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Farmers Travel to DC to Support Funding for Sustainable Agriculture Programs
On June 25th, farmers, farm advocates, and agricultural researchers from around the country flew to Washington, DC to share their stories with decision-makers in Congress, the White House, and at the...
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USDA Compass Tool Highlights Local Food Programs
Under the Obama Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has focused in a consistent and substantive way on investments in local and regional food systems. Its innovative online tool —...
View ArticleUSDA Awards $30 Million for Wetland Enhancement Projects
On October 15, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced six awards totaling $30 million through the Wetland Reserve Enhancement Partnership (WREP). The 2014 Farm Bill...
View ArticleNew Farm to School Census: Local Food Purchasing Increasing
On Tuesday, October 20, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced new Farm to School Census data confirming the multiple benefits of farm to school programs for kids,...
View ArticleGroup Food Safety Certification Coming in 2016
Since 2010, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has been partnering with the Wallace Center at Winrock International to pilot a group food safety certification...
View ArticleUSDA Releases New Commitments, New Website for New Farmers
On October 29, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden announced the launch of new commitments and a new website for new and aspiring farmers. The new USDA goals focus on...
View ArticleUSDA Invests $30 Million in Mississippi River Basin Initiative
On November 3, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a $30 million investment in 73 conservation projects through the Mississippi River Basin Initiative (MRBI). These...
View ArticleHigh Demand for Farm Loans in 2015 with Even Greater Demand on Horizon for 2016
Just like any small business, starting and running a farm is no small feat, and can be quite expensive. Everything from purchasing or leasing land to farm, seeds, equipment, and breeding stock, add up....
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What’s Up with USDA Food Labels? Changes Made to USDA Process Verified Program
This is the first in an occasional series we will be doing to report on some recent and pending changes to USDA food labeling programs. The fate of mandatory GMO labeling may still be unknown, but some...
View Article10 Ways USDA Can Address Climate Change in 2016
As 2015 wraps up with a new international agreement on climate change, drought still plagues the west, and much of the country is in the midst of an unseasonably warm holiday season. Meanwhile, farmers...
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USDA Finds Conservation Adoption Lagging
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Economic Research Service (ERS) recently released a report on conservation practice adoption, highlighting the fairly low adoption rates for specific...
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New Mitigation Program Will Help Offset Wetland Losses
photo credit: USDA In an effort to offset the widespread draining of wetlands for agricultural production, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has begun to fund wetland “banks” to help landowners...
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Conservation Stewardship Program 2016 Sign-Up Opens
Milkweed buffer strip. Photo credit: USDA Farmers and ranchers interested in enrolling in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) this year have until March 31 to submit their initial applications...
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A Need for More and Better Targeted Plant Breeding Research Grants
Photo credit: USDA A sustainable, localized, and resilient food system depends on the availability of seeds that are compatible with a variety of unique growing systems and climates. Organic farmers,...
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$720 Million for Conservation Projects Generated Through Regional...
Photo credit: USDA Effective natural resource conservation often depends on the power of partnerships. Through the collaboration of governmental, non-profit, and private partners we have seen...
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Tomorrow’s Table: The Rise of Local and Regional Food Economies
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack. Photo credit: USDA Commodification is on the rise in many sectors of the American economy, but lately many consumers have been bucking that trend when it comes to their...
View ArticleRELEASE: New Conservation Option for Organic Farms Unveiled
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Ferd Hoefner, Paul Wolfe, 202-547-5754 New Conservation Option for Organic Farms Unveiled U.S. Department of Agriculture to assist in establishing up to 20,000 acres of...
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USDA Makes Payments Available for Organic Field Border Buffers
Conservation buffer, Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative (CBWI). Photo credit: USDA. Many organic farmers install conservation buffers strips around the edges of their crop fields. These ‘field border’...
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The Fate of Food and Agriculture Programs in 2017 Will Be Decided in...
House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee members at a 2015 hearing. Photo credit: House Appropriations Committee Each year, Congress uses the annual appropriations process to decide funding levels...
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New Funding Available for Local and Regional Food Systems
Veggies at Corvallis Farmers Market, Oregon. Photo credit: Friends of Family Farmers Local and regional food systems are expanding nationwide. These systems create new economic opportunities for small...
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