 Seeking Nominations for the 2022 William Henry Hatch Lecture Each year NIFA joins with the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) to sponsor a lecture presented at the APLU Annual Meeting. The lecture honors one of the three most important historical figures of the Land-grant University System: William Henry Hatch for research, Seaman A. Knapp for Extension, and Justin Smith Morrill for whom the Morrill Act, which created the Land-grant University System, is named. NIFA and APLU are seeking nominations for the prestigious Hatch Lecture. The lecture commemorates the efforts of William H. Hatch, congressman from Missouri who championed the Agricultural Experiment Station Founding Bill which became law in 1887, and to celebrate the accomplishments of the Experiment Station System created by the Hatch Act. We are seeking an insightful topic and a dynamic, discussion-provoking speaker who can prepare a formal lecture to be presented at the APLU Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado, November 6 – 8. While we seek recommendations from those within the Land-grant University System, we also would encourage you to share this memorandum with colleagues outside of the research, education and Extension system, including stakeholders, foundations, public interest groups or international organizations. Nominations are encouraged from all sources. Recommendations should include the name of the nominee, title, address, telephone number, email address and topic that could be discussed. Please submit your potential topic and/or presenter on or before July 29. Recommendations should be forwarded electronically to Davida Tengey. A committee will review submissions and narrow the scope of the recommendations to make a final decision. Dr. Dionne Toombs
Acting Director, National Institute of Food and Agriculture |  Vilsack Announces Bioproduct Pilot Program Funded by Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced USDA is accepting applications for a new pilot program created under President Biden's historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support the development of biobased products that have lower carbon footprints and increase the use of renewable agricultural materials, creating new revenue streams for farmers. This $10 million investment is part of the Biden-Harris Administration's ongoing work to rebuild our infrastructure and create good-paying jobs and economic opportunity in our rural communities. A farmer harvests corn. Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock. |  National Pollinator Month: Meet Researcher Anahi Espindola In celebration of National Pollinator Month, NIFA is highlighting NIFA-funded researcher Dr. Anahi Espindola. Dr. Espindola serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Entomology at the University of Maryland. University of Maryland assistant professor
Dr. Anahi Espindola. | NIFA Invests Over $5M in Enhancing Agricultural Opportunities for Military Veterans NIFA has invested over $5 million in eight projects as part of the Enhancing Agricultural Opportunities for Military Veterans (AgVets) program. The program encourages the development of training opportunities specifically designed for military veterans. AgVets projects offer onsite, hands-on training and classroom education leading to a comprehensive understanding of successful farm and ranch operations and management practices. Projects may also offer workforce readiness and employment prospects for service-disabled veterans. Ensuring there are pathways for military veterans interested in pursuing careers in agriculture — regardless of age or production choice — strengthens agricultural production and rural economies across the United States.. FY 2021 awardees: Michigan Integrated Food & Farming Systems, East Lansing, Michigan ($749,999); Center for Land-Based Learning, Woodland, California ($744,937); Farmer Veteran Coalition, Davis, California ($750,000); Rural South Institute, Madison, Alabama ($674,325.00); Denver Botanic Gardens, Inc., Denver, Colorado ($504,526); Whitaker Small Farm Group Inc., Garner, North Carolina ($740,940); American Farmland Trust, Washington, D.C. ($635,273); and Servicemember Agricultural Vocation Education Corp., Manhattan, Kansas ($400,000). NIFA Invests Over $3M in Inter-Disciplinary Engagement in Animal Systems NIFA has invested over $3 million in four projects as part of the Inter-Disciplinary Engagement in Animal Systems (IDEAS) – Agriculture and Food Research Initiative. This program seeks to bridge traditional disciplinary divides to address complex issues in animal agriculture and aquaculture. Projects funded through this AFRI program integrate knowledge and methods from diverse disciplines in novel, integrative ways to solve pressing questions in food animal production. The IDEAS program addresses the complexity of social, cultural, environmental, economic, and technologic challenges facing the food and agriculture system in the U.S. today by funding applied science that occurs at the intersection of multiple disciplines. FY 2022 awardees: University of Washington ($1,000,000), University of Idaho ($981,000), University of Pennsylvania ($995,000) and North Carolina State University ($1,000,000). NIFA Invests Over $3M in Commodity Board Co-funding Topics NIFA has invested over $3 million in 14 projects as part of the Commodity Board Co-funding Topics – Agriculture and Food Research Initiative program (AFRI). NIFA and various commodity boards seek to co-fund research projects relevant to the respective commodity board, including the Cotton Board, National Potato Promotion Board, National Peanut Board and USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council. Topics must relate to the established AFRI priority areas, which are plant health and production and plant products; animal health and production and animal products; food safety, nutrition, and health; bioenergy, natural resources, and environment; agriculture systems and technology; and agriculture economics and rural communities. FY 2021 Awardees: East Carolina University ($294,000); New Mexico State University ($294,000); Agricultural Research Service, New Orleans, Louisiana ($294,000); University of Georgia ($294,000); University of Georgia-Tifton ($294,000 and $490,000); Clemson University ($294,000); Texas Tech University ($294,000 and $294,000); Texas A&M AgriLife Research ($294,000); Agricultural Research Service, Florence, South Carolina ($294,000); HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Alabama ($294,000); Colorado State University ($490,000); and Geneshifters LLC, Washington ($490,000).  1890 Institution Teaching, Research and Extension Capacity Building Grants (CBG) Program The 1890 CBG is intended to strengthen teaching, research and Extension programs in the food and agricultural sciences by building the institutional capacities of the 1890 Land-grant Institutions, including Tuskegee University, West Virginia State University, and Central State University. CBG supports teaching projects in the food and agricultural sciences in the areas of curriculum design, materials development, faculty development, and others. CBG strengthens research and Extension programs in need areas of studies and experimentation, program development support systems, and more. CBG applications must address at least one of the following NIFA strategic goals: sustainable bioenergy; food security; childhood obesity prevention; or food safety. Applications deadline August 31. For more information, read the CBG funding announcement. College student studying on a computer courtesy of Adobe Stock |  Farmer photos courtesy of USDA. Transforming the U.S. Food System: Making it Better for Farmers and Families USDA, alongside Biden-Harris Administration leadership and the people of this great country, has embarked on another historic journey: transforming the food system as we know it — from farm to fork, and at every stage along the supply chain. The American Rescue Plan has set us on a mission to ensure today's markets work better for both family farmers and the families they support — making more nutritious food available to more people at more affordable prices while reducing carbon pollution with crops that are good for our health and our environment. The plan's call-to-action includes $40 million in investments from NIFA to maintain and improve food and agricultural supply chain resiliency by making loans, grants and other vital assistance available to the small businesses that support our family farmers and rural communities. USDA Announces Next Steps in Biden-Harris Administration Initiative to Increase the Benefits of Federal Investments Going to Underserved Communities Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced the next steps in USDA efforts to ensure that as part of President Biden's Justice40 Initiative, federal investments benefit communities that are marginalized, underserved and overburdened by pollution and underinvestment. The list of USDA programs announced is part of the Biden-Harris Administration's whole-of-government approach to achieving environmental justice.  Vu to Lead Research Project in Fight Against African Swine Fever As a teenager decades ago on his family's swine farm in Vietnam, University of Nebraska–Lincoln Assistant Professor of Animal Science Hiep Vu saw firsthand the benefits of vaccinating livestock. His parents had gradually increased the size of their operation, and when they inoculated their animals, the positive results struck Vu. He is now an expert in swine viruses. For his extensive research into porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus, he received two patents connected to vaccine development. Now, Vu is embarking on a collaborative, NIFA-funded project to fill in a major knowledge gap that has hindered development of a vaccine for African swine fever which stands out for its extraordinary mortality. Scott McVey (left), professor and director of Nebraska's School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and Hiep Vu, assistant professor of animal science at Nebraska, are working to catalog a pig's protective proteins against the lethal African swine flu. Photo courtesy of Craig Chandler, University of Nebraska Communication and Marketing. |  As Louisiana Sugarcane Belt Grows, So Does AgCenter Research, Outreach As Louisiana's sugarcane acreage expands, farmers and scientists are learning more about how the crop performs outside of its traditional growing area. They're particularly interested in finding varieties that do well under the unique environmental conditions of the sugarcane belt's northern and western fringes, where winters are colder and freeze damage to the tropical plant is a concern. Sugarcane breeding in Louisiana dates to 1885, and since then, the Louisiana State University AgCenter sugar station has been involved in developing — with support from NIFA — more than 80 varieties of sugarcane. New varieties have allowed sugar yields to double in the past 50 years and extend the crop cycle, enabling farmers to grow multiple crops from a single planting. LSU AgCenter sugarcane breeder Collins Kimbeng speaks at a field day held May 31 at Joby Beaud's farm near Morganza, Louisiana. Photo courtesy of Olivia McClure. |  New Initiative Helps Black and Underserved Farmers Thrive In 1920, the number of Black farmers in the U.S. stood at about 1 million. Since then, the legacy of structural inequality, including exclusion from federal loan programs and laws that preyed on the economically disadvantaged, has slashed their numbers to fewer than 50,000 today, according to USDA statistics. To help Black farmers and farmers in underserved communities, Cooperative Extension at North Carolina A&T State University launched the Small Farm Leadership 360 Initiative. The NIFA-supported program focuses on building bridges between small, underserved, and underrepresented farmers in economically depressed counties, and N.C. A&T's agricultural expertise. Farmers learn about farm management best practices, tax advantages for small farmers, market opportunities, farm cooperatives and best practices in agricultural production. To help Black farmers and farmers in underserved communities, Cooperative Extension at North Carolina A&T State University launched the Small Farm Leadership 360 Initiative. Photo courtesy of North Carolina A&T State University. |  Urban, Indoor and Emerging Agriculture Program Informational Webinar NIFA will host a webinar July 6 at 4 p.m. EDT for those interested in the new Urban, Indoor and Emerging Agriculture (UIE) Program. UIE is a NIFA competitive grant program implemented in 2022 to support research, education and Extension activities that facilitate development of urban, indoor, and other emerging agricultural production systems. The UIE emphasizes activities on several segments of the value chain, including production, harvesting, transportation aggregation, packaging, distribution, and marketing needs. Visit the NIFA website to register. Webinar graphic, courtesy of NIFA. | Bioproduct Pilot Program Informational Webinar NIFA is holding an informational webinar July 14 at 3 p.m. EDT for the Bioproduct Pilot Program. This new program, authorized under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, will invest approximately $10 million to study the benefits of using materials derived from covered agricultural commodities in construction and consumer products. This informational webinar will touch on the information contained within the Request for Applications. Attendees will also have an opportunity to ask questions. Visit the NIFA program page for more information and a link to the informational webinar. AFRI Special Topics: Meat and Poultry Processing - Agricultural Workforce Training NIFA will host a webinar July 21 at 1 p.m. EDT for those interested in the Meat and Poultry Processing – Agricultural Workforce Training grant program. The program is being offered through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative's Education and Workforce Development Request for Applications. For eligibility and more information, please consult the RFA ahead of time. Safe and resilient meat and poultry supply chains require a trained, credentialed, and diverse workforce with the right skills at the right location. To contribute to the pipeline of well-trained workers and support safe workplaces with fair wages, this program seeks to support the development, expansion and standardization of meat and poultry processing training programs at community, junior and technical colleges.  Seed Today: Researchers Suspect Beneficial Fungi Increase Plant Productivity and Protect from Disease Many urban gardeners know that adding ingredients like compost and mulch to their soil has great benefits. But it can be difficult to know what to add and why. With funding from NIFA, researchers at Purdue University gathered scientific evidence about one specific soil addition, leaf mold compost, and how it benefits tomato plants. This mixture is three-year-old leaf mold compost that is about to be applied to the soil. Leaf mold compost has been found to generate a higher quality, or more 'disease suppressive,' compost. Photo courtesy of Kyle Richardville with Purdue University. |  A University of Nebraska–Lincoln research team is taking a closer look at an alternative method of pest control that may overcome or mitigate the problems associated with standard approaches. |  In celebration of National Dairy Month, NIFA is highlighting NIFA-funded researcher Dr. Li Ma. Get to know Dr. Ma and his work at the University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. | |
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