National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

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

New Rules for USDA Local Food Enterprise Loans

USDA

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 […]

$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 […]

GAO Report Calls for Timeline to Update USDA Biotechnology Regulations

As a growing list of genetically engineered plant and animal crops enter the marketplace with minimal, if any, regulation from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Government Accountability Office (GAO) is urging USDA to set a clear timeline for updating its biotechnology regulations. In a report released on April 14, 2016, GAO cautioned: […]

New Local Food Survey Needs Farmer Input

Data is crucial for any well functioning market. Producers, investors and consumers need to understand market trends and dynamics in order to make sound business decisions. This is as true for farmers and ranchers as it is for Wall Street executives. However, despite being an over $12 billion a year industry, the local and regional […]

New USDA Initiative Aims to Build Capacity and Strengthen Local Food Systems

For local and regional food systems to thrive, farmers and rural producers increasingly need to access customers in urban areas and be able to offer products that meet their unique needs and demands. “Value chains” and “value-adding” have long been solutions to this problem. Value-adding is simply the process by which farmers and producers are […]

New Funding Available for Local and Regional Food Systems

APPLICATION DEADLINE is this week – 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on May 12, 2016 Local and regional food systems are expanding nationwide. These systems create new economic opportunities for small and mid-sized family farmers, increase consumer access to fresh and healthy food, and improve rural livelihoods. Over the past decade, local and regional food systems have […]

USDA Makes Payments Available for Organic Field Border Buffers

Many organic farmers install conservation buffers strips around the edges of their crop fields. These ‘field border’ buffers provide multiple conservation and environmental benefits, and also help farmers meet U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic certification requirements, which include protecting soil and water quality and enhancing biodiversity and habitat). In some circumstances, the buffers can […]

RELEASE: New Conservation Option for Organic Farms Unveiled

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Ferd Hoefner, Paul Wolfe, 202-547-5754  New Conservation Option for Organic Farms Unveiled U.S. Department of Agriculture to assist in establishing up to 20,000 acres of new conservation buffers Washington, DC, February 26, 2016 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced a new conservation option for organic farmers–cost-share and land […]

$720 Million for Conservation Projects Generated Through Regional Conservation Partnership Program

Effective natural resource conservation often depends on the power of partnerships. Through the collaboration of governmental, non-profit, and private partners we have seen significant advances in conservation on agricultural lands over the last several years. Since the creation of the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) in the 2014 Farm Bill and its predecessors in early […]

Conservation Stewardship Program 2016 Sign-Up Opens

Farmers and ranchers interested in enrolling in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) this year have until March 31 to submit their initial applications to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). USDA will enroll 10 million acres of farm and ranch land in the program this year, with payments to farmers and […]

New Mitigation Program Will Help Offset Wetland Losses

In an effort to offset the widespread draining of wetlands for agricultural production, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has begun to fund wetland “banks” to help landowners compensate for negative impacts made to wetlands on their properties. On Thursday, January 28, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service began soliciting proposals from states, local governments and […]

Expanded USDA Microloans Program Increases Opportunity for Small and Beginning Farmers

Access to credit continues to be an urgent need for farmers across the country, especially for small and beginning farmers. Starting a new farm is not unlike starting any other small business–it can require significant upfront capital to get off the ground. USDA recently announced exciting changes to their Microloan Program, including launching a new […]

Final Guidance on National Organic Program Provides Clarity for Farmers and Certifiers

Preservation of natural resources and the promotion of biodiversity and animal welfare are core principals of organic production. In order to support these principals and help farmers and certifiers to comply with organic requirements, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program (NOP) released its final guidance, Guidance on Biodiversity and Conservation, on Friday, January […]