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Path to a New Farm Bill: Increasing Access and Affordability in Local Food Systems

USDA

Path to a New Farm Bill: Increasing Access and Affordability in Local Food Systems

September 5, 2024

Editor’s Note: This post is part of a multi-part series exploring some of the key sustainable agriculture and food systems challenges that the farm bill can address. Through a series comparing the House and Senate Agriculture Committees’ proposals, we provide an assessment of how each chamber’s bill would address a given challenge, and our recommended […]

Filed Under: Carousel, Farm Bill, Local & Regional Food Systems, Nutrition & Food Access, Rural Development

Digging into the House Farm Bill: Part 4

August 28, 2024

Editor’s Note: This is the fourth post in a multi-part blog series analyzing the Farm Food and National Security Act of 2024 (FFNSA), which was reported out of the House Agriculture Committee on Friday, May 24. The first post details an overview of the markup process, the bill as a whole, and its likely (or […]

Filed Under: Carousel, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Farm Bill, Research, Education & Extension

Summer in Saint Paul: NSAC Members Meet, Reenergize in Minnesota

August 22, 2024

NSAC members gathered once again for our annual summer Coalition meeting, this time on the banks of the Mississippi River in Saint Paul, Minnesota on August 5-8, 2024. Over the course of the meeting, NSAC members and staff strategized collectively about current campaigns and future Coalition activities. NSAC members also had the chance to hear […]

Filed Under: Carousel, NSAC Coalition

Release: New Lending Rule Signals More Savings for Farmers

August 8, 2024

For Immediate Release Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net Tel. 347.563.6408 Release: New Lending Rule Signals More Savings for Farmers Washington, DC, August 7, 2024 – The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) applauds Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Zach Ducheneaux for the announcement of a new final rule: Enhancing Access and Delivery for […]

Filed Under: Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs, Implementation & Rule-making, Press Releases

Path to a New Farm Bill: Crop Insurance Access 

August 1, 2024

Editor’s Note: This post is part of a multi-part series exploring some of the key sustainable agriculture and food systems challenges that the farm bill can address. Through a series of posts comparing the House and Senate Agriculture Committees’ proposals, we provide an assessment of how each chamber’s bill would address a given challenge, and […]

Filed Under: Carousel, Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs, Farm Bill

Path to a New Farm Bill: Local and Regional Market Access

July 25, 2024

Editor’s Note: This post is the first post in a multi-part series exploring some of the key sustainable agriculture and food systems challenges that the farm bill can address. Through a series of posts comparing the House and Senate Agriculture Committees’ proposals, we provide an assessment of how each chamber’s bill would address a given […]

Filed Under: Carousel, Farm Bill, Local & Regional Food Systems, Nutrition & Food Access

Agriculture Spending Bills Must Address Broad Demand for Research and Conservation Programs

July 8, 2024

The post highlights the critical need for increased funding in the FY2025 Agriculture Appropriations Act to support research and conservation programs vital for addressing climate challenges and supporting diverse farming operations. The post emphasizes the critical need for funding to support Conservation Technical Assistance, Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE), and the Office of Urban Agriculture to enhance resilience, profitability, and equitable access across agricultural sectors…. Read More →

Filed Under: Budget and Appropriations, Carousel, Climate Change, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Research, Education & Extension

Release: NSAC Welcomes Proposed “Fair and Competitive Livestock and Poultry Markets” Rule

June 25, 2024

Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) applauded United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack for publishing another proposed rule to modernize the century-old Packers and Stockyards Act (P&S Act): “Fair and Competitive Livestock and Poultry Markets.” This is the fourth rule to implement reforms first announced in President Joe Biden’s Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy in 2022. … Read More →

Filed Under: Competition & Anti-trust, Press Releases, Sustainable Livestock

Digging into the House Farm Bill: Part 3

June 14, 2024

This is the third post in a multi-part blog series analyzing the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 (FFNSA), which was reported out of the House Committee on Agriculture on Friday, May 24. This post provides a deep-dive analysis of the bill’s potential impacts on the farm safety net, farmers’ ability to access land and capital, fair competition, and treatment of food workers. … Read More →

Filed Under: Carousel, Farm Bill

Digging into the House Farm Bill: Part 1

June 5, 2024

This is the first post in a multi-part blog series analyzing the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024, which was reported out of the House Agriculture Committee on May 24. The post provides an overview of the markup process and the bill as a whole, as well as its likely (or unlikely) path to becoming law. … Read More →

Filed Under: Carousel, Farm Bill

Release (Cross-Post): CCAR Praises Secretary Vilsack on the Proposed Rule to Infuse Basic Fairness Requirements into Poultry Grower Payments Systems and Capital Upgrade Requirements

June 4, 2024

In this cross-post, NSAC shares a press statement by Steve Etka, Policy Director for the Campaign for Contract Agriculture Reform CCAR in support of the USDA’s Packers and Stockyards Act proposed rule on “Poultry Grower Payment Systems and Capital Improvement Systems.”… Read More →

Filed Under: Press Releases, Sustainable Livestock

Release: House Farm Bill Misses Opportunity to Move Agriculture Forward

May 20, 2024

In its latest release, NSAC notes how the Farm, Food, and National Security Act does not take meaningful steps toward building a fair, responsible, and accessible farm safety net and how it dismisses climate change – in part by decoupling the climate-focus from conservation investments – while countless farmers and ranchers nationwide experience the worsening impacts of a changing climate. … Read More →

Filed Under: Farm Bill, Press Releases

A Deep Dive on the Senate’s Farm Bill Proposal: the Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act of 2024

May 10, 2024

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) released a detailed section-by-section summary of her farm bill proposal. NSAC welcomed the pragmatic Senate bill, the Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act of 2024 (RPFSA), as an important step toward completing a bipartisan farm bill reauthorization this year. In this post, NSAC takes a deep dive into the proposals contained in the RPFSA. … Read More →

Filed Under: Carousel, Farm Bill

How People Power Local Food Systems

May 10, 2024

This blog post is the second in a series highlighting how recent supply chain investments were unique and pivotal in expanding infrastructure to respond to growing farmer demand, reducing costly wait times, and reaching diversified operations. … Read More →

Filed Under: Carousel, Local & Regional Food Systems, Sustainable Livestock

Farmers and Ranchers Love the IRA’s Climate-Smart Funding. Will the House Farm Bill Pull the Rug Out from Under Them?

May 7, 2024

Farmers and ranchers across the US have been vocal in their support for the climate-smart agriculture funding provided by the Inflation Reduction Act since its enactment in 2022, with demand far surpassing availability. Despite this overwhelming popularity and the demonstrated effectiveness of the IRA in addressing conservation needs, there are concerns that the House Agriculture Committee may undermine these efforts in the upcoming farm bill. Data from FY2023 shows continued oversubscription of key conservation programs and significant investment in climate-smart practices even alongside IRA funding, highlighting the ongoing need for and popularity of such initiatives. Congress is urged to maintain and even expand funding for these programs in recognition of their success and farmer demand…. Read More →

Filed Under: Carousel, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Farm Bill

Release: NSAC Welcomes Pragmatic Senate Proposal as a Concrete Step Toward a Bipartisan Farm Bill Reauthorization

May 1, 2024

NSAC applauded the renewed momentum toward a bipartisan farm bill reauthorization prompted by the Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow’s (D-MI) release of a detailed section-by-section description of its farm bill reauthorization proposal. The Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act framework charts a path for completing a farm bill this year. NSAC is extremely encouraged to see a pragmatic Senate farm bill proposal that includes numerous bipartisan policies. The proposal takes meaningful steps to build a fair and accessible farm safety net for farmers and ranchers, protect conservation and climate spending, and invest in local and regional food systems…. Read More →

Filed Under: Farm Bill, Press Releases

Organic Research Funding: Examining and Refuting USDA’s Justifications for Decreasing Dedicated Organic Funding

April 30, 2024

This guest blog post highlights the critical role of organic agriculture in addressing sustainability and health concerns within food systems. It discusses the concerning decrease in funding specifically allocated for organic-dedicated competitive grant programs in the Presidential Budget Request for fiscal year 2025 and analyzes the justifications provided for this shift. The post emphasizes the importance of proactive engagement from the scientific community, legislators, and funding agencies to ensure robust support for organic agriculture research and development…. Read More →

Filed Under: Carousel, Research, Education & Extension

USDA Announces Recipients of New Healthy Food Financing Expansion Grant

April 25, 2024

The USDA Rural Development, in collaboration with Reinvestment Fund, has announced the recipients of over $40 million in grants for the inaugural round of the Local and Regional Healthy Food Financing Partnerships Program, aimed at expanding or creating new Healthy Food Financing Programs with technical and financial assistance; this program, funded partly through the American Rescue Plan, supports public-private partnerships to increase access to healthy food in underserved areas, emphasizing capacity building and credit enhancement activities…. Read More →

Filed Under: Carousel, Local & Regional Food Systems, Rural Development

Take Action: This Farm Bill Should Center Conservation, Not Consolidation 

April 15, 2024

This week, farmers, consumers, and advocates across the country are making calls to Congress with a central message: pass a farm bill for all farmers that centers conservation, not consolidation. Farm bill negotiations may be heating up once again after a standstill that has left members of Congress divided about what to prioritize. Now is the time to act. … Read More →

Filed Under: Action Alerts, Carousel, Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Farm Bill

SARE Delivers for Farmers. Will Congress Deliver for SARE?

April 10, 2024

NSAC and 97 other organizations have urged Congressional Appropriators to fully fund the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program at $60 million for fiscal year 2025. SARE, established over 35 years ago, focuses on farmer-driven research and education initiatives but has yet to reach its fully authorized funding amount. Despite its proven effectiveness in addressing agricultural challenges, demand for SARE funding surpasses available resources, making increased funding crucial for addressing issues such as soil health, rural economy, and climate change resilience…. Read More →

Filed Under: Budget and Appropriations, Carousel, Research, Education & Extension

CBO’s Farm Bill Baseline, Explained

April 8, 2024

The Congressional Budget Office releases annual baseline projections for federal agriculture policy, including the farm bill, which significantly influence policy debates and outcomes. The latest projections show a decrease in the ten-year cost of farm bill-related programs, primarily due to a drop in SNAP costs but countered by a substantial increase in the crop insurance program’s expenses. Changes in these projections impact the cost and effectiveness of policy proposals, especially regarding crop insurance reform and commodity programs, while also affecting conservation programs and nutrition assistance, ultimately shaping the direction and scope of future farm bills…. Read More →

Filed Under: Budget and Appropriations, Carousel, Climate Change

$22 Million Announced for Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative

March 28, 2024

USDA NRCS has announced $22 million in funding for the Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative, aiming to support managed grazing practices. This funding, combining appropriations from fiscal years 2023 and 2024, will provide technical assistance and education to livestock producers, aiming to improve conservation practices on grazing lands. Cooperative agreements, falling into two categories with varying durations and funding amounts, are open for applications until May 26, 2024, with selections anticipated by June 25, 2024…. Read More →

Filed Under: Carousel, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Grants and Programs

Everything You Need to Know About FY2024 Agriculture Appropriations

March 27, 2024

On March 8, 2024, Congress finally approved a final FY2024 Agriculture Appropriations bill. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 funds USDA and FDA – alongside numerous other departments and agencies – through September 30, 2024. This blog post examines the food and agriculture components of the CAA and its significance amidst Congress’s delayed appropriations process. … Read More →

Filed Under: Budget and Appropriations, Carousel, Climate Change

Release: NSAC Praises Expanding Access to Local Foods Act of 2024 Introduced in the Senate

March 21, 2024

Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Laphonza R. Butler (D-CA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Angus King Jr. (D-ME), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tina Smith (D-MN), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), John Fetterman (D-PA), and Peter Welch (D-VT) introduced the Expanding Access to Local Foods Act of 2024 (EAT Local Foods Act) in the Senate (S. 3982). The EAT Local Foods Act would create a permanent program to sustain the efforts of the United States Department of Agriculture’s Local Food Purchase Assistance (USDA’s LFPA) Program. The program would empower States and Tribal Nations to strengthen regional food supply chains by providing funding to purchase and distribute locally grown and produced foods to vulnerable communities and provide tailored technical assistance to help growers scale production. … Read More →

Filed Under: Local & Regional Food Systems, Press Releases

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