Reporting of SNAP Transactions to the IRS

SNAP4

An update from FMC, for farmers’ markets that accept SNAP:

Earlier this year, IRS issued a final rule on “Information Reporting Requirements Payments Made in Settlement of Payment Cards and Third Party Network Transactions” (6050W for short). Many of you have been eagerly awaiting a final word regarding the reporting obligations of markets operating [...]

USDA seeks nominations for the Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee

The USDA is currently collecting nominations for the Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee. [...]

Implications of IRS electronic payment reporting requirements

A few short weeks ago, the Farmers Market Coalition became aware of a new Final Rule related to IRS reporting requirements for electronic transactions. This regulation, ‘Information Reporting for Payments Made in Settlement of Payment Card and Third Party Network Transactions,’ (6050W, for short) requires that all payments, including EBT, debit, and credit sales, [...]

House Spending Bill Cuts Small Ag Funding

Ohio Action Alert

Two weeks ago, the House passed its spending bill (“continuing resolution”) for Fiscal Year 11 – the year we’re in right now. Their bill would cut over $5.2 BILLION from agriculture – a disproportionate share of the budget! (a 22% cut, compared with 6% from other sectors.)

While the bill does [...]

Wireless EBT at Farmers Markets to Get Federal Support

On February 14th, 2011, President Obama released his proposed budget for FY 2012. Despite more than $3.2 billion in proposed discretionary cuts to the overall USDA Budget, the President showed some Valentine’s Day love for farmers markets by including $4 million in his proposed budget for USDA Food and Nutrition Service for providing wireless [...]

Good News for Local Food

carrots2011

President Obama signed the Food Safety Modernization Act today, after a long bout of legislative wrangling by local food advocates, small farmers and their allies for food safety rules that protect consumers without curbing the growing movement toward fresh, local and regional food.  The food safety bill passed by the House in July of [...]

Food Safety Bill moves on to the President's Desk

Earlier today the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2751 The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act with 215 voting for and 144 against. Ten Republicans voted for the bill (see Final Vote). This is the bill that the Senate passed by voice vote on Sunday, December 19th, with the Tester-Hagan amendment protecting small farms intact. [...]

Farm Link Tool for Beginning Farmers

On Monday, December 13, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the release of TIP Net, an online tool to help link retiring farmers who have expiring Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts with beginning or socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers who want to buy or rent land for their operations.

Under the Transition Incentives Program (TIP), [...]

Update on Federal Food Safety Bill S.510

On Tuesday, November 30, a year after it was reported out of Committee, the Food Safety Modernization Act (S.510) passed the Senate, 73-25.

The bill, which will require improved planning and record-keeping by food producers and processors and will allow the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to make mandatory recalls of contaminated food, marks [...]

Food Safety Informational Alert October 1, 2010

From National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition  *Food Safety Informational Alert October 1, 2010 *

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) signaled his intent late Wednesday night to move the Food Safety Modernization Act forward when Congress returns to session in mid-November. The bill, which has strong bi-partisan support, has been held up for weeks by [...]