National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
USDA proposes tighter subsidy rules for 3 percent of farms
A new rule proposed by the USDA would limit joint ventures and general partnerships to a maximum of three people who can collect crop subsidies by declaring they are farm managers. The proposal is open for public comment until May 26. The 2014 farm law empowered the USDA to write stricter rules about who is "actively engaged" in farming, but it exempted family farms, which constitute 97 percent of the 2.1 million farms in the country.
GOP-run Congress may seek USDA budget cuts
The Republican-controlled House and Senate Budget committees are expected to include USDA programs among their targets for budget cuts, says the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.
Senate Republicans to target food stamps for big cuts
The budget package expected next week from Senate Republicans would convert the food-stamp program into something "similar to a block grant," says the Wall Street Journal, based on interviews with lawmakers and aides.
USDA extends enrollment for green payments by two weeks
Farmers and ranchers have two additional weeks to enroll in the Conservation Stewardship Program, which pays producers for practicing conservation on working lands. The deadline for applications initially was set for Friday but now will be March 13, says the Natural Resources Conservation Service. An official announcement will be made this morning.
Premium cap on crop insurance could hurt enrollment-Vilsack
The Senate proposal to place a $50,000 cap on premium subsidies for farmers buying crop insurance "could potentially impact participation" in the program, says Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. The government pays an average of 62 cents of each $1 of premium, although the subsidy rate is as high as 80 percent on some policies. During a tele-conference, Vilsack said, "We don't want to go back to the days of ad hoc (disaster relief) legislation. That could potentially be much more expensive."
USDA conservation program “misses the mark”-farm groups
The biggest USDA conservation program, the Conservation Stewardship Program, slights ongoing work by farmers in favor of operators who are new to the program or agree to take on additional land, water and wildlife work, say two small-farm groups.
Meat-origin labels, beef checkoff clipped by omnibus bill
As part of the $1 trillion government funding bill awaiting a vote in Congress, lawmakers would direct USDA to suggest changes by May 1 in the law that requires packages of beef, pork and chicken to list where the meat was born, raised and slaughtered. The language appears in an explanatory statement that accompanies the bill. Such statements do not carry the force of law but are powerful advice to federal officials.
Omnibus bill relaxes whole grain, salt rules for school food
Congress would relax rules that call for schools to use more whole grains and to reduce salt in meals provided to students, according to provisions of a government-wide funding bill. Unveiled on Tuesday night, the bill also calls for USDA to study the nutritional content of vegetables available in the so-called WIC program before removing any of them from the program - a response to complaints that white potatoes were being singled out unfairly.
Whole-farm crop insurance available for 2015 crops
A new crop insurance policy, whole-farm revenue protection, is available for 2015 crops, said USDA's Risk Management Agency. It says the new policy "makes crop insurance more affordable for producers, including fruit and vegetable growers and...
USDA retools its working-lands conservation program
The Agriculture Department unveiled revisions in the Conservation Stewardship Program to reflect the directions of the 2014 farm law and invited public comments on its proposals.
Public role fades in crop and livestock breeding programs
The "slow atrophy of public funding" for plant-breeding programs "means that farmers have been left with fewer and fewer seed choices over the years and are ill-prepared to meet 21st Century needs," says the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.
More attractive crop insurance premium for diversified farms
Operators of diversified farms will see more affordable rates for crop insurance under the new Whole Farm Revenue Protection policy, said USDA's Risk Management Agency.
Congress plans to do little in pre-election session
The House and Senate are scheduled to return to today with one major goal - passage of a short-term government funding bill for the fiscal year beginning Oct 1 or face a repeat of the shutdown of last October. Lawmakers are expected to pass legislation to fund the government until early December before leaving, possibly as early as next Friday, to campaign for re-election.
USDA to offer a renewal of CSP contracts
Landowners enrolled in the Conservation Stewardship Program, which pays farmers to practice soil, water and wildlife conservation as part of their daily operations, will have two months to apply for a renewal of their contract, says a USDA bulletin.
Nine states gain in beginning farmers, rest lose
The number of beginning farmers - those in agriculture for less than 10 years - is down by 20 percent in the new Census of Agriculture. Nine states had more beginning farmers in 2012 than in 2007 while the rest showed a decline, says the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition in a blog.
Everyone wants to give EQIP a haircut
Congress is on track to trim the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, a cost-share program to reduce runoff from fields and feedlots, by as much as 16 percent from its authorized level of $1.6 billion. The FY15 USDA spending bills pending in the House and Senate each would cut the program; the House by $209 million and the Senate by $250 million.
Nationwide offer “critical” for new whole-farm insurance
A nationwide roll-out it vital for success of a new whole-farm revenue insurance policy, says a small-farm group, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack unveiled the new policy at the Organic Trade Association meeting last week.
Small-farmer groups criticize cuts in USDA funding bill
Groups supporting small farmers objected to cuts pending in House and Senate versions of the FY15 USDA funding bill. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition said the House bill "cuts more than 1 million acres from the Conservation Stewardship Program, over $200 million from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, and $60 million from the new Agricultural Conservation Easement Program."
Protect climate funds in farm bill, say advocates
Some 644 environmental, farm, religious, wildlife and recreation groups urged the leaders of the Senate and House Agriculture committees on Monday to protect the $20 billion earmarked last summer for climate-smart agriculture from farm-bill raids. "This is the largest investment in agriculture conservation and rural communities in decades and farmers, ranchers and foresters across the country are depending on these resources," said the groups in a letter.