This just in from the National Sustainable Ag Coalition (NSAC). I hope as a farmer or a sustainable farm advocate/educator you will consider this need to keep conservation programs supported in the next USDA Farm Bill. Akkk tge best, Vicki Vicki Morrone Outreach Specialist for Organic Vegetable and Field Crops 480 Wilson Rd Room 303 East Lansing, MI 48824 Www.MichiganOrganic.msu.edu 517-353-3542/517-282-3557 (cell) From: National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> Date: Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:16:23 -0400 To: Vicki Morrone <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> Subject: Three Days, Three Actions! Today's Action: Conservation Stewardship Program [National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition]<http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=JCnaWlQZ1TSIVviyZzcGjOIfuFOi8DIQ> About<http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Y8COgK2PUnAbmibtxqklWOIfuFOi8DIQ> <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=WeTgYidYudSp0Qqkmu%2F65OIfuFOi8DIQ> Donate<http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=ORKedVShGjAA%2FET8GYEROOIfuFOi8DIQ> Take Action<http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=P1TVg%2F78TK3LiTzY51FdivAIrOnNUSze> Three Days, Three Actions! It’s time to speak out for the future of food and farming – and we need your help! By the end of this week, we may see the first draft of the 2012 Farm Bill from Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow, Chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee. Join NSAC’s call for “Three Days, Three Actions” and make one call each day this week to voice your support for a better 2012 Farm Bill! TODAY’S ACTION: Conservation Stewardship Program Successful farming and healthy soil, air, and water go hand in hand. The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)<http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=%2FxBkRLYYCrg3eh3jG6aQ5%2BIfuFOi8DIQ> is a unique program that rewards farmers for the environmental benefits they produce. CSP helps farmers and ranchers manage and expand smart conservation activities on their lands – like restoring native grasses on pastureland to create wildlife habitat or rotating crops seasonally to improve the soil. CSP is extremely popular with producers, with twice as many applicants as there is funding competing to participate in the program! The 2012 Farm Bill gives us an opportunity to improve this successful program so that it works better on the ground. Unfortunately, the draft bill that the Senate Agriculture Committee votes on next week does not make these important improvements. There is still time to ensure that the 2012 Farm Bill moves CSP in the right direction! Call TODAY! Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) is a supporter of conservation and she needs to hear from you that CSP matters. Tell Chairwoman Stabenow: Thank you for your support of conservation efforts. Please retain and improve the Conservation Stewardship Program! We need the 2012 Farm Bill to include a CSP that rewards positive conservation outcomes by: * Upgrading the “stewardship thresholds” farms must meet to be eligible to get into the program, * Ranking CSP applications solely according to the total environmental benefits being achieved, and * Allowing farmers to renew their CSP contracts provided they agree to increase their CSP environmental benefits. Call her office today: (202) 224-4822 Thanks for all you do, The NSAC Grassroots Team P.S. If you call -- tell us how it went!<mailto:[log in to unmask]> ________________________________ [http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/salsa/include/facebook.png]<http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=jY4%2BPBRV%2FekmrU6yU1yifOIfuFOi8DIQ>[http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/salsa/include/twitter.png]<http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=SK8KqSh0vxOhBNfl8ZD3rfAIrOnNUSze> National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition You are subscribed to this list as [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>. You can click here to unsubscribe<http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Aw4hmD5%2Bk%2FdX%2F4o77JqZc%2BIfuFOi8DIQ>. [empowered by Salsa]<http://www.salsalabs.com/?email> If you would like to access previous postings to the Mich-Organic listserv you can copy and paste the following URL into your browser address bar http://list.msu.edu/archives/mich-organic.html