South

Farmers Testing Elderberry Varieties for Florida Cultivation

CHIEFLAND, Florida – Elderberry, internationally utilized and popular for centuries for its perceived medicinal and health benefits, may have potential as an alternative crop in Florida. Farmers Heather Martin and David Jarnagin of Hyldemoer + Co. in north central Florida have been testing elderberry (Sambucus spp.) varieties for the past several years for commercial production. […]

Graduate Student Sustainable Agriculture Projects for FY2022 Announced

GRIFFIN, Georgia – The Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SSARE) program has announced the funded projects for the 2022 Graduate Student Grants program. The SSARE Administrative Council recently funded 20 projects totaling $316,024. The Graduate Student Grants program is one of the few sustainable agriculture research funding opportunities open to Master’s and PhD students […]

Diversifying Small Farms with Cereal Grains

FOREST, Virginia – Virginia farmer Michael Grantz is testing what it takes to incorporate cereal grains into a small-scale, diversified vegetable and cut flower farm for soil health as a cover crop and a value-added product for local markets. Grantz has managed a quarter acre plot of wheat and rye on he and his wife’s […]

Professional Development Program Grants Now Being Accepted

GRIFFIN, Georgia – The Call for Pre-proposals for the Southern SARE Professional Development Program (PDP) Grant is now open. The Professional Development Program is a “train the trainer” program, providing funding to agricultural professionals to train Cooperative Extension agents, USDA field personnel, and other ag professionals and educators in areas of sustainable agriculture production practices. […]

Mississippi Farmer Optimizing Animal/Crop Production in a Unique Integrated System

KILN, Mississippi – The damage brought about by Hurricane Ida in 2021 was a light bulb moment for Mississippi farmer Stephen Wyatt, who was looking for ways to maximize production of his two high-demand cash crops: strawberries and rabbits. With the storm came massive flooding, disease and predators. In less than one season, most of […]

Louisiana Farmer Using Drone Technology to Maximize Nitrogen Efficiency in Row Crops

LAKE PROVIDENCE, Louisiana – Corn and cotton crop producer Nolan Parker is taking to the skies to decrease nitrogen runoff from commodity farms along the Mississippi River. The young farmer, who is a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified remote pilot and works routinely with unmanned aerial systems (UAS), combined drone technology with variable rate nitrogen […]

Exploring Warm Season Grasses for Parasite Control and Performance in Sheep

HIDDENITE, North Carolina – A North Carolina livestock producer is exploring the use of native warm season grasses as forage for Katahdin Hair sheep as a way quickly bring the animals to market weight, and for better parasite control. Lee Holcomb of LeeDer Farm, situated in a rural area just north of Charlotte, is establishing […]

Southern SARE Releases 2023 Education Grant Call for Proposals

GRIFFIN, Georgia -- The Southern region of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program has released its Call for Proposals for the 2023 Education Grants program. Southern SARE’s Education Grant, falling under the Research & Education Grant Program, is a broader education and outreach effort. Education Grants are open to organizations, institutions, and individuals […]

Adding Livestock Farm Diversification with Yaks

MOREHEAD, Kentucky – On a frigid January morning at Morehead State University, Kentucky farmer Greg Dike keeps his fingers crossed for good news as MSU veterinary technology professor Philip Prater completes the pregnancy tests of four yak heifers from Dike’s farm. Yes, you read that right…yaks. Dike has been championing yaks since 2013 as an […]

Southern SARE Releases 2023 Research & Education Grant Call for Pre-Proposals

GRIFFIN, Georgia -- The Southern region of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program has released its Call for Pre-proposals for the 2023 Research & Education Grants program. The deadline for submitting pre-proposals is June 3, 2022 at 12 p.m. (noon). Note that this CFP is for the Research portion of the Research and Education Grant Program only. The Education Grant will […]

USVI Cooperatives Development towards Sustainable Agriculture

Getting ‘back to the basics' is a common phrase heard throughout the community. The basics or pillars of sustainable agriculture based on the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program are quality of life, stewardship, and profitability. In 2021, Louis E. Petersen, Jr. state coordinator at the University of the Virgin Islands School of Agriculture was […]

Southern SARE Graduate Student Grant Call for Proposals Now Open

Graduate Student Grants are one of the few programs providing young researchers the opportunity to study sustainable agriculture techniques.

Farmer Studies the Effects of a Biostimulant on Tomato Vigor and Yields

JOHNS ISLAND, South Carolina – Applying a green microalga, in combination with compost, to tomato plants appears to improve plant vigor and increase crop yields, according to the results of a one-year Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SSARE) Producer Grant. Farm managers Dale Snyder, Jennifer Wicker and George Taylor of Sweetgrass Garden were interested […]

Breeding a Better Butternut

LOUISA, Virginia – Virginia farmer Edmund Frost is on a mission to develop the ideal butternut squash: a disease-resistant prolific producer of consistent shape and size with unparalleled taste. Or maybe a few ideal varieties. Since 2013, Frost, who started the seed company Common Wealth Seed Growers in 2014, has received funding from the Southern […]

UF/IFAS Investigates Sorrel as a New Crop for Florida

Sorrel is a leafy green plant with reddish-pink flowers. It’s hardy, fast growing, has a variety of uses and UF/IFAS is investigating its potential as a new crop for Florida. A recent field day revealed preliminary findings and input from farmers growing the crop. UF/IFAS Extension agents, in collaboration with the University of the Virgin […]

Recycling Mushroom Waste for Value-added Structure in Rural Tennessee

JOELTON, Tennessee – David Wells’ long-time interest in bioremediation through mycology (the study of fungi), has mushroomed into a farming operation whose foundations are balanced on building diverse ecosystems, while growing healthy foods. Henosis, located in the small rural town of Joelton just west of Nashville, utilizes local by-products from wood mills and coffee shops […]

Sunn Hemp Effective for Weed Control in Fall Crops, Producer Grant Research Finds

CHESTER, South Carolina – Farmers with a certified organic diversified vegetable farm in South Carolina are seeing some success with using sunn hemp as a crimped cover crop to suppress weeds in fall brassica crops. Wild Hope Farm, located in Chester, S.C., received a Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SSARE) Producer Grant to explore […]

Southern SARE Seeking Nominations for Its Sustainable Ag Leadership Program

GRIFFIN, Georgia – The Southern region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SSARE) program is seeking nominations for its Sustainable Agriculture Leadership Program for spring/summer 2022. The application deadline is January 1, 2022. The Sustainable Agriculture Leadership Program recognizes the community leadership contributions of historically underserved farmers and ranchers and the community groups and NGOs who […]

Southern SARE Seeking Communications Specialist

GRIFFIN, Georgia – The Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SSARE) program is seeking a Communications Specialist to join the staff at the University of Georgia – Griffin campus. The Communications Specialist promotes Southern SARE’s program goals, objectives and grant-making efforts across the Southern region by communicating project results through the development of written articles […]

Pest Management Practices for Vegetables Proven to Work Across Multiple Southern States

AUBURN, Alabama- A Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SSARE) grant project developed integrated pest management practices for vegetable growers by conducting research across several states. High-value vegetables like squash, pumpkins, watermelon and cucumbers are susceptible to viral diseases and damage from white flies and aphids. Despite being grown across the South, effective pest management […]