must | Environment.org

Seldom Rest Farms of Myerstown, PA used REAP to help finance solar panels on their farm. Photo credit: USDA.

Farmers and rural businesses are still waiting to find out if they can access one of the United State Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) most popular programs, the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). This USDA program, which provides federal grants and loan guarantees for farmers and rural small businesses to invest in energy efficiency and renewable energy systems, has endured a funding freeze, delays, and now a potentially fundamental shift in program functions.

On August 19, 2025, US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins issued a press release outlining a number of changes to the REAP program, as well as to the USDA Rural Development Business and Industry (B&I) Guaranteed Loan Program. Specific to REAP, effective immediately, the memo outlines restrictions to …

Agriculture Spending Bills Must Address Broad Demand for Research and Conservation Programs

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| Sustainability

On June 11, 2024, the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee advanced the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2025 on a party-line vote. The bill – which provides Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 funding for the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – totals $ 25.9 billion, which is 1.35% – or nearly $ 400 million – below the FY2024 enacted level. The cuts included in the bill would have significant consequences across the US food and farm system – impacting farmers, ranchers, communities, and eaters from coast to coast.

Now more than ever farmers need research and technical assistance tailored to their operation types. Climate change makes farming harder and less predictable, underscoring the need for research and assistance that supports climate resilience. Farmers also need expanded …

Earth system models must include permafrost carbon processes

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| Climate

Nature Climate Change, Published online: 18 January 2024; doi:10.1038/s41558-023-01909-9

Accurate representation of permafrost carbon emissions is crucial for climate projections, yet current Earth system models inadequately represent permafrost carbon. Sustained funding opportunities are needed from government and private sectors for prioritized model development.
Nature Climate Change…

Farmer Conservation Stories: Why Inflation Reduction Act Funding Must Remain Focused on Climate Change

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| Sustainability

After heavy grazing, a mixed summer forage is still building soil. The mix includes sorghum-sudangrass, sunn hemp, cowpeas, and millet. Photo credit: Cathy Day

Editor’s Note: This post is the second in a two-part series. Last week’s post highlighted the stories of farmers who have used practices from the Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry practice list to build climate resilience and mitigation solutions. This week’s post adds stories created and gathered by National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) members around the country. They have gathered more than two dozen additional stories of how farmers are preparing for and responding to climate change. Some of the links below include multiple stories, so we encourage you to explore them all. The full list of contributors is at the end of this post.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provided an historic investment of nearly $ …

Research on public support for climate policy instruments must broaden its scope

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| Climate

Nature Climate Change, Published online: 26 January 2023; doi:10.1038/s41558-022-01593-1

The transition to net-zero emissions will be contested and could lead to political polarization and social unrest. To contribute to a transition that is accepted as legitimate while remaining effective, research on public support must evolve rapidly along several dimensions.
Nature Climate Change…