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Making a Difference
Embracing 2024 and Beyond: A Call to Listen, Learn and Do
More than 65 years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'"
Dr. Maurice Smith, a national program leader in NIFA’s Institute of Youth, Family and Community, wrote recently that although much progress has been made, there is still work to be done to fulfill Dr. King's vision. He noted that understanding others should guide our approach to both current and emerging challenges. Read more from Dr. Smith’s reflection.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C. Image courtesy of Adobe Stock.
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Happy New Year! As we move forward into 2024, I want to share some highlights of our work in 2023 and express my optimism for the opportunities ahead.
The past year was truly an invigorating one for me personally, as I began my tenure here as Director. It was also an energizing year of growth and progress for the agency as a whole. We took on new challenges and initiatives, including exciting efforts to expand our research portfolio beyond our traditional focus areas. At the same time, we remained committed to supporting and advancing our well-established science and research programs that are vital to agriculture.
I encourage you to read more about our accomplishments in A Look Back at 2023 on our website. We have made strides in key priority areas such equity, climate-smart agriculture, food and nutrition security, and more. Our dedicated staff has worked incredibly hard to fuel innovation, collaboration, and meaningful impact. While we celebrate driving this momentum forward, we recognize there is still important work to be done.
As we move into 2024, this agency remains firmly committed to being a leader in agricultural science and research. We will continue to challenge ourselves to think bigger, be bolder, and break new ground in order to ensure our work keeps benefiting farmers, rural communities, and people worldwide. I am confident our team's passion, expertise, and tenacity will lead us to new breakthroughs this year. Thank you for your outstanding work and dedication to our shared mission. I look forward to our continued progress in 2024.
Dr. Manjit Misra
Director, National Institute of Food and Agriculture
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New Webinar Dates and Registration Links
Due to unforeseen technical difficulties with NIFA’s hosting platform, a number of events currently on the NIFA Events Calendar are being rescheduled or revised with new registration links. If you have already registered for any of these events, you will need to register again at the updated link to access the event. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused and are working diligently to provide updated details as quickly as possible. Find all currently scheduled events here.
Register for USDA’s 100th Agricultural Outlook Forum
The Agricultural Outlook Forum (AOF) is USDA’s largest and premier annual gathering. The breadth and timeliness of AOF programs have consistently drawn a diverse group of participants, including producers, processors, policymakers, government officials and non-governmental organizations.
The 2024 Program will feature a keynote address by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, a presentation on the outlook for agricultural markets and trade by USDA Chief Economist Seth Meyer, a plenary panel of distinguished guest speakers, and 30 breakout sessions covering a wide range of timely agricultural, food market and environmental issues. This is a hybrid event both in person and online.
NIFA-Funded Potato Breeding Research Featured at 2024 Potato Expo
Potatoes are the most widely grown and consumed vegetable in the United States. Potatoes’ popularity is a result of their versatility and affordability, as well as being a tasty and nutrient-dense food choice. Recently, several NIFA-funded researchers discussed their research at the 2024 Potato Expo in Austin, Texas. The Potato Expo is the largest conference and trade show for the potato industry. Read more about their research.
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January 18, 12 p.m. EST: Technical Assistance Webinar: Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge Grants Program
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January 18, 4 p.m. EST: Technical Assistance Webinar: Smith-Lever Special Needs Competitive Grant Program RFA
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January 24, 11 a.m. EST: Stakeholder Listening Session: Administration of the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program and Veterinary Services Grant Program
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January 24, 1 p.m. EST: Technical Assistance Webinar: Food Safety Outreach Program RFA
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January 24, 3 p.m. EST: Food and Nutrition Security Webinar Series: NIFA’s Contributions to Strengthening Intersections between Climate Change, Food Systems, and Nutrition Security
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January 24, 5 p.m. EST: Technical Assistance Webinar: CYFAR Sustainable Community Projects RFA
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January 25, 1 p.m. EST: Technical Assistance Webinar: Farm Business Management and Benchmarking Competitive Grants Program
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January 30, 12 p.m. EST: Grant Applicant/Awardee Networking Sessions
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January 31, 2 p.m. EST: Learn How to Write a Strong USDA BFRDP Application
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February 1, 12 p.m. EST: Technical Assistance Webinar: SBIR/STTR FY24 Phase II Request for Applications
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February 21, 2 p.m. EST: Technical Assistance Webinar: Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) RFA
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February 23, 10:15 a.m. EST: Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program Listening Session
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March 4-8, 11 a.m. EST: Second Annual Virtual Grants Support Technical Assistance Workshops
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March 13, 2 p.m. EDT: Lessons Learned from Teams Using Transdisciplinary Approaches Webinar
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Novel Tool Informs Land Use and Nutrient Control in Troubled Waters
In watersheds degraded by runoff of nutrients from farmland, land managers struggle to pinpoint the best locations to install riparian buffer strips along streams or other pollution-reduction practices. A new technology devised by Penn State scientists promises to make the search for those sites easier and less expensive.
Supported in part by funding from NIFA, Penn State researchers have developed a computer model that can simulate the underground and overland movement of water — and, consequently, that of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus or pollutants — in entire watersheds with far greater spatial resolution than previous hydrologic models. Read more about the work of this cross-disciplinary team.
Penn State’s experimental watershed in the Mahantango Creek drainage near the town of Leck Kill. Image courtesy of Penn State.
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USDA to kick off the National Agricultural Classification Survey
As part of preparation for the 2027 Census of Agriculture, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service will conduct the National Agricultural Classification Survey starting Jan. 24. The survey, an important step in determining who should receive a 2027 Census of Agriculture questionnaire, will go to approximately 250,000 recipients to ask if they conduct agricultural activity. The results of the survey will ensure that every U.S. producer, no matter how large or small their operation, has a voice and is counted in the highly anticipated and influential agricultural census data. Read more here.
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NIFA Publishes FY24 Agency Liaisons to APLU Boards and Committees
NIFA has published its updated Fiscal Year 2024 list of agency liaisons to the various boards, committees and teams under the purview of the Board on Agriculture Assembly at the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. These NIFA liaisons represent the agency on more than 40 boards, committees and teams. Read more.
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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 X (formerly 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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