This press release was first published on usda.gov. Media contact: USDA Office of Communications, [email protected]
Washington, April 19, 2023 – The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced an investment of more than $46 million in the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, which has provided grants and farmer-driven education programs, bringing new ideas to farms and ranches on every state preserve and island since 1988.
“This investment in sustainable agriculture underscores USDA’s continued commitment to transforming our food and agricultural systems,” said Chavunda Jacobs-Young, USDA Chief Scientist and Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics. “Through this investment, SARE will continue to offer competitive grants and education programs that foster farmer-driven innovation to promote climate-smart practices, make sustainable producers more profitable, and improve local economies and quality of life in rural communities.”
These 10-year awards are presented by the USDA’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) at four regional SARE host institutions and the National Reporting, Coordination, and Communications Office (NRCCO). The scholarship recipients are the University of Minnesota (North Central Regional Host Institution for the Southeast Asia Region); University of Vermont (Northeast Surrey Regional Host Institution); University of Georgia (Southern Regional Host Institution for the Southeast European Region); Montana State University (Western SARE regional host institution); and the University of Maryland (NRCCO).
Since its adoption in the Agriculture Act 1990, SARE has operated in four regions (north centralAndthe NortheastAndsouthAndthe West) with every regional program hosted by land grant institutions. Each region is guided by volunteer governing councils that award grants and set regional priorities. These councils include farmers and ranchers along with representatives from universities, government, agricultural businesses, and nonprofit organizations. Technical reviewers, who are also volunteers, provide professional and practical expertise to help boards evaluate project proposals.
“Sustainable agriculture is a top priority for NIFA across many of our programs as we strive to provide more profitable farm incomes, enhance environmental stewardship and improve the quality of life for farm families and communities,” said Dionne Toombs, acting director of the USDA National Institutes of Agriculture. Food and agriculture. “In the past 35 years, with funding from NIFA, SARE has provided $380 million in grants to fund nearly 8,400 projects serving growers, farmers, and rural communities.”
These projects cover a wide range of topics, including on-farm renewable energy, pest and weed management, livestock and grazing rotations, no-till and conservative tillage, cover crops, high tunnel and session span, crop rotation, marketing, sustainable communities and integrated systems, pollinators and systems. Local, regional and small ruminant food.
REE advances agricultural research, education, and extension across the country to make transformative discoveries that solve societal challenges. NIFA invests in initiatives that ensure long-term viability of agriculture and applies an integrated approach to ensure that groundbreaking discoveries in agriculture-related science and technology reach the people who can put them into practice. In fiscal year 2022, NIFA’s total investment is $2.2 billion.
For more information, visit the NIFA website; Twitter: @USDA_NIFA; Linkedin: USDA-NIFA. To learn more about NIFA’s impact on agricultural science (searchable by state or keyword), visit www.nifa.usda.gov/impacts.
The USDA touches the lives of all Americans every day in many positive ways. In a Biden-Harris administration, the USDA is transforming the American food system with a greater focus on more resilient domestic and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy, nutritious food in all communities, and building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers who use climate-smart food and forestry practices, make historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and commit to equality across governance by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce that is more representative of America. To find out more, visit www.usda.gov.
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