Editor’s Note: This is the latest in a series of periodic blog posts on the happenings in each of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) regions, focusing on project solicitations and grant award announcements. The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program funds farmer-driven research and education through a competitive grants program. SARE is the only […]
Research, Education & Extension
Direct-marketing Farms have Double the Regional Economic Impact
Editor’s Note: In honor of the upcoming National Farmers Market Week, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) is proud to present this guest blog from Dr. Shermain Hardesty, Small Farm Program Leader the University of California (UC) Small Farm Program and Cooperative Extension Economist in the Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics at UC Davis. […]
Farmers Push for Action on Agriculture Funding Bill
If you want to gain some real insight into agricultural policies, your first stop should be one of America’s 2.1 million farms – a majority of which are small and medium-sized family farms. Though we can’t always get Congress to the farm, we can bring the farm to Congress. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) regularly […]
New Report Highlights Need for Organic Seed Breeding
The fresh produce from your local grocery store or farmers’ market may be certified organic, but anywhere from 25-80 percent of it might not have started out that way. A recent report from the Organic Seed Alliance (OSA) reveals that the organic seed industry is far from keeping pace with the growth in demand for […]
Socioeconomic and Environmental Impacts of GE Crop Production Raise Concerns
While the issue of GMO (genetically modified organism) labeling is certainly an important one, there are many other concerns with genetically engineered (GE) crops and food of importance to the sustainable agriculture movement, and that are often at risk of being overshadowed by the labeling debate. A prime example of this are questions regarding the […]
USDA Finds Rising Income Inequality Is Main Driver of Increasing Rural Child Poverty
Nearly a decade after the 2007 recession, the U.S. economy continues to move steadily toward recovery; unemployment has been cut in half (down to 5 percent), and average family incomes have increased 6 percent in just the last two years. By now the slow but rising tide of economic improvement has touched most corners of the […]
A Breakdown of the Senate’s Annual Food and Farm Spending Bill
Each year, Congress debates and makes key decisions about federal funding priorities for all government agencies, programs, and initiatives – including programs and resources that support our nation’s farmers and ranchers. This week marks an important step in that process (known as appropriations), as the Senate Appropriations Committee approved a bill to fund the U.S. […]
$100 Million Available for Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Grants
More than $100 million in grant funding is now available to support farm and food research, education, and extension projects that address key challenges, including those facing sustainable and organic farming systems and rural communities. This support is made available through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) – USDA’s largest federal competitive research grants […]
Upcoming Deadlines for Federal Food and Farm Programs
Editor’s Note: ‘Tis the season for federal program deadlines. In our ongoing effort to keep readers appraised of upcoming opportunities, we are issuing a revised list of program application information. As warmer weather settles in, farmers are busy planting crops, livestock are grazing on pasture, and farmers markets across the country are once again full […]
SARE Stories from the Field: The Buzz on Pollinator Conservation
Editor’s Note: This is the sixth and final blog in our series highlighting the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. Our previous blog featured farmers in California’s Salinas Valley and how they were able to reduce farm inputs through improved nutrient management When you hear the term “pollinator”, what do you think of? For most people, honeybees would […]
To Accurately Track Organic Sector Growth, Better Data Collection Is Needed
There is no question that organic production is on the rise. Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported twelve percent growth in the organic sector between 2014 and 2015, the highest growth rate the sector has seen since 2008. However, given the diverse sets of data that make up this growth rate, […]
USDA Awards $32 Million for Rural Development and Food Security Research
Success in agriculture requires not only hardworking farmers and ranchers, but also innovative researchers, agronomists, and other scientists. As the U.S Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) largest competitive grants research program the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program awards grants for experiments and research projects that address a variety of challenges faced by farmers, rural […]
SARE STORIES FROM THE FIELD: Nutrient Management Helps California Farmers Remain Competitive
Editor’s Note: This is the fourth in a series of blog posts highlighting Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) projects. Our last SARE: Stories from the field blog featured a Virginia project that used SARE funds for innovative public seed breeding. For over 25 years, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program has enabled farmers, […]
SARE Stories From the Field: Breeding Seeds of Success
Editor’s Note: This is the third in a series of blog posts highlighting Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) projects. Our last SARE: Stories from the field blog featured a Kansas project which used SARE funds to help farmers quantify the financial risks of adopting cover crops. In agriculture, it all starts with seeds. And when […]
GAO Report Calls for Timeline to Update USDA Biotechnology Regulations
As a growing list of genetically engineered plant and animal crops enter the marketplace with minimal, if any, regulation from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Government Accountability Office (GAO) is urging USDA to set a clear timeline for updating its biotechnology regulations. In a report released on April 14, 2016, GAO cautioned: […]
Upcoming DEADLINES for Federal Food and Farm Grant Programs
As warmer weather settles in, farmers are busy planting crops, livestock are grazing on pasture, and farmers markets across the country are once again full of shoppers. All of this activity means spring is finally here – it also means that deadlines for a variety of federal farm and food grant programs are fast approaching! […]
SARE Stories from the Field: Cover Crops Yield Financial Benefits in Kansas
Editor’s Note: This is the second in a series of blog posts highlighting Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) projects. Our last SARE: Stories from the field blog featured an Oregon State University project, which used SARE funds to quantify the nitrogen benefits of cover crops. The Sustainable Agriculture and Research Education (SARE) program is […]
Stories from the Field: Calculating the Impact of Sustainable Farming Research
Stories from the Field: Calculating the Impact of Sustainable Farming Research Since its inception over 25 years ago, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program has led the way in farmer-driven, innovative agriculture research. SARE’s unique research focus on cutting edge, farmer-driven innovations has empowered thousands of farmers to utilize cover crops in order […]
SARE Cover Crop Survey Seeks Farmers Input
The Sustainable Agricultural, Research, and Education Program (SARE) in conjunction with the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) are seeking responses to their fourth annual national cover crop survey. Whether you are a long-time cover cropper, new to the use of cover crops, or never even considered the practice, SARE needs to hear from you. Results […]
SARE Roundup: News on Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
This is the latest in a series of periodic blog posts on the latest happenings in each of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) regions as they roll out project solicitations and announce grant awards. The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program funds farmer-driven research and education through a competitive grants program. SARE […]
New Outreach and Education Tools Available to Support to Organic Certification
New resources for transitioning organic producers are now available through the Agriculture Marketing Service’s National Organic Program (NOP). Through the Sound and Sensible initiative, NOP aims to makes organic certification more “accessible, affordable, and attainable” by helping transitioning farmers on a wide array of issues including record keeping and documentation, preventative practices, and much more. Utilizing […]
FDA Requests Information on Manure Use
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced the first opportunity for the public to weigh in on their approach to assessing the risks posed by raw manure used in growing produce. According to the FDA: The risk assessment will consider pathogen survival and growth under different agricultural and ecological conditions (e.g., soil types, […]
A Need for More and Better Targeted Plant Breeding Research Grants
A sustainable, localized, and resilient food system depends on the availability of seeds that are compatible with a variety of unique growing systems and climates. Organic farmers, for example, have different approaches to managing weeds and pests on their farms than traditional producers and therefore require seeds that are bred for their particular type of […]
$3.8 Million Available for Organic Farming Research Grants
On Thursday, January 7, USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) released Request for Applications (RFA) for the Organic Transitions Research and Extension Program (ORG), making $3.8 million in funding available in FY 2016. The deadline for FY 2016 submissions is April 15, 2016. NSAC supports NIFA’s decision to not require any notification of […]