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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mike Lavender
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
mlavender@sustainableagriculture.net
Tel. 734.417.8710
Comment: NSAC Laments Senate’s Passage of Budget Reconciliation
Washington, DC, July 1, 2025 –– The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) issued the following comment, attributable to Mike Lavender, NSAC Policy Director, following the Senate’s 51-50 approval – with Vice President J.D. Vance casting the deciding vote – of its version of budget reconciliation legislation.
“NSAC is deeply disappointed that the Senate has voted to approve a reconciliation bill that ignores the needs of the vast majority of American farmers and the communities they call home while providing billions for programs that only benefit a select few, all at the expense of programs that support nutrition access for hungry people. By excluding farm loans, rural development, new market opportunities, research, and more, the Senate bill chooses to take a narrow view of agriculture. We applaud Senator Grassley’s initiative in support of an ‘actively engaged’ amendment to ensure that commodity subsidies only go to farmers with ‘dirt under their fingernails.’ Unfortunately, the exclusion of this provision fits with the theme of the bill – small and mid-sized family farms and their communities are left to fend for themselves amidst an environment of uncertainty.”
Stay tuned to the NSAC blog for analysis soon on the final budget reconciliation bill.
The post Comment: NSAC Laments Senate’s Passage of Budget Reconciliation appeared first on National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.
(Washington, D.C., July 1, 2025) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced American poultry producers will have greater market access to Namibia, which will now accept fresh, frozen, and chilled poultry exports from the United States. The Trump Administration continues to take bold action to break down non-tariff barriers and defend current market access for farmers and ranchers.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) recommends these food safety tips for your next beach trip:
Tip #1: Plan Ahead
- Bring only the amount of food that can be consumed on the same day to avoid leftovers.
- Remember, it’s difficult to keep leftovers safely chilled for extended periods at the beach without a cold source like a constant supply of ice or refrigeration.
Tip #2: Insulate Your Food Properly
(Helena, M.T., June 30, 2025) – Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz and Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed a historic Shared Stewardship Memorandum of Understanding, establishing a new framework between the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the State of Montana to advance forest restoration and reduce wildfire risk across the state.
(Washington, D.C., June 30, 2025) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today announced risk-based port re-openings for cattle, bison, and equines from Mexico beginning as early as July 7, 2025. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), following extensive collaboration between USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) experts and their counterparts in Mexico to increase New World Screwworm (NWS) surveillance, detection, and eradication efforts, are set to begin a phased reopening of the southern ports starting with Douglas, Arizona.
(Washington, D.C., June 30, 2025) — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today announced the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is revising National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations to reduce unnecessary red tape that is killing jobs and raising prices for Americans. This reform allows the Department to efficiently deliver the critical services and funds America’s ranchers, farmers, loggers, and rural communities rely on and corrects the harms caused by decades of unnecessarily lengthy, cumbersome NEPA reviews.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mike Lavender
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
mlavender@sustainableagriculture.net
Tel. 734.417.8710
Comment: NSAC Urges Senate to Support Grassley “Actively Engaged” AmendmentWashington, DC, June 30, 2025 –– The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) issued the following comment, attributable to Mike Lavender, NSAC Policy Director, in support of Amendment #2527 filed by Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to include a meaningful and effective “actively engaged in farming” test to commodity program payments in the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) Act.
“Bipartisan consensus has long maintained that farm payments should be targeted to working farmers who need them, not non-farm investors, absent landholders, or recipients who act as pass-throughs. Senator Grassley’s amendment closes loopholes that perpetuate waste, fraud, and abuse; under current law, limitless individuals on any farm can receive annual commodity program payments up to $125,000, or double that limit for recipients with a spouse, including absent investors and distant family members who never step foot on the farm. This amendment applies reasonable work requirements as a condition of eligibility for taxpayer-funded farm program payments and limits the number of payments to one payment per farm. This simple solution is projected to save $5 billion. The amendment does not impact in any way the Adjusted Gross Income threshold that affects eligibility for conservation and disaster programs. It does apply to commodity programs, such as the Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage Program (PLC), into which the OBBB injects an additional $67 billion. This amendment is key to targeting farm support to hard-working family farmers – not absent investors and corporate board members – while stewarding responsible taxpayer spending.”
Language virtually identical to the Grassley amendment was approved in June 2018 when the Senate advanced the bipartisan 2018 Farm Bill. A similar “actively engaged” provision also passed in the House of Representatives that year. Despite this overwhelming bipartisan, bicameral support, the provision was stripped in conference, contrary to the rules.
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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 Urges Senate to Support Grassley “Actively Engaged” Amendment appeared first on National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.
WASHINGTON, June 30, 2025 – As summer grilling season heats up, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) reminds Americans to declare independence from foodborne illness this holiday season.
“Summer barbecues are a favorite tradition, but they also present unique food safety challenges when cooking outdoors and away from the safety of a kitchen,” said FSIS Administrator Dr. Denise Eblen. “Safe food handling is the best ingredient for a successful cookout.”
Here are some recommendations:
(Washington, D.C., June 30, 2025) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins published an opinion piece in Newsweek on how the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) will empower farmers and ranchers.
(Washington, D.C., June 26, 2025) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today provided an update on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s comprehensive, five-pronged strategy announced in February to combat Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). After reaching a record high due to the Biden Administration’s lack of action, wholesale egg prices have now dropped 64%, with retail prices falling 27% from their peak earlier this year.
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