HEROES Money for Farmers During Pandemic

Posted on May 17, 2020 by Taylor in Farming Resources, Funding, News, Planning, Policy, Politics, Sustainable Agriculture, Veterans // 0 Comments

HEROES Money for Farmers During Pandemic, Money Available to Support Veterans and Respond to Farm Stress, and other news from NSAC.

Find links to more resources providing money for farmers during pandemic at the bottom of this page.

HEROES Act Would Provide Additional $16.5 Billion in Money for Farmers During Pandemic

Earlier this week, the House of Representatives unveiled yet another COVID relief package. The Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act largely builds off of previous relief bills and includes a broad range of support from support for nutrition programs to support for worker protections and increased funding for sustainable agriculture programs. Some of the bill’s bright spots include big boosts to nutrition benefits; increased support for PPE and worker protections (including farmworkers); increased funding for local food, beginning farmers and specialty crop growers; and improvements to SBA loan programs. The bill also includes an additional $16.5 billion in direct relief for farmers – including organic farmers and others who may be squeezed out of USDA’s new Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. READ MORE

$20 Million Available to Support Veterans and Respond to Farm Stress

USDA recently announced the availability of $20 million in grant funds to help support our nation’s farmers through these unprecedented times. Federal grants will be awarded to support farmer mental health and training for military veterans through two competitive programs administered by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Organizations can apply for Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network grants through June 23, 2020. Organizations can also apply to the Enhancing Agricultural Opportunities for Military Veterans (AgVets) program, which is accepting applications through June 26, 2020. Learn more about these programs and details on how to apply in the NSAC blog. READ MORE

NSAC is Hiring!

Are you interested in sustainable agriculture and looking to learn more about federal policy? Would you enjoy working with a passionate, high-performing, member-engaged, and collaborative policy team that is dedicated to working for racial equity? If so, please consider applying to be NSAC’s new Policy Fellow!

NSAC is currently seeking a Policy Fellow to start in early July 2020 and lasting until May 2021. This position is paid, full-time, includes benefits, and is located at NSAC’s Washington, D.C. office on Capitol Hill. Full-time remote work for a portion of the position tenure is possible due to COVID-19 social distancing guidelines. Learn more about the position and apply here; application deadline is May 29, 2020.