Editor’s Note: The 2014 Farm Bill expires on September 30th. If the next farm bill is not finalized before that date, numerous “tiny but mighty” farm bill programs that support family farmers and food-producing communities will effectively shut down in terms of new funding and grant opportunities for fiscal year 2019. These workhorse programs, which […]
USDA
Note to Congress: Be Responsible, Don’t Let the Farm Bill Expire
This month, we have been drawing attention to a set of programs that run out of funding at the end of this fiscal year, and that will cease to fund new projects and applicants if no new funding is provided. These “tiny but mighty” programs are some of the most innovative, far-reaching programs in the […]
Enrollment Resumes for Continuous Conservation Reserve Program
After a year of frozen enrollment, this week the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced it would reopen enrollment in the Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CCRP). CCRP pays farmers to install partial field conservation practices, primarily conservation buffers or wildlife habitat. Farmers and landowners may enroll such land at any time […]
Farmers Continue to Reap Big Benefits from Cover Crops
Farmers and agriculture advocates have for years been extolling the benefits of cover crops – crops grown specifically with the intention of enriching the soil. Not only have producers seen the health and biodiversity of their soil increase, erosion decrease, and improvements in crop production thanks to the use of cover crops, their experiences are […]
Agriculture Research Hearing Emphasizes Need for Increased Investment
As discussions around the 2018 Farm Bill continue, policymakers on both sides of the aisle, in both chambers of Congress, have spoken about the need for increased public funding for agricultural research. For example, members of the House recently announced the bi-partisan Congressional Agriculture Research Caucus to highlight the need for additional focus on innovative research […]
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 […]
USDA Secretary Testifies on Administration’s Budget Proposal, Department Reorganization
One day after the President’s fiscal year (FY) 2018 budget was released, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue headed to Capitol Hill to testify before the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee. This subcommittee, along with its counterpart in the Senate, is comprised of the members of Congress who will ultimately determine discretionary funding levels […]
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 […]
USDA Trades Away Rural Development
In its first reorganization in over two decades, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) stands to lose one of its core Mission Areas – Rural Development – according to a plan released yesterday by USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue. The Department’s restructuring is the result of a congressional directive included in the 2014 Farm Bill, which […]
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 […]
A Late Start Doesn’t Have to Mean a Slow Start: 10 Things Secretary Perdue Can Do Now to Support Family Farmers
On his first day on the job, Sonny Perdue – a former two-term governor and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) long-awaited new Secretary – addressed two very important audiences. The first, a formal introduction to USDA staff, was an opportunity for the Secretary to lay out his general vision for the department’s next four […]
Senate Agriculture Committee Holds Confirmation Hearing for USDA Secretary
Since January, the Senate has been holding confirmation hearings for President Trump’s cabinet nominees. On Thursday, March 23, the Senate Agriculture Committee held its confirmation hearing for Trump’s pick for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary, Sonny Perdue, the last of Trump’s cabinet nominees to be vetted by the Senate. The Committee will soon schedule […]
USDA Publishes Farmer Fair Practices Rules to Help American Farmers and Ranchers
USDA has taken the historic step of issuing three rules that will begin to bring some fairness and order to the poultry and livestock industries, with a particular focus on farmers growing under contracts with the big meat and poultry processing corporations. These three rules, when finalized, will prevent unfair and anti-competitive practices by meat […]
USDA’s Agency Realignment is a Good Move for Historically Underserved Farmers
This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a major change, one for which many have been waiting for eight years. Established in the 2008 Farm Bill, USDA’s Office of Advocacy and Outreach (OAO) was intended to give beginning farmers and socially disadvantaged farmers a stronger advocate within USDA, and to better connect with the […]
Press Release: Major Questions Remain as USDA Announces 2017 Conservation Stewardship Program Sign-Up
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik, 202-547-5754, RKovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Alyssa Charney, 202-547-5754, ACharney@sustainableagriculture.net Major Questions Remain as USDA Announces 2017 CSP Sign-Up Washington, DC, November 4, 2016 – Today the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the beginning of the 2017 sign-up period for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), the nation’s largest working lands conservation program. […]
New Report Highlights Successes and Opportunities For Growth In Organic Research
Research is the unsung hero underpinning every aspect of successful farming. For hundreds of years farmers have driven their own research, sharing their knowledge and experience with one another and passing down tips and techniques through the generations. Today we live in an increasingly connected world, one in which farmers are no longer limited by […]
Farmers Push for Action on Agriculture Funding Bill
If you want to gain some real insight into agricultural policies, your first stop should be one of America’s 2.1 million farms – a majority of which are small and medium-sized family farms. Though we can’t always get Congress to the farm, we can bring the farm to Congress. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) regularly […]
USDA Awards $16.8 Million to Increase Healthy Food Access for Low-Income Americans
Eating a nutritious diet is the cornerstone of any healthy lifestyle, but for many Americans healthy foods may seem hopelessly out of reach. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) bridges the gap between lower-income families, but benefit levels are low and make purchase of nutritionally important items like fresh fruits and vegetables difficult. The Food […]
New Rules for USDA Local Food Enterprise Loans
Access to capital is important for all small businesses, including the food and farm businesses that bring locally and regionally produced food into rural communities, schools, and markets. Fortunately, there is a federal loan guarantee program, the Business and Industry (B&I) Loan Guarantee Program, which specifically supports these types of local entrepreneurs. Qualified projects […]
RELEASE: New “Farmers’ Guide” Helps Organic Producers Apply for Buffer Initiative
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition announces the publication of their Organic Farmers’ Guide… Read More →
$72 Million Investment in Soil Health to Help Farmers Address Climate Change
As the impacts of climate change become more extreme, resilient agriculture systems are critical to maintaining economic, ecological, and community health. In the face of such uncertainty, we must prioritize the establishment of food production systems that are diverse and flexible enough to deal with a changing climate. On May 12, 2016, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) […]
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 […]
Stories from the Field: Strengthening Kentucky’s Small Farms
Experience is an invaluable resource when it comes to agriculture. Fortunately for Kentucky farmers, Marion Simon and Louie Rivers of the Kentucky State University (KSU) Cooperative Extension’s “Small Farm Program” have a combined total of nearly 50 years of experience in extending outreach to small and limited resource farm operations. Much of the great work […]