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For Immediate Release

Contact: Laura Zaks

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

Release: Farmers Advance Sustainable Agriculture Priorities During NSAC Lobby Day

Washington, DC, July 21, 2026 – Today, nearly 40 farmers, ranchers, and agriculture stakeholders participated in a National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) Lobby Day. Farmers from 12 states – California, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, and Wisconsin – and a wide array of production types and farm sizes met virtually with policymakers to share firsthand accounts of how they are leveraging federal programs to build thriving farm businesses and feed their communities. The farmer visits come as Congress weighs a new farm bill, emergency farm assistance, and fiscal year (FY) 2027 agriculture appropriations.

“With all of the turmoil around the Farm Bill, last year’s contract freezes, and FSA/NRCS staff cuts here

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Release: NSAC Applauds the Introduction of the Fair Seeds for Farmers Act

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Laura Zaks

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

press@sustainableagriculture.net

Tel. 347.563.6408

Release: NSAC Applauds the Introduction of the Fair Seeds for Farmers Act

Washington, DC, July 15, 2026 – Yesterday, Representatives Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Greg Casar (D-TX) introduced the Fair Seeds for Farmers Act. Over the past few decades, the continued consolidation of the seed industry has driven up costs for those who grow food and those who buy it at the grocery store. The future of sustainable and organic agriculture and local, affordable, healthy food systems across the country – along with farmers’ ability to meet the challenges of climate change and food security – depends on reigning in corporate control of seeds.

“The hyperconsolidation and commodification of seeds have eroded farmers’ resilience and diminished the agrobiodiversity of crops cultivated in the US at an

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The Food Safety Outreach Program’s 10th Birthday: A Review

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History

The Food Safety Outreach Program (FSOP) was originally authorized with the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Recognizing the importance of providing training – particularly for smaller, more economically vulnerable operations, Congress created FSOP to fund outreach, education, training, and technical assistance projects that directly assist small and mid-sized farms, beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers, small processors, and small-scale wholesalers. FSOP’s focus is to ensure that training is tailored to the diverse needs of these businesses and the production systems they use, particularly sustainable production systems, including organic and conservation practices.

Fifteen years since FSMA passed and ten years into FSOP grants, this program remains critical as FDA continues to roll out new regulations to fully implement FSMA, with mixed results. Yet, funding for FSOP has remained stagnant – and even decreased …

Proposed Grant Rules Increase Uncertainty, Risk for Farmers

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Since January 2025, farmers, agricultural organizations, and the communities they serve have experienced unprecedented instability in long-standing federal partnerships with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Lengthy funding freezes, unanticipated grant terminations, full program cancellations, and a woefully understaffed USDA have detrimentally disrupted the programs, services, and resources that farmers and rural communities leverage to build environmentally resilient and economically viable businesses, strengthen local and regional supply chains, and grow the next generation of farmers and ranchers. Now, proposed changes to federal rules governing grants and cooperative agreements threaten to further destabilize an already fragile agricultural sector by injecting additional uncertainty and risk into the agreements farmers and farmer-serving organizations enter into with the USDA. This post provides context and background on the issue, analyzes key concerns with the proposed rule, and offers resources for stakeholders who …

Release: NSAC and SAAFON Celebrate the Eighth Cohort of Cynthia Hayes Memorial Scholars

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Laura Zaks

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

lzaks@sustainableagriculture.net

Tel. 347.563.6408

The Cynthia Hayes Memorial Scholarship honors the co-founder of the first network for African American organic farmers in the United States by providing $ 5000 scholarships to two undergraduate students and one graduate student who identify as Black and/or Indigenous.

Washington, DC, June 30, 2026 – At the end of May, the Cynthia Hayes Memorial Scholarship Review Committee, composed of representatives from the Southeastern African American Farmers’ Organic Network (SAAFON), NSAC, and an existing Cynthia Hayes Memorial Scholar, completed the meticulous process of discussing this year’s applications. With joy and gratitude for each of the students who submitted applications, the Committee is proud to present this year’s scholars.

Daniel Sanders is a citizen of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma and is working towards a Bachelor’s degree in …

Comment: Senate Farm Bill Draft Offers Untapped Potential

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Laura Zaks

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

press@sustainableagriculture.net

Comment: Senate Farm Bill Draft Offers Untapped Potential

Washington, DC, June 24, 2026 – The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) released the following statement attributable to Mike Lavender, NSAC Policy Director, in response to the Agricultural Act of 2026 discussion draft released by Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Chairman John Boozman (R-AR):

“At such a critical moment for farmers and American agriculture, prioritizing investments that ensure the long term success of farmers and their communities is paramount. The Senate discussion draft offers minimal improvements and fails to respond to States’ requests to delay SNAP cost share requirements, all but eliminating a viable path on the Senate floor. Ultimately, the proposal falls well short of tapping its full potential – and in doing so doubles down on a …

Farmers React to House Farm Bill

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“Farmers have waited far too long for a new farm bill while dealing with rising input costs, market volatility, and shrinking margins,” said Darin Von Ruden, a Wisconsin farmer and president of the state’s Farmers Union chapter. Farmers across the country agree and have been clear with Congress: they need a new farm bill that provides investments and policy solutions that will meaningfully improve not only the immediate crises farmers are facing, but also the long-term resilience and viability of their farms. As the House recently passed its Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 and attention turns to the Senate, this blog post uplifts farmers’ perspectives on how the House bill falls short of what they really need to see from a new farm bill, and what changes are urgently needed in the …

450 Organizations Push Congress to Unlock Local Food Funding for Schools

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The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) spends roughly $ 4 billion buying food at the lowest price possible, and American family farmers are locked out due to high volume and complex federal contracting requirements. Yet there is a low-cost policy solution that would unlock this existing funding source for more farmers to compete.

NSAC members National Farm to School Network, Center for Good Food Purchasing, Food Corps, and National Young Farmers Coalition, in partnership with Friends of the Earth, Chef Ann Foundation, and Scratchworks, have heard demands from school nutritionists, farmers, and local food distributors. Farmers want reliable local markets, and schools want fresh, reliable, nutritious foods to serve to students. A school district in Arkansas noted, Produce purchased through broadline distributors is not as fresh as items grown and sourced locally.

More than 450 schools, farmers, and nutrition …