Many of us remember that around this time last year the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was in the process of trying to finalize a myriad of rules relating to food safety under the auspices of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). This represented the first time since 1938 that significant food safety reform had been undertaken in the United States. Needless to say that rarely, over the course of 70+ years, do things stay the same — our food system being no exception.

Producers, landowners, NGO’s, and researchers who are seeking resources to help them reach their sustainable agriculture goals need look no further than the recently updated Building Sustainable Farms, Ranches, and Communities Guide.

More than ever, farmers are planting cover crops to retain soil moisture, reduce erosion, and maximize profitability. Given these and other recognized benefits of cover crops, USDA directed an interagency task force to put together cover crop termination guidelines so farmers who use cover crops don’t risk losing their crop insurance coverage, as has unfortunately happened in the past.