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.  Take Action! This week is the Farm Bill for All Farmers Week of Action: Conservation Not Consolidation.  Farm safety net subsidies reward an industrial farming model that contributes to climate change, soil erosion, and farmland ..read more

Produce from Keng Xiong, at Jack London Square, in Oakland, CA. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung. On March 19, Senator Jack Reed, a Democrat from Rhode Island, led the introduction of the EAT Local Foods Act of 2024 alongside twelve co-sponsors and with 184 endorsements from organizations, farms, and businesses from across the country. The bill seeks to sustain the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) program, which launched in 2021 as one of USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service’s (AMS) initiatives to transform the food system and build resilient regional supp ..read more

Last week, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), alongside 97 food, farm, conservation, and rural organizations, delivered a letter to Congressional Appropriators urging them to fully fund the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SARE) at $60 million in fiscal year (FY) 2025.  SARE was one of NSAC’s first legislative accomplishments over 35 years ago and to this day remains one of our Coalition’s top funding priorities.  However, after more than 35 years of proven on-the-ground results, the program has yet to reach its fully authorized funding amo ..read more

In Washington, DC, the political party that governs the House, Senate, and White House is rightly portrayed as a major contributor to policy outcomes. But politics alone is far from the only determinant. Oftentimes, it’s the cost – or projected cost – of a program, policy, or bill that can be just as influential. For that reason, the closest observers of federal agriculture policy annually look forward to an unheralded press release from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). Once or twice a year, the CBO releases a Budget and Economic Outlook, which includes updated economic projections of t ..read more

Cattle graze in a field outside of Walcott, Iowa,2017. USDA Photo by Preston Keres Champions of managed grazing are celebrating USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) call for applications for the Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (GLCI). While the program previously funded up to $27 million to provide technical assistance and education, GLCI’s funding was cut in Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 and was never fully restored. This year’s notice of funding opportunity (NFO) combines funds appropriated in fiscal years 2023 and 2024 for approximately $22 million for new cooperative agreemen ..read more

Photo credit: Mike Stoll On Friday, March 8 – more than 162 days into the start of Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 – Congress finally approved a final FY2024 Agriculture Appropriations bill. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 (CAA, P.L.118-42) funds the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – alongside numerous other departments and agencies – through September 30, 2024.  However, given Congress’ increasing inability to enact appropriations legislation on time, it is likely that the CAA will stand as the law of the land through at least November 2024 ..read more

Editor’s Note: This blog post is the first post 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. Part Two and Three will move further along the supply chain, taking a deeper look at how essential technical assistance, value-chain coordination, and market opportunities support the success of efficient regional food systems.  Local farmers play an essential role in keeping our communities fed and thriving. While individuals ca ..read more

On February 27, The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced $26 million available in competitive grant funding through the Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP) to develop, coordinate, and expand producer-to-consumer marketing, local and regional food markets, and local food enterprises. This year features a few notable changes that align with NSAC’s priorities and advocacy to improve both access to LAMP and its effectiveness. The deadline to apply for the FMLFPP and RFSP program is Tuesday, May 14, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time via www.grants.gov. The Local Agriculture Market Prog ..read more

Editor’s Note: This blog post is the first in a two-part series through which NSAC examines the latest Census of Agriculture in more detail. This post explores some of the high-level themes from across the Census, while the subsequent post will take deeper dives into conservation and local foods. Last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released the 2022 Census of Agriculture. The Census of Agriculture, which has been conducted since 1840 and currently is updated once every five years, serves as perhaps the primary data source for understanding the state of U.S. food and agricult ..read more

Thursday, March 14th, at noon ET on Capitol Hill Washington, DC, March 8, 2024 – A group of farmers and ranchers will demonstrate and discuss how climate-smart agriculture programs benefit their work at an event in the Russell Senate Office building hosted by LCV Education Fund and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. They will be joined by Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, who will make remarks, and by USDA Under Secretary of Conservation Robert Bonnie, who will lead a roundtable discussion. WHAT: An expo and roundtable discussion abou ..read more