Other Ag News:
A recent USDA 2501 grant is supporting Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship (DGA), which has provided more than 750,000 hours of on-farm training and related coursework in managed grazing dairy production to hundreds of aspiring dairy farmers nationwide. Initially established in 2010 as a state-level apprenticeship in Wisconsin, DGA became an independent nonprofit organization in 2013 and registered its training program as a National Apprenticeship with the U.S. Department of Labor in 2015. Today DGA has more than 200 authorized training farms in 16 states.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 1, 2024 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that students eligible for free and reduced price school meals must not be charged junk fees along with the cost of a meal served through the School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch Program.
EDITOR’S NOTE: On October 3, 2024, NSAC released Stewarding Success: CSP Under the 2018 Farm Bill, a comprehensive analysis of the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) over the course of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill). The report offers an in-depth analysis of CSP’s enrollment trends, conservation practices supported, and funding impacts, including the effects of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022. This post is the fifth and final of a series of five blogs highlighting the key findings of the report and offers a detailed look at how each state’s CSP program fared during the 2018 Farm Bill cycle.
Each State Tells a StoryGenerally, CSP fared well during the 2018 Farm Bill despite enduring significant budget cuts and a difficult transition to competitive contract renewals. NRCS staff continued to serve American farmers and ranchers, enrolling 49 million new acres into CSP between fiscal years (FY) 2019 to 2023. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) injected an additional $3.25 billion into CSP and increased both contracts and acres enrolled by nearly a quarter during FY2023. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) met and exceeded the set-asides for both beginning farmers and ranchers and socially disadvantaged producers and, despite a rocky start, renewed 12,479 CSP contracts to support long-term conservation.
However, each state had its own experience with CSP during the 2018 Farm Bill. This variation reflects the diversity of agriculture across states and the different resource concerns and priorities in each state. It also shows that many states have significant room for improvement in recruiting and retaining farmers in this important conservation program.
Using the map below, find out more about each state. Click on a state to see:
- The total number of new CSP contracts signed, FY19-23
- The total number of new CSP acres enrolled, FY19-23
- The percentage of CSP contracts renewed, FY19-23
- The percentage of a state’s farmland enrolled in CSP in FY2023
- The amount of IRA funding used for CSP contracts in FY2023
- The top CSP conservation practice, by acres, FY19-23
- The percentage of CSP acres enrolled by Beginning Farmers and Ranchers (BFR), FY19-23
- The percentage of CSP acres enrolled by Socially Disadvantaged Producers (SDA), FY19-23
Click on a state to find out more about how CSP worked for farmers!
If a state has an * next to its SDA percentage, that number is an underestimate because SDA data has been suppressed by the NRCS for this state for at least one year. States labeled ‘supp.’ have data suppressed completely.
Alaska HawaiiThis is the final post in a blog series that sheds light on CSP’s achievements and challenges during the 2018 This is the final post in a blog series that sheds light on CSP’s achievements and challenges during the 2018 Farm Bill period:
- from its foundational goals and
- the transformative boost from the Inflation Reduction Act,
- to the program’s crucial support for underserved farmers,
- the impacts of changing contract renewal policies, and
- finally, the state-specific data that reveals both successes and opportunities for improvement.
Find the full report analyzing the Conservation Stewardship Program during the 2018 Farm Bill here.
NSAC’s recommendations—restoring funding, incorporating permanent climate targeting, reinstating automatic renewals, increasing support for underserved farmers, and enhancing outreach—present a vision for a strengthened CSP in future farm bills, ensuring its continued impact on conservation, climate resilience, and equitable access for farmers across the nation.
The post Stewarding Success: How Did CSP Perform in My State? appeared first on National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2024 - The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today that registration is now open for the 101st Agricultural Outlook Forum. The event, titled “Meeting Tomorrow’s Challenges, Today,” will be held at the Crystal City Gateway Marriott on February 27-28, 2025. Additionally, all Forum sessions will be livestreamed on a virtual platform.
ATLANTA, Ga., Oct. 31, 2024 – Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and partners announced the launch of the Southern Farmers Financial Association (SFFA), a new cooperatively-owned institution created to increase access to capital for its member member-owners to begin farming or strengthen existing small farming operations and agriculture-based businesses in high poverty areas in the Southeast.
For Immediate Release
Contact: Laura Zaks
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
press@sustainableagriculture.net
Release: New JAFSCD Commentary Highlights Urgent Need for Federal Investment in Urban AgricultureWashington, DC, October 31, 2024 – In a new commentary published in the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development (JAFSCD), authors Hagan Capnerhurst of Michigan Food and Farming Systems, Hannah Quigley of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), and Jake Hawes of the University of Wyoming (UW), emphasize the vital role of urban agriculture in fostering local food sovereignty, driving economic development, and enhancing community well-being.
“Despite the significant growth of urban farming, federal support has not kept pace, with funding remaining critically low in relation to the pressing needs of urban growers,” said Hannah Quigley, NSAC Policy Specialist, adding that “NSAC Urban agriculture initiatives, often led by communities of color, have become essential in empowering historically marginalized groups and innovating food production practices. Yet, these local efforts are frequently hindered by restrictive policies and inadequate financial backing.”
Since the establishment of the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production in the 2018 Farm Bill, federal funding has been substantially below its authorized level, limiting the capacity to support this burgeoning sector. The authors highlight the urgent need for Congress to expand federal investment and stabilize funding for urban agriculture.
“Despite overwhelming evidence for urban agriculture’s social and economic benefits, the practice has struggled to gain federal support, said Jake Hawes, Assistant Professor at UW. “Among other things, we wrote this brief to highlight recent research on synergies between social, economic, and environmental benefits from urban agriculture. Available funding and supportive policy foster longer-lasting urban agriculture facilities, which can employ sustainable practices that reduce carbon emissions and decrease dependence on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides,” added Hawes.
The commentary highlights the opportunity for Congress to expand federal support and stabilize funding for urban agriculture. Key recommendations include:
- Increasing permanent funding to at least $10 million annually
- Increasing tailored technical assistance and conservation planning for urban producers
- Implementing the Urban and Innovative Agriculture Data Collection Initiative
- Securing land tenure for urban farms to prevent displacement and preserve vital resources
“As urban agriculture continues to grow, it presents a transformative opportunity for federal policymakers to fully recognize, support, and invest in urban farms as the critical food production spaces they are. The commentary urges Congress to acknowledge the importance of agriculture to urban communities and economies, its role in fostering resilience in urban food systems, and its potential to affect food systems and economies across the nation,” shared Hagan Capnerhurst, Michigan Food and Farming Systems.
The brief can be found 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: New JAFSCD Commentary Highlights Urgent Need for Federal Investment in Urban Agriculture appeared first on National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.
To view the announcement on USDA's plan to conduct milk testing to better assess where H5N1 is present, visit:
USDA to Issue More than $235 Million to Farmers Hit by Natural Disasters, Including Hurricane Milton
WASHINGTON, Oct. 30, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is issuing payments this week to agricultural producers impacted by natural disasters, including $143 million in crop insurance indemnities for Florida producers impacted by Hurricane Milton and about $92 million for livestock producers, nationwide, who faced increased supplemental feed costs as a result of forage losses due to 2022 qualifying drought and wildfire.
MANITOWOC, Wis., Oct. 30, 2024 – During a visit to Dramm Corp. today, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small announced that the Biden-Harris Administration is making investments that will strengthen American farms and businesses by expanding innovative domestic fertilizer production and increasing independent meat and poultry processing capacity, which will in turn increase competition and lower fertilizer costs for farmers and food costs for consumers.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 29, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small today announced that USDA is awarding $39 million in grants to U.S. business owners to increase the availability of domestic biofuels in 18 states and give Americans cleaner, more affordable fuel options.
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