Priorities for the Midwest Sustainable Agriculture Working Group and the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 2006

1. Work for full funding and implementation of federal programs that advance sustainable agriculture.

MSAWG and SAC continue to push Congress to provide adequate funding and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to implement important programs to sustainable agriculture interests. Furthermore we work to ensure that grassroots groups have access to these programs. Key to effective implementation is our work to support and advise members working on the Natural Resources Conservation Service's State Technical Committees. We work for earmarks for member groups' sustainable and organic agriculture projects. We also play a watchdog role in keeping the annual budget and appropriations process from placing limitations on direct Farm Bill funding for conservation, marketing and research programs.

MSAWG and SAC priority programs include, but are not limited to, the:

• Conservation Security Program, a nationwide comprehensive stewardship incentive program that will provide financial assistance to farmers who are solving key natural resource and environmental problems through the adoption of sustainable practices and systems.

• Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program, a program for researchers, farmers, ranchers and agricultural educators that provides grant opportunities; maintains diverse portfolio of research projects; synthesizes research results and on-farm experiences to develop books, introductory bulletins and educator guides.

• ATTRA (National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service) is created and managed by the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT). It provides information and other technical assistance to farmers, ranchers, Extension agents, educators, and others involved in sustainable agriculture in the United States.

• Partnerships and Cooperation Initiative, a new project-based initiative that will promote locally based conservation partnerships addressing specific resource concerns with the benefit of special incentives, program rule flexibility, and combined funding sources.

• Value-Added Development Grants Program, a competitive grants program for producers engaged in marketing, processing, or labeling to increase farm income.

• Beginning Farmer Down Payment Loan Program and other beginning farmer credit programs, to provide subsidized credit to help new farmers get started.

• Organic Cost-Share Certification Program, which provides modest funding to help organic farmers nationwide with the costs of certifying under the new national organic program.

• Newly authorized and slightly funded for 2006 Farmers Market Promotion Program

• Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, two grant programs established to assist community organizations and partnerships, to be administered by the Agricultural Marketing Service and the Extension Service, respectively.

2. Develop and refine a set of policy initiatives to promote for the 2007 Farm Bill.

With the next Farm Bill expected in 2007, MSAWG and SAC members are working hard to develop a viable set of policy initiatives to promote for inclusion in this Bill. Each MSAWAG-SAC committee will produce a policy blueprint that will best support and promote the practice of sustainable agriculture. Then strategies will be developed to successfully advocate for these policy initiatives before Congress by our member groups and in conjunction with other coalitions such as the Food and Farm Policy Project.

3. Find new opportunities to press for consideration of priorities that have not yet been incorporated into legislation or agency rules.

While successful on many fronts, several MSAWG and SAC priorities for the 2002 Farm Bill were not included in the final bill. MSAWG and SAC help keep these issues in the forefront of public debate. These priorities include improving competition policy and enforcement of existing laws to create and maintain fair and open markets, reforming production and marketing contract agriculture laws, strengthening payment limitation rules governing the distribution of farm commodity program benefits, retaining the prohibition on using conservation payments to support large-scale animal confinement operations, improving conservation compliance law and implementation, and creating a rural and agricultural micro-enterprise program.

4. Develop rules and strategies that will encourage sustainable livestock systems.

MSAWG and SAC are working to ensure that strong guidelines for "antibiotics," "hormones," "grass-fed," and "free-range" meat labels are developed. We also work for policies that will improve the management of manure and waste from livestock production systems. This effort includes promoting sustainable agriculture through: 1) Clean Water Act regulations for confined animal feeding operations, 2) USDA's revision of its conservation practice standards for nutrient management and animal waste storage facilities, and 3) federal, state and local implementation of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program.

5. Work for administrative reform of existing USDA and EPA programs to better support sustainable agriculture.

Through many different venues, we meet routinely with USDA and EPA staff at the federal, regional and state level for briefings and listening sessions on a wide variety of topics. In addition to program-based efforts, we also maintain ties to the Natural Resource Conservation Service's State Technical Committees, the USDA Sustainable Development Council and Small Farms Council, and the USDA Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers.