USDA makes funding available for research and extension programs

Mar 11, 2015

Over $66 million being made available

Two programs run by the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) are making upwards of $66.5 million available for research and extension initiatives to tackle America’s need for specialty crops and help solve organic agriculture production problems.

The grants will be given by the Specialty Crop Research Initiative and the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative.

"Investments in projects to help organic producers and specialty crop growers are an important way USDA helps American farmers establish new business opportunities throughout the country," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in a release. "The projects funded by these programs will build on USDA support for local and regional markets. And strengthening local markets grows the rural economy while improving access to healthy food for millions of children and supplying farmers markets, restaurants and other businesses with fresh, high-quality fruits and vegetables."

The Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) determines fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits and others are considered specialty crops. The funded projects will look at the entire spectrum of cover crops and production including research plant genetics, improving characteristics, identifying and addressing pests and diseases.

Pre-applications for the SCRI funding are due March 30, 2015; full applications are due July 2, 2015.

The Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) will fund projects looking to give producers the tools and ability to produce high-quality organic products. They will also improve the ability for farmers to develop the Organic System Plan – a way for producers to be certified as organic.

Priority will be given to projects concerned with biological, physical and social sciences and including economics.

OREI is looking to fulfill eight goals:

Examine optimal outcomes for conservation and the environment.
Conduct advanced research on farms to observe, experiment and innovate working organic farms in the areas of production, marketing, food safety and farm business management.
Identify any market and policy restrictions that will impede on organic agriculture’s expansion.
Determine desirable traits for organic commodities.
Explore international trade opportunities.
Evaluate any economic benefits organic agriculture will have for producers, processors and rural communities.
Facilitate the development and improvement of the production practices of organic agriculture, breeding and processing.
Develop new seed varieties that are suited for organic agriculture.

Interested applicants must submit a notification of intent by April 1, 2015. Full applications are due April 30, 2015.

Join the discussion and tell us if you’re considering applying for these grants and what steps you would take to further the advancement of organic agriculture.

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.