Farm Consolidation is not Inevitable and More

Posted on October 6, 2019 by Taylor in Farming Resources, Food Systems, News, Policy, Politics, Small Farms, Sustainable Agriculture // 0 Comments

New blog posts from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition include Farm Consolidation is not Inevitable, New Research Investments in Sustainable Agriculture, and The Untold History of Federal Farm to School Support.

Comment: Farm Consolidation is Not Inevitable

Independent family farms are the mainstay of American agriculture, the stewards of our land and natural resources, and central members of our rural communities. The recent comments made by USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue, which harken back to the “get big or get out” mantra that catalyzed the 1980s Farm Crisis, were disrespectful and irresponsible to say the least. NSAC asserts that farm consolidation is not an inevitability and remains committed to fighting for policies that create a level playing field for all farmers, particularly the farmers and ranchers who hold together America’s “ag of the middle”. Farm consolidation is not inevitable.

USDA NEWS

Huge Research Investments Seek to Advance Sustainable Agriculture

USDA recently announced a nearly $80 million investment into a new research initiative that will fund long-term, ground-breaking research needed to transition our current agricultural sector into a more sustainable and resilient system. These federal research grants are the first of AFRI’s new Sustainable Agriculture Systems (SAS) program that will focus on systemic approaches to challenges facing sustainable food production. This post highlights the eight research projects that were awarded and the impressive array of focus areas that they address.

LOCAL FOOD NEWS

The Untold History of Federal Farm to School Support and Its Impact on Local Food Research

In honor of Farm to School month (October), NSAC has invited Debra Tropp, former Deputy Director of Local Food Research and Development at USDA-AMS, to share some personal observations about the evolution of farm to school support at USDA, and the ripple effects generated by the pursuit of farm to school research that helped accelerate the expansion and scope of the agency’s local food research portfolio. USDA’s support for farm to school programming predates the creation of the Farm to School Grant Program by nearly 15 years. In fact, USDA’s early exploration and support of farm to school activities actually inspired much of the subsequent federal research on wholesale marketing channels and aggregation for local foods!