Late-breaking Program Addition to Our Conference!

USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan will join us for a breakfast talk 7:30 a.m., Saturday morning, January 21, 2012. This is an opportunity to hear from the country’s most prominent sustainable agriculture advocate!

Kathleen Merrigan was appointed second in command at the USDA by President Obama in 2009. In this position she has remained a fearless fighter for programs and policies that support sustainable agriculture.  

She manages USDA’s Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative, which emphasizes the need for a fundamental and critical reconnection between producers and consumers while revitalizing rural economies by supporting local and regional food systems in rural America.

Come to the conference and learn about the important work Deputy Secretary Merrigan is doing at USDA. A question and answer period will take place after her presentation. Don’t miss this opportunity to join the discussion. 

We are honored to have Deputy Secretary Merrigan join us!

New Program to Fund Food Retail Outlets in Food Deserts

As reported by the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), Congress included $32 million in funding for the Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) in the recently passed “megabus” appropriations bill for FY 2012. The initiative aims to fund food retail outlets in food deserts.

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2012 Conservation Stewardship Program Sign-Up

On Friday, December 9, USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced that the fiscal year (FY) 2012 ranking period cutoff for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) is January 13, 2012.

Interested farmers and ranchers have until January 13, 2012, to complete the initial application form to compete for a spot in the 2012 enrollment class for the program.

To sign up, producers should visit their NRCS local service center.

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Information About Black Farmers/USDA Settlement

A $1.25 billion settlement with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) was recently approved by the United States District Court in the District of Columbia.  This Settlement will pay cash and provide farm loan forgiveness to those who qualify. 

The original Pigford Settlement in 1999 provided benefits to certain African Americans who farmed or attempted to farm but experienced farm loan discrimination by the USDA. But many eligible people did not file claims until after the original claims deadline. The current settlement provides benefits to some of those late filers including African American who:

1) Experienced farm loan discrimination by the USDA between 1981 and 1996; and

2) Whose late claim or request to participate in the original Pigford case was denied or never considered because it was submitted after October 12, 1999, the late claims deadline.

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Nominations sought for Growing Green Awards

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) announces its fourth annual Growing Green Awards to recognize individuals who have demonstrated original leadership in the field of sustainable food.  Through this national award, NRDC will recognize extraordinary contributions that advance ecologically integrated farming practices, climate stewardship, water stewardship, farmland preservation, and social responsibility from farm to fork.

An award, including both cash and recognitions, will be given to an outstanding individual in each of four categories:  Food Producer, Business Leader, Food Justice Leader, and Young Food Leader. Award selections will be made by an independent panel of sustainable food experts.  Additional information , including award eligibility, the application process, selection criteria, and the award selection panel are available online.

Applications will be accepted until close of business on December 9, 2011. 

Farm Bill Dies Under Collapse of Super Committee: What’s Next?

On November 21, the Agriculture Committee leadership in Congress decided to scrap the deal they had nearly reached on a 2011 Farm Bill with $23 billion in net cuts.  Last week they were putting the finishing touches on a bill that they intended to send to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (the “Super Committee”) for inclusion in the big government-wide deficit reduction bill.  But when the Super Committee process collapsed, the Agriculture Committee leaders decided to discontinue their process, too.

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New Report Describes Needs of Young and Beginning Farmers

A new report recently released by the National Young Farmers’ Coalition reveals some of the top barriers and most valuable programs for young and beginning farmers in the U.S. today.  Building a Future with Farmers: Challenges Faced by Young, American Farmers and a National Strategy to Help Them Succeed includes survey results from 1,000 young farmers across the country.

The survey found that access to capital, access to land and health insurance present the largest obstacles for beginners. Farmers rated farm apprenticeships, local partnerships and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) as the most valuable programs to help beginners.

Report findings include:

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University of Michigan deepens commitment to sustainable food systems

The University of Michigan School of Public Health seeks candidates for the position of Assistant Professor with expertise in the area of sustainable food systems.  The start date for this tenure-track position is September 1, 2012.

We seek candidates with expertise in sustainable food systems in relation to the environment, human health and equity. Candidates who focus on economic, racial and ethnic, urban and rural disparities in food distribution, relationships between food systems and environmental health, or their implications for under- or over- nutrition and related health outcomes, are encouraged to apply.

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