NIFA News
4-H Flag
Dedication
NIFA’s Institute of Youth, Family, and Community - Division of
Youth and 4-H celebrated 4-H's 115th anniversary and 103 years since 4-H was
recognized as the positive youth development program of the federal government.
The official 4-H emblem is a green four-leaf clover with a white H on each leaf
standing for Head, Heart, Hands, and Health. The stem of the clover is always
to the right.
The folk lore of the flag dates back to June 1906 when 11
Ohio students, who spent recess picking four-leaf clovers, shared their
findings with the local superintendent. He said, "I've been looking for an
emblem for the agricultural clubs and the schools of the county, and you have
just given me that emblem, the four-leaf clover." In 1911, club leaders
approved the present 4-H design. Learn more about
the 4-H organization.
Dr. Caroline Crocoll, Division of Family and Consumer Sciences Division Director; Dr. Robert Holland, Associate Director of Operations; Dr. Sonny
Ramaswamy, NIFA Director; Dr. Meryl Broussard, Associate Director for Programs, and Dr. Lisa Lauxman, Division of Youth and 4-H Division Director, dedicate the new 4-H flag Nov.
30, which flies over NIFA. Photo provided by NIFA
NIFA Programs
Support Soil Health
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations (FAO), one-third of the planet’s soils are degraded. This
condition is caused by a number of natural factors, including wind and water
erosion as well as nutrient imbalances, but people also leave an indelible
impact on the earth. About 38 percent of the world's surface is dedicated to
agriculture to feed a population of 7.2 billion. That population is projected
to increase to over 9 billion by 2050.
Increasing food production while maintaining a balance of
sustainability presents a great challenge and the growing population will have
a significant impact on our ecosystems including soil cultivation. The
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations declared Dec. 5,
World Soil Day as a way to bring together the soil management and
sustainability efforts of land users, policymakers, and other key stakeholders.
Read the
full NIFA Blog article.
Dipti
Rai, a graduate student from University of Florida’s Soil and Water Sciences
Department, measures greenhouse gas flux in the native rangelands of the Range
Cattle Research and Education Center in Ona, Florida. Native rangelands consist
of woody and non-woody perennial plant species. Photo by Dr. Stefan Gerber, University
of Florida.
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News for You
Our Farms, Our
Future Conference
Registration is now open for the Our
Farms, Our Future Conference, hosted by the Sustainable Agriculture Research
and Education (SARE) and the National Center for Appropriate Technology April
3-5, 2018 in St. Louis, Missouri.
This national event will bring together our diverse
agricultural community: farmers and ranchers, agricultural professionals,
agribusiness stakeholders, students, researchers, scientists, agency
representatives, and nonprofit leaders. Every decade, SARE hosts a conference
to look at the progress of sustainability in agriculture, and to understand our
trajectory for the future. Read the
full SARE article.
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USDA’s National
Institute of Food and Agriculture Announces Support for Tribal Extension and
Research Programs
NIFA today announced grants to fund programs that promote
learning, opportunity, and health within the American Indian community. The
funding is made possible through two NIFA programs: the Federally-Recognized
Tribes Extension Program and the Tribal Colleges Research Grants Program.
The Federally-Recognized
Tribes Extension Program funds extension programs on American
Indian reservations and tribal jurisdictions that address the unique needs and
problems of American Indian tribal nations. The Tribal
Colleges Research Grants Program supports building
institutional research capacity through projects that address student
educational needs and meet community, reservation, or regional challenges. Read
the full award announcement.
NIFA Supports
Increasing Rural Prosperity through Education, Mentoring, and Technical
Assistance Programs for the Next Generation of Farmers and Ranchers
NIFA announced awards made to support the next generation of farmers and
ranchers through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP).
The BFRDP program, authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill, aims to help address
issues associated with the rising age and decrease in the number of U.S.
farmers and ranchers.
BFRDP supports
projects that deliver education, mentoring, and technical assistance programs
to help beginning farmers and ranchers in the U.S. and its territories with
entering, establishing, building and managing successful farm and ranch
enterprises. Read
the full BFRDP announcement.
NIFA’s mission is to invest in and advance agricultural research, education, and extension to solve societal challenges. NIFA’s investments in transformative science directly support the long-term prosperity and global preeminence of U.S. agriculture.
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