USDA Publishes Country of Origin Labeling Final Rule
May 24th, 2013
On Thursday, May 23, the USDA published the final rule amending the Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) regulations in the Federal Register. A pdf version of the final rule is available here. COOL was originally enacted in the 2002 Farm Bill and required retailers to notify customers of the country of origin of covered commodities. Read the Rest…
Rural Coop Development Grants Available
May 24th, 2013
The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service has announced the availability of $6.5 million as part of its Rural Cooperative Development Grant (RCDG) program. The Notice of Funding Availability was published in the May 23 Federal Register. The goal of RCDG is to improve the economic condition of rural areas through the use of cooperative development. Grants Read the Rest…
Rural Development Front and Center at Senate Hearing
May 24th, 2013
The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies held a hearing this week amidst the buzz of Farm Bill activities on Capitol Hill. Subcommittee Chairman Mark Pryor (D-AR) and Ranking Member Roy Blunt (R-MO) took a break from floor action on the Farm Bill to lead Thursday’s hearing Read the Rest…
Key Amendments Debated During Farm Bill Markups This Week
May 18th, 2013
Both the Senate and House Agriculture Committees held their respective committee “markup” sessions this week. Initial drafts of the 2013 Farm Bill written mainly by the Chairs and Ranking Members of each committee were presented to members and modified through several hours of debate and committee votes through the amendment process. While the Senate markup Read the Rest…
USDA Announces Improvements to Organic Crop Insurance
May 18th, 2013
This week, USDA Secretary Vilsack announced additional crop insurance options for organic farmers available in 2014. Earlier this year, USDA made progress on organic crop insurance options by removing the premium surcharge for organic producers and making other adjustments. In this week’s announcement, Vilsack discussed plans for releasing additional organic price elections as well as Read the Rest…
More Time and More Funding for Farm Energy Grants and Loans
May 17th, 2013
USDA has announced that the deadline for applying for FY2013 Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grants, loans, and feasibility studies has been extended to May 31, 2013. The deadline is extended because USDA has additional funds provided for in the FY2013 Appropriations. In the announcement of the extension, USDA indicated it would issue another Read the Rest…
Release: NSAC Comments on House Farm Bill Markup
May 16th, 2013
For Immediate Release NSAC COMMENTS ON HOUSE FARM BILL MARKUP Washington, DC, May 16 – The House Agriculture Committee late last night voted a new five-year farm bill out of committee by a vote of 36-10. The bill includes a variety of major priorities of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, along with several serious setbacks Read the Rest…
USDA Taking Rural Business Opportunity Grant Applications
May 15th, 2013
USDA has issued a notice that the Rural Development Agency is taking applications for Rural Business Opportunity Grants (RBOG). RBOG funds feasibility studies, strategic planning, leadership training and other services and activities that can foster the creation of businesses and jobs in rural areas. Eligible applicants include public entities, non-profit organizations, institutions of higher education, Read the Rest…
Release: NSAC Comments on Senate Farm Bill Markup
May 14th, 2013
For Immediate Release NSAC COMMENTS ON SENATE FARM BILL MARKUP Washington, DC, May 14 – The Senate Agriculture Committee today voted a new five-year farm bill out of committee by a vote of 15-5. The committee bill maintains the historic reforms to commodity subsidies included in last year’s bill that limit payments to the operator Read the Rest…
NSAC Endorses the Farm Program Integrity Act of 2013 in the House of Representatives
May 10th, 2013
For Immediate Release May 10, 2013 Contact: Ferd Hoefner, 202-547-5754 NSAC Endorses the Farm Program Integrity Act of 2013 Washington, DC – On Thursday, May 9, Representative Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) introduced the Farm Program Integrity Act of 2013 (H.R. 1932) in the House of Representatives to restore integrity and fiscal responsibility to the commodity program Read the Rest…
