Other Ag News:
BRAINERD, Minn., Dec. 18, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced more than $313 million in funding to connect rural residents, farmers and business owners in 18 states to reliable high-speed internet.
Projects are being financed by the fifth round of the ReConnect Program and are a central part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to rebuild the economy.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 18, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA is making domestic fertilizer production investments in nine states to increase competition, lower fertilizer costs for American farmers and lower food costs for U.S. consumers.
For Immediate Release
Contact: Laura Zaks
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
press@sustainableagriculture.net
Comment: NSAC Responds to Government Funding Deal Congressional Agreement Omits Key Conservation Funding for FarmersWashington, DC, December 17, 2024 – Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) released the following comment in response to a deal reached by Congressional leaders to fund the government, extend the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill), and provide disaster relief funding for areas hit by natural disasters. The deal does not incorporate Inflation Reduction Act conservation investments into the farm bill extension. The comment is attributable to Mike Lavender, NSAC Policy Director.
“For the hundreds of thousands of farmers and ranchers whose livelihood depends on building the productivity, sustainability, and resilience of their operation through conservation, today’s deal is a colossal setback. Faced with a generational opportunity to improve the futures of farm families nationwide, this deal instead prioritizes politics. NSAC thanks the many Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle who have fought tirelessly on behalf of farmers to defend these investments. From here, the 2025 farm bill reauthorization becomes an even more important moment to recoup a small fraction of the conservation investment left on the table today. Congress cannot continue prioritizing short-term aid while shortchanging farmers’ long term needs. It is well past time for Congress to get serious about a farm bill rooted in sound policies that meet the needs of all farmers.“
Stay tuned for NSAC’s detailed analysis of the full funding deal.
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The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is a grassroots alliance that advocates for federal policy reform supporting the long-term social, economic, and environmental sustainability of agriculture, natural resources, and rural communities. Learn more and get involved at: https://sustainableagriculture.net
The post Comment: NSAC Responds to Government Funding Deal appeared first on National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.
WASHINGTON, December 17, 2024 – Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is announcing the second round of states coming on board as part of its National Milk Testing Strategy (NMTS) that was launched Dec. 6., and which requires that raw (unpasteurized) milk samples nationwide be collected and shared with USDA for testing.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 17, 2024 – The Biden-Harris Administration today released a policy framework to guide potential demand-side measures to reduce the importation of deforestation-linked commodities and derived products into the United States, with an initial focus on agricultural commodities.
“Many people come to college but don’t know what they want to do,” said Reese Baker, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 1890 National Scholar and junior at Southern University A&M in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Baker had also felt the same way until she changed her major and followed her passion for agriculture.
STOWE, Vt., Dec. 16, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced $78.3 million in partially forgivable loans for clean energy projects through the Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) program to help lower electricity bills for households, expand reliable access to renewable energy and create jobs for rural families, small businesses and agricultural producers.
For Immediate Release
Contact: Laura Zaks
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
press@sustainableagriculture.net
Release: NSAC Urges Congress to Include Popular Conservation Funding in Farm Bill ExtensionWashington, DC, December 13, 2024 – Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), a coalition of more than 150 farm, food, conservation, and rural organizations, called on Congress to prioritize additional funding for the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) working lands conservation programs as lawmakers finalize an extension of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018.
In a letter sent today to key Congressional leaders, NSAC highlighted the widespread popularity of USDA conservation programs among farmers and ranchers, noting that many cannot access critical funding due to overwhelming demand. The letter emphasized that programs like the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) help farmers increase productivity, improve soil health, build resilience to extreme weather, mitigate climate impacts, and protect natural resources like clean water and wildlife habitats.
“Farmers and ranchers have repeatedly voted with their conservation program applications, registering consistent and overwhelming support for on-farm conservation funding as approved by Congress through the Inflation Reduction Act,” said Mike Lavender, NSAC Policy Director, adding that: “Congress must seize this once-in-a-generation opportunity to support conservation farming and ensure the sustainability of our agricultural systems”
Despite an $18 billion investment approved by Congress in 2022 through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), demand for conservation funding continues to outpace available resources. In fiscal year 2023 alone, tens of thousands of farmers across the country were turned away from CSP and EQIP, with 24,645 farmers denied from CSP and 100,228 farmers denied from EQIP.
The letter urged Congress to continue investments in conservation programs by permanently increasing USDA’s funding for working lands conservation. It emphasized the importance of protecting the long-term viability of the nation’s farm economy by ensuring farmers have access to the resources they need to implement sustainable farming practices.
Find the full letter here.
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The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is a grassroots alliance that advocates for federal policy reform supporting the long-term social, economic, and environmental sustainability of agriculture, natural resources, and rural communities. Learn more and get involved at: https://sustainableagriculture.net
The post Release: NSAC Urges Congress to Include Popular Conservation Funding in Farm Bill Extension appeared first on National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.
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