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For Immediate Release

Contact: Laura Zaks

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

press@sustainableagriculture.net

Comment: NSAC Responds to Government Funding Deal

Washington, DC, March 15, 2025 – Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) reacted following Senate approval of the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 (H.R. 1968) on a vote of 54-46. Earlier this week, the House of Representatives approved the bill – which will fund the government through September 30, 2025 – on a vote of 217-213. The following statement is attributed to Mike Lavender, NSAC Policy Director.

“Today’s government funding deal locks in and deepens cuts that will have a direct line to farmer livelihoods and the economic well-being of their communities. The continuing resolution escalates cuts from the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 by slashing USDA’s conservation and research programs, undermining the real progress needed to bolster

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Release: NSAC Responds to Termination of Critical Local Food Funding, Envisions Future for Popular Program

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For Immediate Release

Contact: Laura Zaks

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

press@sustainableagriculture.net

Release: NSAC Responds to Termination of Critical Local Food Funding, Envisions Future for Popular Program

Washington, DC, March 11, 2025 – Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) lamented the termination of previously announced funding for the Local Food for Schools and Child Care Cooperative Agreement (LFSCC) and Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement program (LFPA). On Friday, March 7, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) notified States, Territories and Tribes of the termination of previously announced 2025 funding for LFSCC and LFPA, stating that it no longer effectuates the Department’s priorities.

“USDA’s decision to re-initiate reimbursements on signed LFPA and LFS contracts is a welcome development, yet the termination of the LFPA25 cooperative agreements misses a key opportunity to bolster opportunities for farmers seeking financial

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Release: NSAC Holds Briefing as USDA Funding Freeze and Layoffs Threaten Farmers and Communities Nationwide

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For Immediate Release

Contact: Laura Zaks

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

press@sustainableagriculture.net

Release: NSAC Holds Briefing as USDA Funding Freeze and Layoffs Threaten Farmers and Communities Nationwide

Washington, DC, March 6, 2025 – Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), a coalition of more than 150 farm, food, conservation, and rural organizations, held a virtual briefing on how the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) funding freeze and employee layoffs are affecting farmers and ranchers.

Panelists – who called on USDA to end the freeze and release funding on all signed contracts – included farmers from North Carolina, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Nebraska, and California. These farmers shared their own stories of how the ongoing federal funding freeze – in addition to significant layoffs at USDA – has created challenging and often dire circumstances for farmers and communities from coast to coast, threatening farm …

Funding Freeze Impacts: Farmers and Organizations Speak Out

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Since January, the Trump Administration has frozen vast swathes of federal spending under a series of Executive Orders, including at the United States Department of Agriculture. Hundreds of thousands of lawful, signed, active contracts and grants – supporting critical conservation payments, farmer technical assistance, sustainable agriculture research, market infrastructure, and so much more, and representing billions of dollars in federal funding – are frozen, which threatens farms, jobs, and livelihoods in communities nationwide.

Federal courts have delivered ruling after ruling that the funding freeze must be lifted – but to date, the Administration has yet to act to unfreeze funding and with every passing week, the situation worsens: farmers and organizations are facing layoffs, work stoppages, and rising debt due to the federal government’s failure to honor its legally binding financial commitments.

Farmers, ranchers, and advocates are speaking out. …

Comment: NSAC Responds to “First Tranche” Release of Popular Conservation Funding

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Laura Zaks
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
press@sustainableagriculture.net
Tel. 347.563.6408

Comment: NSAC Responds to “First Tranche” Release of Popular Conservation Funding

Washington, DC, February 21, 2025 – Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) released the following statement attributable to Mike Lavender, NSAC Policy Director, in response to USDA’s announcement that it would release a fraction of paused conservation investments.

“While USDA fires its staff and deliberates whether or not to honor its own legal contracts, tens of thousands of farmers are being left in limbo. The ‘first tranche’ released this week represents roughly one percent of the IRA funding USDA guaranteed farmers through signed contracts from CSP and EQIP alone beginning in FY2023 – meaning that from coast to coast, countless farmers are waking up today still uncertain of how they’ll make ends meet or whether

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Comment: NSAC Responds to Senate Confirmation of Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Laura Zaks
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
press@sustainableagriculture.net
Tel. 347.563.6408

Comment: NSAC Responds to Senate Confirmation of Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins

Washington, DC, February 13, 2025 – Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) released the following statement attributable to Mike Lavender, NSAC Policy Director, in response to the Senate confirmation of Brooke Rollins as Secretary of Agriculture with a 72-28 vote:

“Secretary Rollins’ first order of business must be to relieve and reverse the pain and confusion being felt by farmers and communities nationwide from the federal funding freeze. This includes honoring legal obligations to farmers and organizations by immediately releasing funding on all signed contracts. For weeks now, farmers and communities have been subjected to the chaos and uncertainty of an indiscriminate federal funding freeze, including unlawful contract terminations. Other critical work lies ahead

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Release: Unlawful Federal Funding Freeze Causing Confusion and Harm on Farms and in Communities Nationwide

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Laura Zaks

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

press@sustainableagriculture.net

Tel. 347.563.6408

Release: Unlawful Federal Funding Freeze Causing Confusion and Harm on Farms and in Communities Nationwide

Secretary of Agriculture nominee Brooke Rollins must quickly restore order and ensure USDA honors its legal commitments to farmers, communities

Washington, DC, February 7, 2025 – Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) expressed anger over the continued uncertainty and confusion borne by farmers and rural communities following weeks of mixed messages from the new Administration.

“During the past several weeks, we have heard directly from countless farmers and food system stakeholders who have been told, without explanation, that their grant or contract payments have been paused or that they cannot be reimbursed despite a signed lawful contract. Until USDA honors its commitments, farms and rural jobs will continue to be

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Comment: NSAC Responds to Government Funding Deal

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For Immediate Release
Contact: Laura Zaks
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
press@sustainableagriculture.net

Comment: NSAC Responds to Government Funding Deal

Congressional Agreement Omits Key Conservation Funding for Farmers

Washington, DC, December 17, 2024 – Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) released the following comment in response to a deal reached by Congressional leaders to fund the government, extend the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill), and provide disaster relief funding for areas hit by natural disasters. The deal does not incorporate Inflation Reduction Act conservation investments into the farm bill extension. The comment is attributable to Mike Lavender, NSAC Policy Director.

“For the hundreds of thousands of farmers and ranchers whose livelihood depends on building the productivity, sustainability, and resilience of their operation through conservation, today’s deal is a colossal setback. Faced with a generational opportunity to improve

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