Food and Farm Innovation Importance in Economic Terms

The significance of food and agricultural research and innovation in a total economic sense is not lost on the director of USDA’s research funding institute. Rod Bain talks with National Institute of Food and Agriculture Director Dr. Carrie Castille on the importance of support to research and innovation as USDA creates real-world solutions to feed the world. For more information, listen to this USDA broadcast.

National Institute of Food and Agriculture Director Dr. Carrie Castille

Collaborative Efforts to Address Rural Mental Health Issues

Rural America’s susceptibilities to stresses and mental health issues, in some cases in extremes, has prompted various efforts addressing this concern, such as increased and greater awareness of resources, and removing stigmas associated with mental illness. USDA’s Rod Bain talks with American Farm Bureau Federation’s Terri Moore, National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Brent Elrod, National Farm Medicine Center’s Scott Heiberger, and Farm Broadcaster Brian Winnekins on some of the efforts to combat rural mental health stresses and concerns in this edition of Agriculture USA. For more information, listen to this USDA broadcast.

Worried young farmer, courtesy of Getty Images.

What’s Ahead for NIFA

The start of the New Year sparks new resolutions and goals. USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture gears up for 2022 with the following goals and priorities in mind. For more information, read this NIFA blog.

What’s Ahead for NIFA graphic.

National Healthy Eating Week

National Healthy Eating Week aims to encourage individuals to adapt healthy eating habits. USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) monitors the food security of United States household yearly. According to ERS, “In 2020, 89.5% of U.S. households were food secure throughout the year.” NIFA works to address hunger and food security through research, education, and Extension. For more information, read this NIFA blog.  

National Healthy Eating Week graphic, courtesy of NIFA.

NIFA Career Opportunities

We are hiring! The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) recruits a diverse group of talented, creative, motivated professionals who are invested in shaping the future of food and agricultural science. We offer a variety of benefits and services to our employees that focus on work-life balance, career enhancement, and health and well-being. NIFA has career opportunities in a variety of scientific disciplines covering engineering, food science, forestry, education, animal and crop sciences, and many other agriculture-related disciplines. NIFA job openings are listed on USAJobs. Current NIFA job openings are for Kansas City, Missouri, or location negotiable after selection.

Associate Director for Operations (SES-00)
Closing Date: January 20.
View the job announcement.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Highlights Key Work in 2021 to Combat Climate Change

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently issued a statement delivering on the commitment to combat climate change and highlighting key accomplishments to combat climate change at the Department of Agriculture since the Biden-Harris Administration took office on January 20, 2021. The effects of climate change on the nation’s agriculture, natural resources and communities are already a grim reality. Longer, more severe droughts, catastrophic wildfires, flooding, tornadoes, hurricanes, and other record-setting natural disasters exacerbated by climate change continue to devastate lives and livelihoods. For more information, read the USDA press release.

Searching for Solutions at the Intersection of Global Hunger and the Climate Crisis

Nearly 1 billion people are hungry, and even more are food insecure. Farmers and ranchers around the world are having to adapt to changing climate conditions to continue producing enough food to feed the growing global population, support their own livelihoods and their communities. How do we solve these challenges? The solutions lie in climate-smart agriculture innovation, which holds the promise for creating a surge of solutions that will increase agricultural productivity. For more information, read this USDA blog.

USDA Global Hunger and the Climate Crisis blog graphic.

Landowners: Learn Forest Management

Buying and maintaining forested land can be daunting if landowners don’t know how to manage it. Fortunately, a new University of Illinois outreach program is here to help. “We’re giving landowners tools to understand the science behind forest management. So, if they do want to manage their forests, they're just not going to go and indiscriminately cut trees. Instead, they’ll understand there's a methodology to improving your forest over time,” says University of Illinois’s Chris Evans. University of Illinois was recently awarded a three-year grant from NIFA’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program to educate Southern Illinois landowners on forestry practices. For more information, read the University of Illinois ACES news article.

Chris Evans explains forest management practices, courtesy of the University of Illinois.

Learn Strategic Crop Marketing  

Farmers often tell Extension specialists that one of the things they want to improve is their ability to market crops successfully. Extension is responding by offering a five-week, all-virtual program titled, “Strategic Marketing for Your Farm’s Future.” The virtual programs will be delivered each Thursday evening beginning February 3 and ending March 3. We’re excited to be able to bring first-class information to farmers who want to know more about marketing and improve their grain marketing skills,” says Purdue University Extension educator Jenna Nees. The program is open to farmers all over the country, no matter where you live. Supported by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. For more information, read the Purdue University article.

NIFA's Climate Change Adaptation Planning Webinar

Learn about NIFA's Climate Adaptation Planning Process through a webinar on January 20, at 3:30 p.m. EST. Attendees are encouraged to ask questions and provide feedback during this webinar. To register or for more information go to the webinar announcement.  

Webinar graphic courtesy of Adobe Stock.

NIFA Invests $2.8M in Rural Food Animal Veterinary Medicine Across the U.S.

NIFA recently announced 17 Veterinary Service Grants Program (VSGP) Awards, seven Education, Extension, and Training (EET) grants and 10 Rural Practice Enhancement (RPE) grants to help mitigate food animal veterinary service shortages in the United States. The goals of the VSGP are to support food animal veterinary medicine through EET funds for accredited schools and organizations and through RPE funds for veterinary clinics that provide services in veterinary shortage situations. This program is designed to support education and extension activities that will enable veterinarians, veterinary students, and veterinary technicians gain specialized food animal skills and practices.

Rural veterinarian inspecting dairy feed, courtesy of Getty Images.

The Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP), a program of USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, is designed to increase fruit and vegetable purchases and intake among low-income consumers reduce food insecurity, decrease healthcare utilization and cost, and contribute to local economies. Second year program evaluation findings include positive economic and nutrition-related outcomes. For more information, read the GusNIP report.