The Virginia Family Farm Conserving Centuries of Stewardship
The Ellis family – Benjamin, Shannon and their son Tripp – farm in the environmentally sensitive and highly regulated Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
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The Ellis family – Benjamin, Shannon and their son Tripp – farm in the environmentally sensitive and highly regulated Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
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In 2023, U.S. livestock, poultry and farmed aquaculture consumed nearly 284 million tons of feed. Beef cattle consumed the largest share, and aquaculture led the way in using “circular” ingredients – byproducts from other industries.
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Family farms are the backbone of U.S. agriculture, accounting for 96% of operations and 83% of production in 2023.
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Tennessee cotton grower Bob Walker was named Farmer of the Year at Field to Market’s 2024 Sustainable Leadership Awards for his outstanding conservation efforts and leadership in advancing sustainable agriculture
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Sievers Family Farms in Iowa is one of a growing number of farms using manure-based anaerobic digesters. These digesters convert farm waste into valuable products, such as renewable natural gas and fertilizer, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
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In mid-October, the U.S. Sustainability Alliance (USSA) hosted three European Union (EU) officials for a Climate Smart Agriculture mission to the United States. The mission aimed to enhance understanding of U.S. conservation programs and highlight U.S. leadership in agricultural sustainability.
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This month, we welcome the American seed Trade Association (ASTA) to the USSA. With ASTA on board, USSA now has 28 members who accounted for approximately $10.6 billion in food and agricultural exports to the UK and EU in 2023, based on U.S. Census Bureau data via Trade Data Monitor.
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The U.S. Sustainability Alliance (USSA) welcomes the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) as its newest member. ASTA represents nearly 700 companies involved in seed production, plant breeding, and related industries. It brings USSA’s membership to 28 associations across farming, fisheries, forestry, and related sectors, collectively responsible for approximately $10.6 billion in food and agricultural exports to the UK and EU in 2023.
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July 2024. A look into the future of agricultural supply and demand in the context of climate change and a growing population, focusing on corn, rice, soybeans, and wheat.
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Jennie Schmidt, a third-generation farmer and registered dietitian, strongly believes in the power of storytelling. In her experience, personal narratives can help consumers better understand how our food is grown, especially when fewer people have first-hand knowledge of the agriculture industry than ever before.
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The Ellis family - Benjamin, Shannon and their son Tripp - farm in the environmentally sensitive and highly regulated Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
Read more
In 2023, U.S. livestock, poultry and farmed aquaculture consumed nearly 284 million tons of feed. Beef cattle consumed the largest share, and aquaculture led the way in using “circular” ingredients - byproducts from other industries.
Read more
Family farms are the backbone of U.S. agriculture, accounting for 96% of operations and 83% of production in 2023.
Read more
Tennessee cotton grower Bob Walker was named Farmer of the Year at Field to Market’s 2024 Sustainable Leadership Awards for his outstanding conservation efforts and leadership in advancing sustainable agriculture
Read more
Sievers Family Farms in Iowa is one of a growing number of farms using manure-based anaerobic digesters. These digesters convert farm waste into valuable products, such as renewable natural gas and fertilizer, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Read more
In mid-October, the U.S. Sustainability Alliance (USSA) hosted three European Union (EU) officials for a Climate Smart Agriculture mission to the United States. The mission aimed to enhance understanding of U.S. conservation programs and highlight U.S. leadership in agricultural sustainability.
Read more
This month, we welcome the American seed Trade Association (ASTA) to the USSA. With ASTA on board, USSA now has 28 members who accounted for approximately $10.6 billion in food and agricultural exports to the UK and EU in 2023, based on U.S. Census Bureau data via Trade Data Monitor.
Read more
The U.S. Sustainability Alliance (USSA) welcomes the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) as its newest member. ASTA represents nearly 700 companies involved in seed production, plant breeding, and related industries. It brings USSA’s membership to 28 associations across farming, fisheries, forestry, and related sectors, collectively responsible for approximately $10.6 billion in food and agricultural exports to the UK and EU in 2023.
Read more
July 2024. A look into the future of agricultural supply and demand in the context of climate change and a growing population, focusing on corn, rice, soybeans, and wheat.
Read more
Jennie Schmidt, a third-generation farmer and registered dietitian, strongly believes in the power of storytelling. In her experience, personal narratives can help consumers better understand how our food is grown, especially when fewer people have first-hand knowledge of the agriculture industry than ever before.
Read more
As almond blossoms cover the landscape in California’s Central Valley, honeybees arrive from across the United States.
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Land-grant universities were established by President Lincoln through the Morrill Act of 1862.
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Can agriculture meet the demands of a growing world population while ensuring environmental sustainability? Daniel Lapidus, Director of Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems at RTI International, highlights important trends on both the supply and demand sides that suggest we are heading in the right direction.
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Glynn and Ruth Gibson from southeast Arkansas are a small but mighty force in American ranching. Their cattle operation may be modest, but their dedication to conservation and innovation is anything but.
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October 2025. A flagship report tracking trends in global agricultural productivity and introducing a new model to identify strategies for sustained growth.
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September 2025. A cross-country report comparing the sustainability practices of top rice-exporting nations and their impacts, highlighting the environmental and economic performance of U.S. rice production.
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September 2025. Globally-applicable insights on the conditions needed to support regenerative agriculture at scale, as shared by a group of food and beverage companies convened by Sustainable Food Lab.
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September 2025. A consolidated report showcasing Field to Market members’ sustainability commitments aimed at increasing transparency and driving collective action.
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USSA News: This month, we take you to New England for an update on our press trip to Maine and Massachusetts, a collaboration with Food Export-Northeast.
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Arriving at Fancypants Baking Co.’s unassuming facility in Walpole, Massachusetts, you are greeted by the sweet, buttery aroma of baking. However, there is much more to the company than delicious-smelling cookies.
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Eight journalists. Five days. Fourteen operations. That is a snapshot of the recent U.S. Sustainability Alliance press trip to Maine and Massachusetts.
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New England in the fall was the backdrop for the U.S. Sustainability Alliance’s recent press trip – a collaboration with Food Export-Northeast, one of our founding members.
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Whilst the USSA members work to exceed regulatory requirement, U.S. laws and regulations provide a robust framework, developed over many years, to ensure and promote the sustainability of its crop, livestock, seafood and forestry sectors. The policies look to immediate impacts on the environment and beyond to cover topics from employment to biodiversity to endangered species. The following pages provide context and an introduction to key federal legislation.
Focused on conservation and environmental stewardship, the USDA, working with The Natural Resources Conservation Service on technical assessment and the Farm Service Agency for enforcements, uses grant management to deliver best practice. A particular focus is on erodible lands and wetlands, with ‘sodbuster’ and ‘swampbuster’ rules, requires presentation of conservation strategies prior to conversion of lands to agricultural use. One result, that soil loss has been halved since 1982.
The U.S. recognizes that sustainability has many facets and action is required in explicit areas. This has resulted in the enactment of a wide range of laws from the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act to the Endangered Species Act, to research and regulatory action on Insecticides and Fungicides and Rodenticide Act; and, with the Lacey Act a focus on illegal trafficking of plants, fish and animals.
In the latest episode of This is U.S. Sustainability, we hear from two multi-generational farmers – an eleventh-generation grains farmer from Maryland and the owner of a centennial cattle farm in Louisiana – about how they have moved with the times while staying true to their roots. We cover rotational grazing, no-till cultivation, water conservation, biotech seeds, and more. And we discuss why going back to the natural cycle is sometimes the best approach.
Tune in to the latest episode of This is U.S. Sustainability to hear how Paul Catanzaro and Professor Tony D’Amato work together to reach family forest owners and ensure they have the information and resources to make the right decisions about their land. And learn about the vital role Tim Stout, a Vermont landowner, plays in amplifying their message.
Tune in for the lowdown on the innovative, often surprising ways the almond industry and the wider food sector are reducing waste. Jet fuel, beer, water filters and peat moss to grow mushrooms – these are just some of the many applications in use and under development.
Discover how softwoods were used in the architecture of PDX Main Terminal, Portland, Oregon, in this new series from the Softwood Export Council.
Watch nowThis new series from the Softwood Export Council spotlights the global reach and versatility of American softwoods in architecture, offering a behind-the-scenes look at sustainable forestry practices.
Watch nowThis new series from the American Feed Industry Association explores the $267 billion U.S. animal food industry, offering insights into its scale and impact.
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