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USDA Announces New SARS-COV-2 Research Funding Opportunity Through the American Rescue Plan Act

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has announced it will commit up to $24 million for research grants through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases (EEID) program. These grants will support research that directly aligns with APHIS' American Rescue Plan strategic framework and will support APHIS and its One Health partners' efforts to identify risks and plan effective interventions to prevent transmission of SARS-CoV-2 at the human-animal interface and to prevent impacts to the food supply.

These funds will make grants available to eligible state and federal agencies, academia, private organizations or corporations, and individuals. The three AFRI program area priorities for this research solicitation are Diseases of Agricultural Animals; Agricultural Biosecurity; and Inter-Disciplinary Engagement in Animal Sciences (IDEAS). The NSF EEID program's central theme is quantitative or computational understanding of pathogen transmission dynamics, and supports research on the ecological, evolutionary, organismal, and social drivers that influence the transmission dynamics of infectious diseases. 

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How We Pick Sheep For Use As Breeding Stock

Video: How We Pick Sheep For Use As Breeding Stock

In this episode of our sheep farming vlog at Ewetopia Farms, we’re diving deeper into one of the most important parts of raising purebred sheep — selecting our breeding stock. ?? This episode is a direct follow-up to our popular video “You Be The Judge,” where we invited viewers to help evaluate our rams. We read through your comments, shared your insights, and now we’re responding! Arnie and I go over what we agreed with, where our opinions differed, and what we look for when choosing both rams and ewes to carry on our genetics. Breeding decisions at Ewetopia Farms aren’t just about looks — they’re about structure, performance, temperament, and the future of the flock. Whether you’re building your own breeding program or just curious how we make these decisions, today’s discussion offers a rare look inside the thought process behind improving a flock year after year.