Federal Policy Week in Review
Feb. 20—26, 2016
A roundup of blog posts from our partners at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.
USDA Makes Payments Available for Organic Field Border Buffers
February 26, 2016 | Many organic farmers install conservation buffers strips around the edges of their crop fields. These ‘field border’ buffers provide multiple conservation and environmental benefits, and also help farmers meet U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic certification requirements, which include protecting soil and water quality and enhancing biodiversity and habitat). In some circumstances, the buffers can […]
RELEASE: New Conservation Option for Organic Farms Unveiled
February 26, 2016 | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Ferd Hoefner, Paul Wolfe, 202-547-5754 New Conservation Option for Organic Farms Unveiled U.S. Department of Agriculture to assist in establishing up to 20,000 acres of new conservation buffers Washington, DC, February 26, 2016 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced a new conservation option for organic farmers–cost-share and land […]
Conservation Stewardship Stories: Cornelius Joe
February 25, 2016 | This post is the second in a series chronicling stories from farmers and ranchers who have experienced success with the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). The first story, highlighting Alabama farmer Miguel Otero can be found here. As a third-generation farmer in Greensboro, Alabama, Cornelius Joe knows firsthand the importance of taking care of working lands today, so […]
Tomorrow’s Table: The Rise of Local and Regional Food Economies
February 23, 2016 | Commodification is on the rise in many sectors of the American economy, but lately many consumers have been bucking that trend when it comes to their food. Increasingly Americans are interested in food that is not only good for them, but also in food that is grown sustainably, by local and regional farmer and ranchers. […]
Do FDA’s New Food Safety Rules Apply to Your Farm or Food Business?
February 22, 2016 | The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently finalized two new food safety rules under the FSMA [...]