NSAC's Blog
March 29, 2023
On March 17, 2023, USDA Rural Development announced the availability of at least $31 million in total funding for Value-Added Producer (VAPG) projects and $3 million for Socially Disadvantaged Groups Grant (SDGG). The application window to apply is now open. Online applications will be accepted until May 11 for VAPG and May 16 for SDGG through grants.gov. Additional information on paper application deadlines is below. We encourage all readers to help get the word out to qualified individuals and groups.
December 22, 2022
The end of a year signifies a time to reflect on all the most important accomplishments and tribulations of the past year. At NSAC, we had the opportunity to celebrate and find new reasons to expand our advocacy to support sustainable agriculture practices, small-scale producers, diversified farming, local food systems, and beginning and underserved farmers and ranchers. This post shares NSAC’s Top 10 accomplishments of 2022.
December 20, 2022
Congress released a $1.7 trillion year-end bipartisan spending package. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 consists of all 12 fiscal year (FY) 2023 appropriations bills. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) is encouraged to see Congress taking steps to avoid a continuing resolution with concrete progress toward a bipartisan FY2023 spending bill.
December 9, 2022
This is the second post in NSAC’s series covering key pillars of NSAC’s 2023 Farm Bill Platform, focusing on how the Farm Bill can invest in healthy rural and urban communities by strengthening the resilience of local and regional supply chains, increasing market opportunities for small and mid-sized farms and processors, enhancing job growth and local economic development through workforce development and training, and ensuring the most vulnerable have ample access to nutritious, culturally-relevant, locally-produced foods.
October 19, 2022
With the 2023 Farm Bill reauthorization on the horizon, advocates and farmers from across the country gathered in Washington, DC last month to champion the federal programs important to them and their communities. NSAC hosted a cohort of farmers, ranchers, and food systems advocates for more than thirty meetings with Congressional leaders and senior USDA officials to encourage them to prioritize sustainable food and farm needs in the upcoming farm bill and in ongoing program implementation efforts.
July 22, 2022
NSAC details the recent Senate Agriculture Committee field hearing as a first step as part of the upcoming 2023 Farm Bill reauthorization process. This is the first post in a multi-part series taking a deeper look into the 2023 Farm Bill process.
May 13, 2022
The Biden-Harris Administration released the President’s Budget Request (PBR) for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 on March 28, 2022. The $5.8 trillion budget request comes several months late and includes the President’s discretionary spending plans and builds on the PBR FY 2022. NSAC outlines the Administration’s proposed budget as it pertains to the sustainable agriculture community and specifically: climate and conservation, research and food safety, local food and rural development, and farm loans and beginning and socially disadvantaged producers.
March 24, 2022
NSAC published a brand new, fully updated Growing Opportunity: A Guide to USDA Sustainable Farming Programs. This free, comprehensive, practical guide is for farmers and ranchers who want to better understand which key federal programs offered by USDA can help them meet their needs and support their diversified, sustainable farming operations.
March 4, 2022
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.
March 3, 2022
On March 1, 2022, USDA Rural Development announced the availability of at least $19.75 million in total funding for VAPG projects.
