 If you were unable to
attend our two listening sessions, in Kansas and Atlanta, the recordings are now available
on the NIFA Listens
webpage.
To those of you
joining us tomorrow in Sacramento at our third listening session, we are excited to see you!
If you cannot make it out tomorrow, there are still one more opportunity you
can sign up for. We really want to hear from you about priorities and
opportunities in agriculturr!! That is why we are hosting in-person listening
sessions in different regions across the country and accepting submission of
written comments.
Our next listening
session is Nov. 8 in Greenbelt, Maryland. Please remember to RSVP by today
if you wish to attend the in-person session. You must complete your RSVP
via the input form.
Session Locations and
Dates:
- Sacramento,
California (Nov. 2) at Westin Sacramento
- Greenbelt,
Maryland (Nov. 8) at Greenbelt Marriott
RSVP Deadlines:
Regardless of attendance
at in-person events, submissions of written comments will be accepted via the input form
through Dec. 1.
Visit NIFA website for more information.
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 New Organic Management Resource Available from SARE
Increasingly aware how food purchases affect their health
and the environment, consumers are changing the way they eat. Sales of organic
products in the United States totaled $47 billion in 2016, an increase of
nearly $3.7 billion from 2015. But demand for many organic staples continues to
outstrip domestic supplies, despite record growth in the number of new organic
operations.
SARE’s (Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education) new Organic
Production topic room assists organic producers who are struggling to
manage pests, fertility, and tillage in compliance with stringent organic
standards. Including a wide range of free materials developed by SARE, SARE
grant recipients and experts in the field, Organic
Production addresses:
● Pest
Management: Use pest life cycles and biological factors to influence pest
growth and management.
● Whole
Systems: Manage your organic operation as an integrated, whole system.
● Seeds:
Grow and save your own organic seeds.
● Fertility
Management: Optimize fertility using cover crops, manure, crop rotation and
organic fertilizers.
● Certification:
Understand USDA certification, agencies, regulations and cost.
Visit the Organic
Production topic room for more information.
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 MyPi National Receives FEMA Award
A NIFA Smith-Lever Special Needs grant program, MyPi National was named the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Individual Community Preparedness (ICP) 2017 National Award winner for Outstanding Achievement in Youth Preparedness. They also received an Honorable Mention designation for the John D. Solomon Whole Community Preparedness Award.
Dr. C. Ryan Akers, associate extension professor, School of Human Sciences at Mississippi State University, is the MyPi coordinator for the Youth Initiative.
Read more about the ICP Awards.
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Green Algae Crops From Slime to
Fuel and Medicine
Plant biologists and
biochemists from University of California at Berkeley and other partners
have produced a gold mine of data by sequencing the genome of a type of green
algae called Chromochloris zofingiensis (C. zofingiensis) with funding from
NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research
Initiative (AFRI) grant program.
In the past decade,
scientists have learned that the tiny, single-celled organism could be used as
a source of sustainable biofuel. Algae absorb carbon dioxide and derive their
energy from sunlight, and C. zofingiensis in particular can be cultivated on
non-arable land and in wastewater. Harnessing it as a source for renewable and
sustainable biofuels could lead to new ways to produce clean energy.
C. zofingiensis also shows
promise as a health remedy. The alga is an abundant, natural source of
astaxanthin, an antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties which may be useful
for treating certain diseases. Astaxanthin is being tested in treatments for
cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative diseases, inflammatory
diseases, diabetes and obesity.
Read more about the power of algae.
USDA Aims to Improve Food and Nutrition Education for
Low-Income Communities
NIFA announced support to develop local and self-reliant food systems, such as
farm to table enterprises, which bring nutritious food to low-income
communities. This funding is available through NIFA’s Community Food Projects
Competitive Grant Program, authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill. The primary goals
of the Community Food
Projects Competitive Grant Program (CFP) are to meet the food
needs of low-income individuals, increase the self-reliance of communities in
providing for their food needs, promote comprehensive responses to local food
access, farm, and nutrition issues, and meet specific state, local, or
neighborhood food and agricultural needs. Grants aim to bring together
stakeholders from the distinct parts of the food system and foster
understanding of national food security trends and how they might improve local
food systems. FY 2017 grants totaling $8.6 million were awarded through the CFP program.
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