Conservation Stewardship Program News and More

Tweet

The latest news from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition featuring Conservation Stewardship Program information, Farm Bill News, and More…

Stories from the Field: Conservation for a Better Future – In an effort to bring attention to some of NSAC’s top appropriations priorities, we are putting together a series of blogs to highlights on the ground stories of farmers using key programs that need continued funding and support. The first post in the series features Rick Story, an Alabama farmer named as one of NRCS’ Conservation Farmers of the Year for his dedication and longterm investment in the Conservation Stewardship Program.

New Resources Available for 2017 CSP Renewals – USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service recently announced May 5, 2017 would be the renewal deadline for the 7,000 farmers, ranchers, and foresters who enrolled in Conservation Stewardship Program in 2013. If not renewed, five-year contracts will expire at the end of the year. To support farmers in navigating the renewals process, NSAC has updated our Conservation Stewardship Program Information Alert to include a step-by-step guidance for renewing expiring contracts. The Information Alert also includes detailed information on the recent CSP “reinvention,” which introduced major updates to the program’s structure and available enhancements.

Farm Advocate Testifies on Importance of USDA Financing for Farmers – This week, the House Ag Committee’s Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit Subcommittee held a hearing focused on farm credit programs, as part of the lead up to the 2018 Farm Bill. The backdrop for the hearing was the depressed farm economy and the hardship that many farmers are facing. Testifying at the hearing were representatives from several agricultural lending institutions in addition to a single non-lender, Scott Marlow, who is the Executive Director of the Rural Advancement Foundation International.

Path to the 2018 Farm Bill: Priorities for Sustainable Agriculture – As a lead up to the 2018 Farm Bill, NSAC has been previewing some of the major programs and policies that advocates need to know in order to effectively engage. The final post in this series focuses on key legislative and grassroots campaigns that NSAC will be championing over the coming year. These priorities include supporting the next generation of American farmers and ranchers, local and regional food systems, on-farm conservation programs, a more accountable farm safety net, and more diversity in our public seed supply.