Other Ag News:
(Washington, D.C., April 7, 2026) — Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the creation of the USDA Guidance Portal. This interactive tool — a searchable, indexed database — contains guidance issued by the Department and its agencies.
(Washington, D.C., April 7, 2026) — Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has finalized a rule modernizing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations.
For Immediate Release
Contact: Laura Zaks
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
press@sustainableagriculture.net
Release: FY2027 USDA Budget Proposal is a Historic Setback for Farmers and Rural CommunitiesWashington, DC, April 3, 2026 – Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) responded to the Trump Administration’s release of the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Budget Proposal. The Administration’s FY2027 discretionary funding request for USDA is more than $2 billion below the Administration’s FY2026 USDA request.
“The Administration’s USDA budget proposes one of the most staggering disinvestments from farmers and rural communities in recent memory. Amidst rising farm bankruptcies and unprecedented instability in American agriculture, this budget proposal would double down on the damage and radically reduce USDA’s ability to serve farmers. The budget entirely eliminates funding for farmer-led agriculture research, conservation support that helps farmers build productivity and resilience, and investments in urban agriculture and rural small businesses alike,” said Mike Lavender, NSAC Policy Director.
The budget proposal includes significant staffing cuts at the Farm Service Agency, a USDA agency that is essential to supporting farmer viability in county offices across the country. Similarly, the budget would siphon significant funding directly from farmers by using popular conservation programs – such as the Conservation Stewardship Program and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program – to pay for Natural Resources Conservation Service staff.
Additionally, the following programs would receive zero discretionary funding in FY2027 under this budget proposal:
- Conservation Technical Assistance
- Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program
- Farming Opportunities Training and Outreach Program:
- Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program
- Outreach and Assistance to Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program
- Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production
- Local Agriculture Market Program:
- Farmers Market Promotion Program
- Local Food Promotion Program
- Value Added Producer Grants
- Organic Transitions Research, Education, and Extension Program
- Healthy Food Financing Initiative
- Rural Energy for American Program
- Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program
- Rural Business Development Grants
Stay tuned to the NSAC blog for deeper analysis of the FY2027 USDA budget in the coming days.
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About the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is a grassroots alliance that advocates for federal policy reform supporting the long-term social, economic, and environmental sustainability of agriculture, natural resources, and rural communities.
Learn more and get involved at: https://sustainableagriculture.net
The post Release: FY2027 USDA Budget Proposal is a Historic Setback for Farmers and Rural Communities appeared first on National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Laura Zaks
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
press@sustainableagriculture.net
Release: Cynthia Hayes Memorial Scholarship Welcomes Applications for its Eighth Cycle The Cynthia Hayes Memorial Scholarship honors the co-founder of the first network for African American organic farmers in the United StatesWashington, DC, April 3, 2026 – Last week, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) and the Southeastern African American Farmers Organic Network (SAAFON) opened applications for the eighth cycle of the annual scholarship honoring Cynthia Hayes, the late co-founder and former director of SAAFON.
The scholarship welcomes applications from Black and Indigenous undergraduate and Masters students from all Tribal Nations, US states, and territories. In their application essay, students should describe their interest in and experiences with food justice and sustainable agriculture with a focus on Black farmer communities in the United States or the interconnected futures of Black and Indigenous farmers. The Cynthia Hayes Memorial Scholarship will offer one graduate and two undergraduate students a $5,000 award
“The Southeastern African American Farmers Organic Network is proud to announce another year of the Cynthia Hayes Memorial Scholarship, honoring our co-founder and visionary organizer. As SAAFON celebrates our 20 year anniversary this year, we are reminded of the importance of investing in the next generation of leadership in the sustainable agriculture sector, and we look forward to joining NSAC in welcoming our new scholars to the movement,” said Whitney Jaye, Co-Executive Director at SAAFON.
“It is an honor to help administer the Cynthia Hayes Memorial Scholarship. The applicants represent the best and brightest of the upcoming class of Black and Indigenous leaders in sustainable agriculture, and I am so grateful that NSAC and SAAFON are able to invest in them in memory of Cynthia Hayes,” says Tyler Edwards, Grassroots Advocacy Coordinator at NSAC.
To be considered, undergraduate students must be either entering their third year of enrollment or the first semester of their fourth year during the Fall semester of 2026. Graduate students must have completed at least 4 courses by Fall 2026. All applicants must have at least one semester left before graduation. Applicants will be evaluated on their interest in sustainable agriculture, policy, and grassroots organizing, and must have demonstrated knowledge or experience in racial equity and an interest in pursuing leadership or a career in the sustainable food and farm movement.
The deadline to apply is May 1, 2026. To apply, visit our job website.
Questions related to the Cynthia Hayes Memorial Scholarship should be directed to scholarship@sustainableagriculture.net.
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About the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is a grassroots alliance that advocates for federal policy reform supporting the long-term social, economic, and environmental sustainability of agriculture, natural resources, and rural communities.
Learn more and get involved at: https://sustainableagriculture.net
The post Release: Cynthia Hayes Memorial Scholarship Now Accepting Applications appeared first on National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.
For Immediate Release
Contact: Laura Zaks
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
press@sustainableagriculture.net
Comment: NSAC Condemns USDA’s Withdrawal of Support For Next Generation Farmers
Washington, DC, April 1, 2026 – The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) issued the following comment, attributable to Nick Rossi, NSAC Policy Specialist, in response to the termination of the Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access (ILCMA) Program.
“Reliable access to land, capital, and markets is among the biggest challenges facing beginning and other underserved farmers. USDA’s summary termination of investments to expand access to these crucial resources not only undercuts years of locally-led work to support the next generation of farmers, but entirely contradicts the administration’s stated goal of supporting American family farms and rural communities. Farmer-serving organizations have spent years hiring staff, building partnerships, and recruiting farmers, only to have their funding cut just as projects were preparing to launch. At such a pivotal moment for American agriculture, the decision to terminate these projects is reckless and puts the future of farming and farm communities at further risk.”
Over the last decade, farmland prices have significantly increased, nearly doubling in some parts of the Midwest, and risen far higher in areas with pressure due to real estate development or commodity prices. The ability to access land is a crucial component of ensuring land remains in agriculture and that new farmers can build economically viable businesses. ILCMA was intended to help address this problem by increasing access to farm ownership opportunities, increasing access to markets and capital that affect the ability to access land, and increasing land ownership, land succession, and agricultural business planning.
USDA terminated 49 of the 50 ILCMA projects; projects ranging from the creation of a Land Access and Farm Academy Program in the Southeast to projects improving access to affordable, geographically appropriate farmland and assistance with the removal of barriers to urban farmers participating in agricultural grant and loan programs in the Midwest. NSAC condemns this decision, which undermines creative solutions to some of our farmers’ most pressing challenges, setting back American farmers and the very future of our food system. Read more about the projects that USDA terminated here.
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About the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is a grassroots alliance that advocates for federal policy reform supporting the long-term social, economic, and environmental sustainability of agriculture, natural resources, and rural communities. Learn more and get involved at: https://sustainableagriculture.net
The post Comment: NSAC Condemns USDA’s Withdrawal of Support For Next Generation Farmers appeared first on National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Laura Zaks
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
press@sustainableagriculture.net
Tel. 347.563.6408
Release: USDA Halts Rural Energy Efficiency InvestmentsWashington, DC, April 1, 2026 – On March 31, the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Business Cooperative Service announced a halt to all awards for the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) until updated regulations are developed to ensure compliance with Executive Order (EO) 14315. The second Trump Administration has yet to announce new REAP grants – the most recent grants were awarded in early January 2025.
“At a moment when farmers and rural small businesses face converging financial pressures, bringing the Rural Energy for America Program to a standstill only increases that pressure. Countless small businesses have invested significant time and resources in this popular, bipartisan program to reduce their energy costs. USDA should implement the REAP program as quickly as possible and provide more clarity on when farmers can expect the program to resume,” said Richa Patel, NSAC Policy Specialist, in response to the USDA announcement.
The USDA announcement did not indicate when the program would resume, while separately confirming that farmers and rural small businesses who applied under the previous 2024 notice will need to reapply once new regulations are in place, and that application processing has stopped immediately.
In 2025, REAP funding was frozen – and then somewhat reopened – however, the program has still not returned to its pre-2025 standard operating cadence. Since its inception, REAP has funded more than 19,000 grants directly supporting farmers, ranchers, and rural small businesses, helping them improve energy efficiency and produce on-farm renewable energy. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition has long advocated for REAP’s ability to support farmers and ranchers in implementing their own projects to produce energy on their farms and cut operational costs.
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About the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is a grassroots alliance that advocates for federal policy reform supporting the long-term social, economic, and environmental sustainability of agriculture, natural resources, and rural communities. Learn more: https://sustainableagriculture.net/
The post Release: USDA Halts Rural Energy Efficiency Investments appeared first on National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.
(Washington, D.C., March 31, 2026) — Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Forest Service announced it will move its headquarters to Salt Lake City, Utah, and begin a sweeping restructuring of the agency to move leadership closer to the forests and communities it serves.
For an agency whose lands, partners, and operational challenges are overwhelmingly concentrated in the West, the shift represents a structural reset and a common-sense approach to improve mission delivery.
Know Your Ham
Not all hams are produced the same way, so it is important to know what type of ham you purchased before cooking or serving it.
(Washington, D.C., March 31, 2026) — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins and U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum today announced new actions aimed at boosting the supply of American born, raised, and harvested beef by supporting American ranchers with the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will strengthen coordination, cut bureaucratic red tape, and deliver immediate, tangible support for America’s farmers and ranchers who rely on public lands.
(Washington, D.C., March 31, 2026) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins penned an opinion piece in Agri-Pulse emphasizing the essential role our farmers, ranchers, and rural communities play in powering the nation.
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