California Department of Food and Agriculture accepting grant proposals for 2015

Dec 31, 2014

Concept proposals due by January 16, 2015

By Diego Flammini, Farms.com

People interested in advancing the research of safe and agronomical use of fertilizing materials can apply for grants from California’s Department of Agriculture’s Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP).

The proposal requests include a number of initiatives decided on by the state’s department of agriculture to manage nitrogen fertilizers. For 2015, nutrient management including fertigation, irrigation, crop development and soil fertility are among the specific areas being looked at to help improve management practices.

Research proposals should be able to fill gaps in nitrogen management for crops including pima cotton, processing tomatoes, walnuts, and deep rooted vegetables like carrots.

There are two phases for proposals:

Phase I
The request for concept proposals is updated yearly as new research opportunities arise. These proposals are due January 16, 2015 and will be reviewed by FREP’sTechnical Advisory Subcommittee (TASC). They’ll recommend which proposals qualify for Phase II of the process. TASC’s decision should come in early spring.

Phase II
In addition to being reviewed by the TASC, full proposals are also subject to review by an independent panel consisting of experts in fertilizing materials, agronomy, plant physiology, principles of experimental research, production agriculture, and environmental issues related to using fertilizing materials.

Proposals that focus on research or education projects can be submitted by anyone. Funding of up to $75,000 per year for up to three years is standard. Projects requiring more will be reviewed on a case by case basis.

FREP’s involvement in projects dates back to 1990. Since then, they’ve helped support more than 160 projects in California.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.