Learn about the History of 4-H from the USDA National Agricultural Library
In collaboration with USDA National Agricultural Library (NAL) Special Collections, NIFA will host a webinar on the history of 4-H on October 4 at 2 p.m. EST. USDA NAL Special Collections selects, preserves, describes and provides access to items of enduring historical value related to the history of agriculture. This includes materials related to the history of USDA and some of its affiliated groups, such as 4-H. In this talk, Sara Lee, Lead Librarian for NAL Special Collections, will highlight some of the library’s major collections and selected materials related to the history of 4-H, in celebration of National 4-H Week 2022.
Webinar graphic, courtesy of NIFA.
ICYMI: NIFA Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan Webinar
NIFA staff held a webinar earlier this month to share information about the recently published NIFA Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan, which represents the agency’s coordinated, collaborative response to the vulnerabilities and impacts caused by our changing climate.
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Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Regional Host Institution
NIFA is seeking applications from eligible institutions interested in serving the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program as either a Regional Host Institution (one in each of the four regions) or as the program’s National Reporting, Coordinating and Communications Office. Selected institutions are expected to serve in the role for fiscal years 2023 through 2032. Visit the NIFA website to review the Request for Applications. Applications are due November 14.
A family works in a field, courtesy of Adobe Stock.
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Pending weather-related events in the Southeast, if your ability to meet a NIFA deadline is impacted, please reach out to your NIFA program contact to let them know so that they can provide support and guidance.
NIFA Invests $10M in Food Safety Outreach
NIFA has invested $10 million in 28 projects as part of the Food Safety Outreach program (FSOP), which supports customized food safety education, training and technical assistance for operators of small to mid-size farms and food processing facilities; veteran, beginning and underserved farmers and ranchers; and small-scale vegetable and fruit merchant wholesalers. In FY 2022, the FSOP funded 15 Community Outreach and 13 Collaborative Education and Training awards. The program also provided five technical assistance supplements that will support grant writing training and resource development for groups not historically awarded through the FSOP.
FY 2022 Awardees: Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association, Auburn University, Cankdeska Cikana Community College, Community Alliance with Family Farmers, Cornell Cooperative Extension Sullivan County, Cornell University, Eastern Shore Entrepreneurship Center, Georgia Institute of Technology, Iowa State University, Lincoln University, Local Food Hub Inc., North Shore EVP, Organization for Refugee and Immigrant Success, Purdue University, Rutgers University, Springfield Community Gardens, SR1, Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, United Fresh Produce Association, University of Arizona, University of Arkansas, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, University of Massachusetts, University of Missouri, University of Rhode Island, University of Vermont (2 awards) and University of Wisconsin.
NIFA Invests $1.8M in Agricultural Genome to Phenome Initiative
NIFA has invested $1.8 million in one project as part of the Agricultural Genome to Phenome Initiative (AG2PI) to fund research that uses transdisciplinary approaches involving engineering, genetics, remote sensing, data science and allied fields to improve crop and animal performance in production environments. This award funds a seed grant program — to be coordinated through Iowa State University, University of Nebraska and Idaho State University — that will stimulate innovation and expand knowledge concerning genomes and phenomes of importance to the agriculture sector of the United States.
FY 2022 Awardee: Iowa State University.
NIFA Invests $15K in Foundational Knowledge of Plant Products
NIFA has invested $15,000 in one project as part of the Foundational Knowledge of Plant Products program. The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative’s (AFRI) Foundational Knowledge of Plant Products program area priority (AFRI A1103) supports projects that study the synthesis of plant-derived, high-value chemicals and ingredients for use in foods, drugs and other natural products. The intent of this program is for results to be translated into development of varieties that help create or meet emerging and future markets and contribute towards long-term demand for new agriculturally based industrial and food products.
FY 2022 Awardee: Gordon Research Conferences, Inc. (The project director of this grant is at the University of Nebraska.)
NEXTGEN Informational Webinar with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, Sept. 29
NIFA is joining the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) to offer an informational overview on the new funding opportunity titled From Learning to Leading: Cultivating the Next Generation of Diverse Food and Agriculture Professionals Program (NEXTGEN), September 29, at 3 p.m. EDT. The grant opportunity will provide up to $250 million in funding for scholarship support, experiential learning opportunities, and outreach and engagement programs to build awareness of agriculture-related career opportunities. Maximum award amounts range from $5 million to $20 million. Registration required.
Events graphic, courtesy of Adobe Stock.
NIFA Staff to Discuss New Hatch Integrated Multistate Research Project
A new Hatch Integrated Multistate Research Project on Tourism Resilience and Community Sustainability — Tourism Resilience and Community Sustainability: Adaptation and Recovery of Rural Businesses and Destinations — was approved and will launch October 1. Please join this webinar on October 20 at 3 p.m. EDT to learn more about Hatch Integrated Multistate Research Projects and how Extension professionals, academic faculty and industry partners can benefit from participating in this project. During the webinar, representatives from NIFA, Northeastern Regional Association of State Agricultural Experiment Station Directors, agriculture experiment stations and the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development will discuss the purpose of Hatch, how to participate and expected outcomes of this project. This webinar is hosted by the National Extension Tourism Design Team and the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development. Registration required.
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Jones to Deliver 2022 William H. Hatch Memorial Lecture
Dr. Dionne Toombs, acting director of USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, has announced that Dr. Robert J. Jones, chancellor, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, has been selected to deliver the 2022 William H. Hatch Memorial Lecture on November 6 in Denver at the annual meeting of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities.
Dr. Robert J. Jones, chancellor, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, has been selected to deliver the 2022 William H. Hatch Memorial Lecture.
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NIFA Jointly Funds New Aquaculture Information Exchange
NIFA is joining other federal partners in funding a new Aquaculture Information Exchange at the Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center to enhance collaboration between people and organizations interested in aquaculture.
The Power of Young Voices in Nutrition Security
Ahead of National 4-H Week, October 2-8, a group of 4-H participants from across the nation has developed a vision of how NIFA can better integrate young voices into its efforts to address nutrition insecurity. The group developed its vision last spring as part of a roundtable challenge at the 2022 National 4-H Conference in Washington, D.C., and recently shared these ideas through NIFA’s Nutrition Security Webinar Series.
NIFA 4-H Week graphic.
Read more about the impacts of NIFA-funded research and Extension programs on our blogs page.
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Virginia State University Boosts Efforts to Connect with Participants Of PROSPER
With support from NIFA, Virginia State University (VSU) Extension is encouraging youth ages 10 to 14 to avoid opioid and other substance misuse through proactive prevention strategies. The PROmoting School-Community-University Partnerships to Enhance Resilience (PROSPER) model has been implemented throughout four Virginia counties. "It's a relationship strengthening program," VSU Health Extension Specialist Tiffany Freer said. "Parents and children go through concurrent trainings, and then come together for joint lessons. Through these sessions we’ve seen improved confidence in youth participants and strengthened family bonds. Early teen years is the ideal time to set up preventative mechanisms. Once they get into high school, they're more likely to take risks."
Virginia State University Health Extension Specialist Tiffany Freer,
courtesy of Virginia State University.
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Endangered-Mouse Study Shares No-Contact Sampling Method
From species of marmots to moles, shrews and mice, many of the world’s endangered mammals are small. Genetic sampling is important for understanding how to conserve and protect their populations. But finding efficient, noninvasive ways to collect genetic samples from small animals can be challenging. A NIFA-funded study from the University of California, Davis, describes a new, noninvasive genetic survey technique for the endangered salt marsh harvest mouse, which lives solely within the tidal marshes of the San Francisco Bay Estuary.
A salt marsh harvest mouse walks across the bulrush at Grizzly Island Wildlife Area in San Francisco, courtesy of Cody Aylward/UC Davis.
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Share Space and Give Your Wildlife Neighbors a Chance
When people get excited about supporting wildlife on their property, they are usually referring to charismatic wildlife. The ones that bring us joy or whimsy or that serve a function such as pollination. Or even the ones that encroach on our lives the least. For most of us, that is in the form of a black swallowtail butterfly, a bright red cardinal or even the bumble bee as it visits your favorite brightly colored native flower. But according to University of Illinois Extension, that sense of awe and wonder with nature tends to become annoyance and even fear when a stinky skunk is agitating your dog, an irksome mole is digging through the precious roots of your garden or when the wily coyote trots through your yard.
A skunk hides in a burrow, courtesy of University of Illinois.
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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.gov. Current NIFA job openings are for Kansas City, Missouri, or a location negotiable after selection, unless otherwise noted below.
Director, Division of Agricultural Systems (Supervisory Biological Science Specialist), (GS-15). This vacancy, in NIFA’s Institute of Food Production and Sustainability, seeks candidates with expertise in providing direction and leadership for regional or national food and agricultural sciences multidisciplinary programs related to food and agricultural systems. Closing Date: September 30 or when we have received 200 applications. View the job announcement.
NIFA career opportunities graphic.
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Biden-Harris Administration Announces $502 Million for High-Speed Internet in Rural Communities
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced that the department is awarding $502 million in loans and grants to provide high-speed internet access for rural residents and businesses in 20 states. The funding is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to investing in rural infrastructure and providing reliable and affordable high-speed internet for all. USDA is making the investments through the third funding round of the ReConnect Program.
A farm worker collects data on a tablet while out in the field, courtesy of Adobe Stock.
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Biden-Harris Administration Makes $500 Million Available to Increase Innovative American-Made Fertilizer Production
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced that the Biden-Harris Administration is making $500 million in grants available to increase American-made fertilizer production to spur competition and combat price hikes on U.S. farmers caused by the war in Ukraine.
Biden-Harris Administration Announces Major Actions to Spur Competition, Protect Producers and Reduce Costs
At a meeting of the White House Competition Council Monday, President Biden announced two new efforts by USDA to support fair and competitive meat and poultry markets as part of the department’s role in council. These efforts include publishing the proposed Inclusive Competition and Market Integrity Rules under the Packers and Stockyards Act to protect farmers and ranchers from abuse, and a new $15 million Agricultural Competition Challenge to ramp up collaboration with state attorneys general on enforcement of the competition laws, such as the laws against price-fixing.
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service and National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Celebrate 50-year Partnership
The USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture are celebrating 50 years of working together to provide timely, accurate and useful statistics in service to U.S. agriculture.
Census of Agriculture Coming This November
Check your mailbox: USDA will mail the 2022 Census of Agriculture to millions of agriculture producers across the 50 states and Puerto Rico this fall. Changes to the 2022 questionnaire include new questions about the use of precision agriculture, hemp production, hair sheep and updates to internet access questions.
Ag Census Counts graphic, courtesy of USDA.
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DYK Virginia ranks 10th in tomato production in the U.S.? Read how the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station leads advances in fundamental and translational research that drives successful ag diversity.
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Meet Christina Dominguez.
Christina serves as a staff accountant for NIFA's Office of Grants and Financial Management. “There are six bullet statements found on the ‘About NIFA’ page of NIFA’s website that align with my core values and beliefs. These statements, in combination with my genuine interest in nutrition and how our quality of life, physical, and emotional development and even our longevity is profoundly affected by nutrition, leads me to believe that NIFA is a place where I can apply my skills and abilities toward something I can personally relate to and feel excited about.”- Christina
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