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) finally announced […]

Senate Appropriators Prioritize Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development

Following closely on the heels of the House Agriculture Appropriation Subcommittee’s funding bill, which was approved by the full House Appropriations Committee last week, the Senate Appropriations Committee has advanced its agriculture appropriations funding measure for fiscal year (FY) 2018. The Senate bill moved quickly through the Subcommittee and full Committee approval process, with just […]

Congressional Appropriators Question Secretary Perdue on USDA Budget and Reorganization Plans

On Tuesday, June 13, shortly after appropriators received a letter from nearly 600 organizations, businesses, and local governments opposing the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) plan to eliminate its Rural Development Mission Area, the Secretary of Agriculture returned to Capitol Hill to once again defend his plans for a Departmental reorganization. This week, the Secretary […]

More than 570 Businesses, Organizations, and Local Governments Oppose Elimination of USDA Rural Development

For more than 20 years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Mission Area has helped rural communities develop and expand thriving businesses, create new economic opportunities, and build and maintain housing, water, electric, telecommunications, and other rural infrastructure. At a time when nearly 85 percent of America’s persistent poverty counties are in […]

Trump’s Proposed Budget Cuts Would Spell Disaster for Rural America

The outcry from farmers, farm and food groups, and Members of Congress came swiftly this week following the release of President Trump’s fiscal year (FY) 2018 budget proposal. The nation got its initial preview of the Administration’s priorities this March in an outline budget document termed “the skinny budget”. This week the full proposal, which […]

RELEASE: Budget Proposal Throws Administration’s Promises to Rural America Out the Window

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik, 202-547-5754, RKovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Budget Proposal Throws Administration’s Promises to Rural America Out the Window Washington, DC, May 23, 2017 – President Trump’s FY 2018 budget request – “A New Foundation for American Greatness” –  seeks to cut nearly $230 billion (21 percent) from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) bottom line, […]

RELEASE: Budget Proposal Guts Rural Development, Cuts Conservation and Research

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik, 202-547-5754, RKovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Budget Proposal Guts Rural Development, Cuts Conservation and Research National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Warns Trump Budget Will Be Devastating for Farmers Washington, DC, May 19, 2017 – Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) had the opportunity to view the second installment of the Trump Administration’s budget […]

USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue Defends Elimination of Rural Development Mission Area

Last week the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) reported on Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue’s plan to reorganize the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) by eliminating the Rural Development Mission Area and moving the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) from the Natural Resources and Environment Mission Area to a newly created “Farm Production and Conservation” Mission […]

RELEASE: Proposed Reorganization of USDA Trades Away Rural Development

Editor’s note: This release has been updated to correct a previous misstatement that USDA was restricted by law to having a maximum of seven undersecretary positions.  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik, 202-547-5754, RKovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Greg Fogel, 202-547-5754, GFogel@sustainableagriculture.net Proposed Reorganization of USDA Trades Away Rural Development Washington, DC, May 11, 2017 – On Thursday, May […]