Ask someone to imagine a “farm” and they will probably conjure a barn, a silo, rolling hills of crops, and pasture. That is, they will imagine rural areas. But one of the fastest growing – and underutilized – forms of agriculture is happening in America’s cities and suburbs, neighborhoods surrounded by industry, infrastructure, and millions […]
soil health
Stewarding Success: IRA Funding is Cultivating New Conservation Acres and Farmers
EDITOR’S NOTE: On October 9, 2024, NSAC released Stewarding Success: CSP Under the 2018 Farm Bill, a comprehensive analysis of the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) over the course of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill). The report offers an in-depth analysis of CSP’s enrollment trends, conservation practices supported, and funding impacts, including […]
Promising Conservation Results in the 2022 Agricultural Census
Editor’s Note: This post is part of a multi-part blog series. Our first post in this series explored initial themes from the Census, while this post offers a deeper dive into conservation practices. Our next post in the series will explore what the Census shows us about local and regional food systems. In early 2024, […]
More Money Out the Door! Farm Bill and IRA Funding Available Through Conservation Innovation Grants
USDA NRCS announced the availability of $65 million for the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program. This funding is split into two separate opportunities: $50 million for CIG On Farm Trials and $15 million for CIG Classic. Half of the funding for the On Farm Trials competition was provided through the historic Inflation Reduction Act. This post provides details on both programs and how to apply before the October 30, 2023 deadline…. Read More →
CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM SIGNUP BEGINS JANUARY 31, 2022
For more than 35 years, the Farm Bill’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has paid farmers and landowners to take highly erodible and other environmentally sensitive lands out of crop production and enroll them instead in conserving practices. CRP signups begin January 31, 2022…. Read More →
NCAT Launches the AgriSolar Clearinghouse
In this guest blog post, Stacie Peterson, PhD, Energy Program Director for the National Center for Appropriate Technology discuses the AgriSolar Clearinghouse developed by NCAT, funded by the Department of Energy, and which includes a wealth of peer-reviewed information that is free to download. … Read More →
Regional Conservation Partnership Program: Funding Available and Awards
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 […]
RELEASE: Agriculture Resilience Act Delivers Bold Vision for Net Zero Agriculture
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Eric Deeble National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Email: edeeble@sustainableagriculture.net Agriculture Resilience Act Delivers Bold Vision for Net Zero Agriculture National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Applauds Trailblazing Climate and Agriculture Bill Washington, DC, April 22, 2021 – Today, Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) introduced the Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA), which […]
Guest Post: New Pasa Report Unearths Soil Health Insights
Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Franklin Egan, Director of Education at Pasa Sustainable Agriculture, an NSAC member organization. This article originally appeared in March 2021 on Pasa’s blog. Our new report offers fresh insights into how farmers can improve soil stewardship to more effectively protect ecosystems and communities, better withstand severe weather, and […]
Federal Support for States & Tribes Building Climate Resilience Through Soil Health
Editor’s Note: This is the sixth blog in a series focusing on specific provisions included in the Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA) introduced by Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) in February 2020. The ARA represents the first comprehensive piece of legislation introduced in the House of Representatives addressing climate change and agriculture. Read blogs one, two, three, […]
$50 Million Available for Regional Conservation Partnership Program AFA
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 […]
$25 Million Available for On-Farm Conservation Innovation Grants
Editor’s Note: In response to COVID-19, NRCS has extended the deadline for CIG On-Farm Trials. This post has been updated to reflect the latest information. On March 12, 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced the availability of $25 million in funding to advance the adoption and evaluation of innovative conservation […]
Leveraging Conservation Dollars: Agricultural Practices that Deliver
Editor’s Note: This guest blog was written by Duane Hovorka, Agriculture Program Director at the Izaak Walton League of America, which is a long-time member of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. To download a copy of the full report, a summary, and the League’s 10 Steps to Leverage Conservation Dollars, visit the Izaak Walton League […]
Sustainable Agriculture Groups Awarded USDA Conservation Innovation Grants
The natural resource and environmental challenges of agriculture are constantly evolving. In order to keep pace, farmers and ranchers must continuously innovate and implement targeted solutions to the specific challenges of their region, climate, and farm type. The federal farm bill’s Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program is designed to help farmers and farmer-focused organizations to […]
A Conservation Blueprint for the Next Farm Bill
When it comes to federal support for conservation activities, family farmers have a lot at stake in the 2018 Farm Bill. Conservation programs make up one of the largest slices of the farm bill pie (third to nutrition programs and the federal crop insurance program), and support a wide range of farm, ranch, and forest […]
RELEASE: NSAC Endorses SOIL Stewardship Act of 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Endorses SOIL Stewardship Act of 2018 Washington, D.C. March 6, 2018 – Few things in agriculture are more fundamental to success than healthy soil. Today, Representative Tim Walz (D-MN) introduced a bill that will make on-farm conservation easier and more accessible for family […]
Soil Health Briefing Digs Into On-Farm Conservation
From the microorganisms down in it to the food that grows from it, farmers care deeply about the health of their soil. Cultivating and maintaining healthy soils on working lands has benefits far beyond crop production, however. The healthier the soil, the less a farmer has to use chemical inputs, which is both a cost […]
Pocket Guide Outlines How Agriculture Can Help Stave Off Climate Catastrophe
Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Brian DeVore of the Land Stewardship Project (LSP), a National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition member organization. Brian manages media and communications for LSP, and is the author of “Soil Health, Water & Climate Change: A Pocket Guide to What You Need to Know“. At a time of skyrocketing water […]
Conservation Stewardship Program: Advancing Soil Health
Editor’s note: On September 19, 2017 NSAC published on editorial piece in The Hill, which discussed how the 2018 Farm Bill could help to promote soil health. To read the full text of that article, click here. While agricultural consensus can be hard to come by, there is mounting agreement on the need to maintain […]
Climate Change and Agriculture: A Problem Too Hot (and Cold, and Wet, and Dry) to Ignore
Editor’s Note: This article was written by the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) for the Fair Farms Maryland (FFM) blog, and was originally published by FFM on September 1, 2016. Climate Change and Agriculture: A Problem Too Hot (and Cold, and Wet, and Dry) to Ignore By Ferd Hoefner, Policy Director National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition […]
USDA Enrolls 800,000 Acres in Long-Term Conservation Contracts
Healthy soils are the underpinning of the agricultural economy. On the most marginal, highly erodible lands, soils are best cared for by keeping them covered in grasses or trees year-round and avoiding agricultural production. On more productive fields, soils can be enhanced through the use of sustainable farming tools like conservation buffers – riparian buffers, grassed […]