Making a Difference

NIFA Celebrates Climate Hubs for 10 Years of Helping Farmers, Ranchers and Forest Landowners Enhance Climate Resilience

In honor of the 10th anniversary of the USDA Climate Hubs, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is celebrating accomplishments from the first decade of this pioneering network. 

NIFA hosted the competition to establish the Hubs a decade ago and supports collaborations and outreach at the Hubs through several funding programs in the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, such as the Extension, Education and USDA Climate Hubs Partnership program. 

The mission of the Hubs is to connect farmers, ranchers, forest landowners and managers with up-to-date and regionally specific research, such as risk assessments and vulnerability analyses, that they can use to identify and manage risks. The Hubs offer distinctive value by facilitating research, education and Extension activities about climate change nationwide. Read more about the work accomplished at these NIFA supported Hubs.

Supercell storm. Image courtesy of Adobe Stock.

New SARE Publication Supports Urban Agriculture

NIFA supports research, education and Extension efforts throughout the nation that are leading to the creation of more and better market opportunities for farmers and producers, including those in urban areas. Its Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program is just one program focused on this goal. For decades, urban farms and community gardens have helped meet demand for fresh and local produce.

To help urban farms across the nation, SARE Outreach has released a new bulletin, Best Practices for the Sustainable Urban Farm. It outlines strategies that urban farmers can use to tackle the unique opportunities and challenges associated with urban production. Learn more about the publication and how to get a copy.

Woman holding a box of produce. Image courtesy of Adobe Stock.

NIFA Supported Research Benefits Midsized Producers

Midsize farms are vital to the long-term resilience of the global food system and the well-being of rural communities, the economy and the environment. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture supports research to benefit these midsize farms in a variety of ways, including the Hatch Multistate Research Fund. 

Midsize farms (those with an annual gross cash income of $350,000 to $999,999) spend relatively more money locally than larger farms and contribute to community goals and needs, such as economic development. Midsize supply chains can boost resilience to extreme weather, climate change, pandemics and other disruptions, and farmland provides more ecosystem services than most developed land. 

Researchers at Land-grant Universities nationwide are working together to better understand and support midsize producers. Read more about how this interdisciplinary project has brought together 30+ scholars from 18+ states and the work they are doing.

NSF Research Security Training Modules Now Available

The U.S. National Science Foundation has launched four interactive research security training modules available to researchers and institutions across the U.S. These online modules are designed to facilitate principled international collaboration in an open, transparent and secure environment that safeguards the nation's research ecosystem.

The modules provide researchers with clear guidelines and effective strategies to protect against existing and emerging research security threats.

 Modules

1. Introduction to Research Security
2. The Importance of Disclosure
3. Manage and Mitigate Risk
4. The Importance of International Collaboration

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University Of Kentucky Scientists Develop Eco-Friendly Magnet to Battle Microplastics

Plastic pollution is a pressing environmental issue, and University of Kentucky (UK) researchers, supported in part by NIFA, are leading the charge with an innovative solution. The college’s Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering is partnering with the UK Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering to tackle the tiny, often unseen, particles of plastic now found in the world’s oceans. 

The research, published in Scientific Reports, centers on an intriguing solution: using natural deep eutectic solvents to capture and remove these miniature particles from water. Researchers have described them as a kind of ‘magnet’ that specifically attracts and holds onto small plastic pieces. Read more about their work.

University of Kentucky researchers are helping lead the way in the fight against plastic pollution. Image courtesy of University of Kentucky/Sabrina Hounshell.