CalCAN Joins Farming Organizations from Around the Country in D.C. for NSAC’s 2025 Winter Meeting

By Colton Fagundes

The California Climate and Agriculture Network (CalCAN) has long participated in the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), collaborating with other farming organizations nationwide to advocate for policies that support sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture. Our involvement in NSAC allows us to join with like-minded organizations nationwide, amplifying the voices of California farmers and ensuring that their needs are represented in federal policy discussions.

Last week, I had the opportunity to represent CalCAN at NSAC’s Winter Meeting in Washington, D.C. I was joined by fellow Californians Gary Peterson from California FarmLink and Gordon Merrick from California-based Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF), as well as Antonio Garza, a farmer from Feeding Crane Farm in Nevada County. Many other NSAC members from other states also brought farmers to the meeting, reflecting our collective commitment to ensuring farmer voices are heard in national policy discussions.

The meeting brought together over 100 attendees and more than more than half of NSAC’s 150 member organizations from across the country. This annual gathering serves as a platform to set policy priorities, strategize advocacy efforts, and strengthen relationships among members. The conference commenced with the unveiling and discussion of NSAC’s draft Strategic Plan, the culmination of a year-long collaborative effort to outline the coalition’s goals and objectives for 2025-2029.

The Farm Bill: What’s Next?

Moving into 2025, Congress still needs to reauthorize the farm bill after failing to do so last year. The 2018 farm bill expired in 2023, and Congress temporarily extended it to September 2025, but they have no concrete plan to move a farm bill forward. Last year, the Senate Democrats put forward a version of the Farm Bill that included significant progress on several of NSAC’s priority areas, including climate change. With Republicans now controlling both chambers, it remains unclear what shape the farm bill will take in the 119th Congress. To delve deeper into 2025 strategizing, NSAC led the meeting through three plenary sessions, each focusing on critical areas of NSAC’s work:

• Farming Opportunities and Fair Competition: This session addressed the challenges small and mid-sized farmers face in a market dominated by large agribusinesses. Discussions centered on promoting fair competition, enhancing market access, and supporting beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers. 
• Resilient Local and Regional Food Systems: Participants explored strategies to strengthen local food networks, improve supply chain resilience, and support community-based food initiatives. 
• Climate Change and Agriculture: This session covered working lands conservation programs administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and sustainable and organic research programs. We also discussed the Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA), which aims to set ambitious targets for greenhouse gas emission reductions in agriculture, support soil health initiatives, and invest in on-farm renewable energy projects.

During the Climate Change and Agriculture session at the NSAC Winter Conference, I participated in a breakout group focused on actions from the Trump Administration that have led to funding freezes for key USDA programs, including the NRCS programs that fund climate agriculture practices like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). We strategized on advocacy efforts to pressure the administration to lift the freezes and honor existing contracts. (Read more in CalCAN’s blog).

Advocacy on Capitol Hill

The last day of the conference focused on direct advocacy, as NSAC members met with legislators on Capitol Hill. Our California team met with the DC offices of key Congressional representatives, including the entire California delegation to the House Agriculture Committee Representatives LaMalfa, Costa, and Gray as well as Representative Valadao, the only California member on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture. We also met with Senator Schiff’s office, the first California Senator to serve on the Agriculture Committee in over 30 years, and Representatives Carbajal and Panetta, former House Agriculture Committee members who remain active on agriculture policy.

During these meetings, we highlighted CalCAN’s two main federal policy priorities for 2025:

1. The Converting Our Waste Sustainably (COWS) Act – CalCAN worked with NSAC, Congressman Costa, and Senator Padilla to introduce the COWS Act in the last Congress as a marker bill to include it in the final farm bill package. The COWS Act would establish a USDA program modeled after California’s successful Alternative Manure Management Program, providing dairy and livestock producers with resources to transition from “wet” manure systems to more climate-friendly and environmentally sustainable practices. During the Hill advocacy day, the Land Stewardship Project, an NSAC member in Minnesota, also advocated for the COWS Act to their Congressional representatives.
2. Protecting NRCS Conservation Funding—We urged legislators to safeguard NRCS funds in upcoming budget and farm bill negotiations and reverse the recent funding freeze that has impacted farmers nationwide. Some congressional offices expressed strong support and willingness to fight for this funding, while others were more hesitant or dismissive of concerns.