Sustainable Agriculture News – Grants and More

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Program Roundup – SARE Grants Available around the Country
The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program is a farmer driven research and education competitive grants program designed to help advance sustainable agriculture across the whole of American agriculture. SARE is administered through four regional councils of producers, researchers, educators, and government representatives. Read on for more details into what is going on in each SARE region…

USDA Awards $63 Million in Grants and Loans for Renewable Energy Generation and Energy Conservation
On August 7, the USDA announced $63 million in grants and loans to 264 renewable energy generation and energy conservation projects through the Rural Energy for America Program. It is not yet clear whether those who control USDA’s purse strings will allow REAP to be fully funded in the 2016 fiscal year. Congress is currently debating the FY 2016 agriculture appropriations bill; and the House version of the bill cuts farm bill funding for REAP by 30 percent…

FDA Grant Funding Available to Build Food Safety Training Infrastructure
On August 10, the FDA announced the availability of funding to establish two Regional Centers for food safety training, education, outreach, extension, and technical assistance. These centers will work in tandem with the yet-to-be-named National Coordination Center as part of a joint effort between the USDA’s NIFA and FDA to carry out the FSMA provision authorizing a new competitive grants program to fund food safety projects targeted toward helping small and mid-sized farms and small food enterprises come into compliance…

Farm to School in PA: Blossoming and Ready to Expand
Farm to school got its start in the Lehigh Valley of northeastern Pennsylvania from an observation: in a region with many local farms, a free summer lunch program for children was able to offer only two vegetables: slices of tomato and lettuce on pre-prepared sandwiches. The Lehigh Valley Chapter of Buy Fresh Buy Local saw this as an opportunity to build new relationships between local farmers and schools and improve children’s access to fresh, healthy food in the region. These Pennsylvania stories exemplify the efforts of farm to school advocates across the country…

NSAC Members, Farmers Meet in Iowa
Last week, NSAC held our biannual meeting in Iowa City, Iowa. Representatives of NSAC member organizations, including farmers, convened to review coalition priorities, plan for next steps, and reconnect and engage with fellow members…