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 →
Vilsack
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
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 →
Release: 2022 Census of Agriculture Underscores Need for Policy Shift
Today, the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released the highly-anticipated results of the 2022 Census of Agriculture. The Census remains the most comprehensive source of agricultural data for states and counties across the United States and serves as a guide for federal farm program, policy, and funding decisions. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) welcomes the release of the 2022 Census of Agriculture data, which comes at a crucial moment for federal agriculture policy…. Read More →
Secretary Vilsack Underscores Priorities for USDA to House Agriculture Committee
In a hearing before the House Agriculture Committee, Secretary Vilsack highlighted the importance of climate investments, efforts to better support underserved producers, the need for increased staffing at USDA, and how funds allocated through the IRA will address conservation backlogs for farmers across the nation…. Read More →
AG-VOCATES ASSEMBLE: NSAC 2023 WINTER MEETING RECAP
Last week, over 100 attendees from 61 member organizations came together for the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) annual winter meeting. In light of the anticipated 2023 Farm Bill reauthorization, members gathered in Washington, DC, to strategically coordinate campaign tactics, meet with Congressional leaders and senior USDA officials, and connect through a shared vision of a just food and farm system for all…. Read More →
Release: NSAC Applauds Proposed Rule to Reform Poultry Tournament Payment System
Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition applauded Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack for the publication of a long-awaited proposed rule regarding “Transparency in Poultry Growing Contracts and Tournaments.” This is the first of several expected rules to strengthen the century-old Packers and Stockyards Act (PSA) announced in President Biden’s Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy. … Read More →
COMMENT: NSAC Lauds USDA Framework to Transform the Food System Announced Today by Secretary Vilsack
Today, Wednesday, June 1, 2022 the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) issued a comment lauding the announcement made by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack regarding the USDA Framework to Transform the Food System. … Read More →
Organizations Urge Congress to Fund Farm to School
This Monday, May 3, NSAC and 40 other national agriculture, health, and food business organizations delivered a letter to House and Senate Congressional leaders urging them to include $50 million in mandatory funding for programs linking farmers with local schools as part of the 2010 Child Nutrition Act reauthorization. Among the signers were American Public […]
And We’re Off: Farm Bill 2012
Ranking Member Frank Lucas (R-OK) described Wednesday’s House Agriculture Committee Hearing on the Farm Bill as “two-and-a-half hours to kick off two-and-a-half years.” The hearing was the first of Committee Chairman Collin Peterson’s (D-MN) meetings to get a head start on planning for the next Farm Bill, scheduled for completion in 2012. Over the past […]
Target Date Passes for Black Farmer Settlement
The settlement reached between the government and black farmers denied USDA funding and services included a target date of March 31. That date has now passed, but the issue remains very much alive. The major remaining hurdle is for Congress to find a funding source or “offset” to allow it to provide the additional $1.15 […]
Delayed, not diminished: Vilsack on Child Nutrition priorities, including Farm to School
After being postponed for two weeks by the blizzard that shut down the capitol, USDA Secretary Vilsack outlined the Administration’s priorities for the Child Nutrition Act reauthorization yesterday at a speech at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The Child Nutrition Act includes authorization for the National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs, summer food, […]
Peterson and Vilsack endorse local and regional food at Home Grown
More than 200 people braved chilling western Minnesota February weather on Monday and Tuesday to hear House Agriculture Committee Chairman Rep. Collin Peterson and USDA Secretary Vilsack speak about the need to develop better local food systems at the Home Grown Economy conference at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall. At least another 100 participants […]
Farm to School Included In Administration’s Child Nutrition Priorities
Secretary Vilsack’s much anticipated speech at the National Press Club outlining the Administration’s priorities for Child Nutrition Act reauthorization was canceled Monday as the federal government remained snowbound, but excerpts of his comments were made available Tuesday in conjunction with the roll-out of the First Lady’s childhood obesity initiative. Monday’s speech included support for the […]
Weekly Update, January 23, 2009
THIS WEEK NSAC Urges Vilsack to Rescind Misleading “Naturally Raised” Meat Claim: As we reported last week, the Bush Administration went final on a new “naturally raised” meat marketing label claim on its final day in office. The new rule appeared in the Federal Register this Wednesday, the first full day of the Obama Administration. […]
Weekly Update – December 19, 2008
THIS WEEK Obama Names Vilsack Secretary of Agriculture: On Wednesday, President-elect Barack Obama officially named former Iowa governor Tom Vilsack as the incoming Secretary of Agriculture. Vilsack, who previously served two terms as the governor of Iowa, has worked most recently as a lawyer in Des Moines since ending his brief 2008 presidential bid in […]