Conservation Stewardship Program Signups and More
Conservation Stewardship Program Signups, Is COVID-19 Aid Reaching Farmers, USDA Reversal on Payment Limits, and Regional Food Systems Partnership from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.
2021 Conservation Stewardship Program Signups Now Open
Since 2003, The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) has provided farmers and ranchers with five-year, renewable financial assistance contracts for implementing and maintaining conservation measures across their entire operation such as cover crops, conservation buffers, rotational grazing, and many others. Conservation Stewardship Program Signups for 2021 are now open.
Yesterday, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) released its Farmers’ Guide to the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). The guide provides farmers and ranchers looking to enroll in the CSP program, or renew CSP contracts, with helpful, comprehensive, and accurate information about the program. Deadlines vary by state and could be as early as today (November 20)! Connect with your local NRCS office here to learn more about your state’s renewal deadline, and get rewarded for sustainable farming practices today!
Is COVID-19 Aid Reaching Farmers?
With only one month left to apply for the new Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 (CFAP-2), it’s time to revisit how the program is benefitting farmers, what questions and concerns have arisen, and if there are any lessons to draw upon for future aid to farmers. In the process of helping farmers understand CFAP-2 through webinars and developing supporting materials, a number of questions and concerns have been raised about the structure and administration of the program. NSAC has worked with the USDA to get answers to some of the farmer questions which are summarized below.
Release: USDA Reversal on Payment Limits Sells Out Farmers
This Wednesday, the Trump Administration announced its intention to reverse a key reform element of the Payment Limitation and Payment Eligibility Final Rule as issued in August by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This rule was necessary to enact provisions that Congress debated and passed as part of the 2018 Farm Bill. The new rule will use taxpayer money to foster farm consolidation, putting family farmers and beginning farmers at a severe disadvantage.
Inaugural Regional Food Systems Partnership Program Awards Announced
In October, the U.S. The Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced the inaugural round of grant awards for the Regional Food Systems Partnership (RFSP) program, providing $9.3 million in competitive grant funding for 23 projects. RFSP supports the formation of public-private partnerships working at the foodshed-level to transform local and regional food systems through planning and development projects. Learn more about the program and NSAC member grant recipients in our blog:
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