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 Farmer holding soil. Image courtesy of Adobe Stock.
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Multistate Research Efforts Focus on Climate Data and Monitoring
Climate change poses major challenges to agriculture and natural resources in the western United States. Climate data are key to practices, tools, legislation, programs and policies that protect and enhance water, soil and air.
With so many different entities collecting climate data and myriad ways of storing and distributing data, it can be difficult to access relevant, reliable climate information. A committee of researchers and Extension educators from Land-grant Universities coordinates climate data collection and use in the western United States. Their work is supported in part by the Hatch Multistate Research Fund through USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
For more than 30 years, the committee has leveraged existing climate data collection, analysis and distribution infrastructure and technologies to meet agriculture and natural resource management needs in the western U.S. With members in multiple states, the committee can facilitate efficient climate monitoring and widely promote the use of climate data and products for agriculture, water management, industry, emergency preparedness, transportation, policymaking, education and other purposes. Learn more about the work of this multistate team.
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News from NIFA
Notice of Stakeholder Listening Session Regarding Administration of the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program and Veterinary Services Grant Program
NIFA announces its stakeholder listening initiative, “NIFA Listens Regarding Administration of the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program and the Veterinary Services Grant Program.” The objectives of the programs are to help veterinarians offset educational debt in return for food animal veterinary services, to ensure food animal veterinary services are available in priority shortage situation areas, and to support training of veterinary students, interns and residents. As part of the stakeholder input process for these two programs, NIFA will conduct a virtual listening session, January 24, 2024 at 11 a.m. EST. Submission of online stakeholder input will be open through February 7, 2024. For more information, read this Federal Register notice.
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Award Announcements
NIFA Invests More Than $50 Million to Help Boost Organic Farming and Ranching
NIFA has announced more than $50 million to fund 24 projects addressing critical organic agriculture issues, priorities, or problems through the integration of research, education, and Extension activities. The Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative funds projects that will enhance the ability of producers and processors who have already adopted organic standards to grow and market high quality organic agricultural products. Priority concerns include biological, physical, and social sciences, including economics.
NIFA Invests $19.6 Million in Crop Protection and Pest Management
NIFA is supporting 76 projects addressing high priority issues related to all pests, and their management using Integrated Pest Management Program (IPM) approaches at the state, regional and national levels with more than $19.6 million in funding. The Crop Protection and Pest Management (CPPM) program supports projects that will increase food security and respond effectively to other major societal challenges with comprehensive IPM approaches that are economically viable, ecologically prudent, and safe for human health.
NIFA Invests $7 Million in Capacity Building Grants for Non Land-grant Colleges of Agriculture
NIFA is investing more than $7 million in 22 projects aimed at helping Non Land-grant Colleges of Agriculture (NLGCA). These projects will help strengthen the capacity of NLGCA institutions to develop infrastructure to carry out agricultural research, teaching and outreach activities; enhance the ability of faculty members to engage in agricultural professional development opportunities; and increase the number, quality and diversity of qualified graduates entering the food and agricultural workforce.
NIFA Invests $4.8 Million in Rural Health and Safety Education
NIFA has awarded about $4.8 million to support 14 rural health projects for individuals and families. The Rural Health and Safety Education Grant Program supports community-based outreach education programs, such as those conducted through Human Science Extension outreach that provide individuals and families with information on: the value of good health at any age; increasing individual or family’s motivation to take more responsibility for their own health; rural environmental health issues that directly impact human health; health promotion and educational activities; and training for volunteers and health services providers on health promotion and health care services for individuals and families in cooperation with state, local, and community partners.
NIFA Invests $3.7 Million in Alfalfa Seed and Alfalfa Storage Systems
NIFA is investing more than $3.7 million in four projects under the Alfalfa Seed and Alfalfa Forage System Program. These projects will address the continued development of improved alfalfa forage and seed production systems.
NIFA Invests $2.3 Million in Agricultural Genomes to Phenomes Initiative
NIFA will support two projects through the Agricultural Genomes to Phenomes Initiative with $2.3 million. Funded projects will focus on expanding knowledge concerning genomes and phenomes of importance to the agriculture sector of the United States to accurately predict crop and animal performance under variable conditions and enable more efficient selection of well-adapted, superior genotypes that farmers and ranchers can produce.
NIFA Invests Nearly $1 Million for Open Data Framework Project
NIFA is investing almost $1 million in a project based at the University of Nebraska. The project will work towards the development of a public-private cooperative open framework based on open data standards to preserve and share data generated by technological advancements in the agriculture industry and for the preservation and curation of data in collaboration with Land-grant Universities.
NIFA Invests in Supplemental and Alternative Crops
NIFA has awarded more than $722,000 to USDA’s Agricultural Research Service for a project to breed and evaluate hemp germplasm for improved disease resistance. The project is funded through NIFA’s Supplemental and Alternative Crops Program.
NIFA Invests $256,000 to Address Response to Extreme Weather Events
NIFA will invest $256,000 in a University of Florida project to collect the current perceptions, needs and barriers from community members recovering from hurricanes Ian and Idalia. This work funded through Agriculture and Food Research Initiative will enhance the Cooperative Extension System’s capacity to identify needed resources and develop links to critical resources and services, facilitating early recovery.
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Promoting Indigenous Food Sovereignty
To celebrate Native American Heritage Month, Director of USDA’s Office of Tribal Relations Heather Dawn Thompson will provide an overview of the USDA Indigenous Food Sovereignty Initiative at 3 p.m. EST on Wednesday, November 8. Following her presentation, Food and Nutrition Service and NIFA staff will highlight resources from their respective agencies. Register for the webinar.
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Impact of NIFA-Funded Research and Outreach
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New SARE Videos Highlight Ecological Weed Management Practices
Farmers nationwide are tackling the challenge of using ecological principles to manage weeds using fewer herbicides. Understanding the biology of weeds is key to helping producers adopt innovative strategies that achieve strong yields while adapting to changing consumer preferences. Three new videos from the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Project (SARE) show how one New York farm manages weeds without chemicals on its 2,000 acres of organic grain. Supported by NIFA, SARE has been offering farmer-driven, grassroots grants and education programs since 1988.
These videos are the latest in SARE’s Manage Weeds on Your Farm Video Series. Learn more about this SARE effort.
Weeds in row crop field. Image courtesy of SARE.
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News from USDA
USDA Launches Program to Support Agricultural Employers and Farmworkers, Aiming to Increase Economic and Supply Chain Resilience
USDA has announced agricultural employers can begin to apply for a pilot program designed to improve the resiliency of the food and agricultural supply chain by addressing workforce challenges farmers and ranchers face. USDA, in coordination with other federal agencies, is announcing up to $65 million in grants available for the Farm Labor Stabilization and Protection Pilot Program.
The program will help address workforce needs in agriculture, promote a safe and healthy work environment for farmworkers, and aims to support expansion of lawful migration pathways for workers, including for workers from Northern Central America, through the Department of Labor’s seasonal H-2A visa program. Read more about the pilot program.
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Linked In Post of the Week
Since 2017, NIFA has committed $123.5 million across 527 projects relating to food loss and waste.
Recently, USDA announced an additional $25 million investment to expand efforts to prevent and reduce food loss and waste. The investment, funded under the American Rescue Plan Act, is part of a joint agency initiative between NIFA and USDA’s Office of the Chief Economist. This latest investment will expand several of NIFA’s core programs by $25 million. https://lnkd.in/g_nWkvd8
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The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is committed to ensuring that its programs and services are accessible to all individuals, including individuals with disabilities and individuals with limited English proficiency. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in any NIFA event, please contact the appropriate Program staff no later than 10 days prior to the event. To find Program staff by event, please visit the NIFA Calendar of Events. NIFA Language access services, such as interpretation or translation of vital information, will be provided free of charge to limited English proficient individuals upon request. If you need interpretation or translation services please visit NIFA language services or contact Lois Tuttle, Equal Opportunity Specialist, at Lois.Tuttle@usda.gov or (443) 386-9488 no later than 10 days prior to the event.
NIFA’s mission is to invest in and advance agricultural research, education, and Extension that solves societal challenges. NIFA’s investments in transformative science directly support the long-term prosperity and global preeminence of U.S. agriculture. Keep informed about NIFA, USDA, our Land-grant and non-Land-grant university partners, and stakeholders with the NIFA Update. Read past issues online, sign up for email updates or follow us on Twitter @USDA_NIFA, #NIFAImpacts or LinkedIn @usda-nifa.
If you wish to submit a news item or information, send an email to NIFAUpdate.
USDA is an equal opportunity lender, provider, and employer.
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