Ag Census News and Much More

Posted on April 18, 2019 by Taylor in Beginning Farmers, Farming Resources, Food Safety, Funding, News, Policy, Politics, Publications, Research, Rural Development, Small Farms, Statistics and Trends, Sustainable Agriculture // 0 Comments

The latest edition of Sustainable Agriculture News from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition featuring Ag Census News, USDA News, Food Safety News, BFRDP news, and more…

AG CENSUS NEWS

AG CENSUS NEWS RELEASE: Agricultural Census Shows Continued Shrinking of Ag of the Middle – “The 2017 Census of Agriculture puts hard data behind what American farmers and farmer advocates have known for some time – if we don’t invest in beginning farmers and the advancement of our family farms, and if we don’t put checks on increasing consolidation in agriculture, we’re going to be at risk of losing the ag of the middle entirely,” said Juli Obudzinski, NSAC Interim Policy Director. Stay tuned here for more Ag Census News. Find the USDA report on the newly released 2017 Census of Agriculture at https://www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus/FAQ/2017/index.php.

USDA NEWS

Less than One Month to Sign up for the Conservation Stewardship Program in 2019 – Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced that the deadline for applicants to submit an initial application for CSP, in order to be considered for the program is May 10, 2019. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) urges farmers and ranchers to submit an initial application by the deadline in order to be considered this year.

$14 Million Available to Help Train the Next Generation of Farmers – USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), which administers BFRDP, released Requests for Applications (RFA) for fiscal year (FY) 2019 and 2020 last week. Organizations interested in applying for grant funding must submit an electronic application through Grants.gov by 5:00pm EST on Thursday May 16, 2019 (for FY 2019 awards) or February 13, 2020 (for FY 2020 awards).

FOOD SAFETY NEWS

FDA’s Draft Guidance: How to Comply with the FSMA Produce Safety Rule – The Food Safety Modernization Act’s Produce Safety Rule is complex. There are still questions about how it will be enforced for the first time and the required actions and tools farms need to comply. Some of these questions might be answered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Draft Guidance on the Produce Safety Rule, a look at FDA’s current thinking on how the rule will be enforced, but some questions still remain unanswered.

NSAC JOBS

NSAC is seeking a Coalition Director! Are you deeply committed to public service and are experienced in administration in the field of sustainable agriculture? Would you enjoy leading a passionate, high-performing, member-engaged, and collaborative organization that is dedicated to working for racial equity? NSAC is looking for a new Coalition Director. NSAC offers competitive non-profit salary and benefits and is an equal opportunity employer.