Farm Bill News, USDA News, and Much More

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The latest news from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition featuring Farm Bill News, USDA News, Conservation Reserve Program Enrollment, Research Grant Funds, NSAC Reports, and More…

FARM BILL NEWS  

COMMENT: Senate Committee Leadership Produces Bipartisan Draft Farm Bill – In the latest Farm Bill news Senate Agriculture Committee leadership has shown that the farm bill can and should remain a bipartisan affair. The draft bill improves farm-to-fork initiatives as well as beginning and socially disadvantaged farmer, crop insurance, and conservation programs. However, it fails to make meaningful reforms to farm subsidy programs and includes significant cuts to critical working lands conservation programs.   

USDA NEWS  

Enrollment Resumes for Continuous Conservation Reserve Program After freezing enrollments for a year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced it would reopen enrollment in the Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CCRP). CCRP pays farmers primarily to install conservation buffers or wildlife habitat. Farmers and landowners may enroll such land at any time with no bidding and ranking; the land is enrolled automatically if it meets the eligibility criteria. The signup period will run from June 4, 2018 through August 17, 2018. 

$180 Million Available for AFRI Research Grant Projects Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) is the largest federal competitive grant program providing support to researchers, educators, and extension specialists to solve pressing challenges facing farmers and society.  Last week, NIFA released the Request for Applications (RFA) for AFRI’s “Foundational” Program. The fiscal year 2018 AFRI RFA outlines key focus areas for potential grant recipients, several of which are focused on advancing sustainable agricultural systems.  

NSAC REPORTS  

The Farm Bill and the U.S. Territories: Challenges and Opportunities The Territories are not participating in or benefiting from federal food and farm programs to the same extent as their counterparts in the States. Barriers to program participation include a lack of resources and inadequate outreach by USDA. Administrative actions and policy opportunities within the 2018 Farm Bill could help to enhance equity in federal farm and food programs for producers in the Territories. But other actions will require more data before serious reforms can be undertaken. 

New Report Reveals Gaps in Enforcement of Conservation Compliance Recent NSAC analysis of reports and enforcement data from USDA revealed serious deficiencies in conservation compliance implementation, enforcement, and verification. Given the troubling revelations of this recent report, NSAC recommends that immediate steps be taken to improve and better enforce conservation compliance. 

 

Learn more about farm policy and agricultural politics from beginningfarmers.org at https://www.beginningfarmers.org/farm-policy-agricultural-politics/