GRIFFIN, Georgia – The Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program has announced the funded projects for the 2021 Producer Grant Program.
The SSARE Producer Grant program was established in 1994 to give farmers the opportunity to conduct their own research projects. The program is intended to help farmers and ranchers develop sustainable production and marketing practices. The goal of the grant program is for farmers and ranchers to conduct research to solve the challenges and problems they face, and develop information on what works and doesn’t work so that other farmers and ranchers facing those same problems can benefit from the results of the funded project.
Producer Grants are open to individual farmers/ranchers or farmer organizations.
In 2021, the SSARE Administrative council funded 9 projects totaling $105,176.
FS21-329 Enhancing Strawberry Production by Integrating Rabbit Production to decrease fertilizer use, increase sustainability and profit, SLEWZ LLC, $14,909, Stephen Wyatt, carbongold@gmail.com
FS21-330 Does treatment with chlorella vulgaris extend the life of tomato plants to increase tomato sales?, Sweetgrass Garden Co-op, $14,640, Dale Synder, dale.snyder@att.net
FS21-331 Successional Mushroom Production: Farming Multiple Species of Mushrooms on One Substrate to Lower Input Cost, Increase Revenue, and Products Sold, Henosis, $10,780, David Wells, david@henosismushrooms.com
FS21-332 Cropland Remediation of Heavy Metals, Royall D Farm, $11,707, William Drumheller, bill@royalldfarm.com
FS21-333 Development of the East Alabama Black Belt Farmers’ Market and the Black Belt Brand of Sustainable Agricultural Products, East AL Black Farmers Co-operative, $13,600, Collie Graddick, collie@communitytable.coop
FS21-334 Case study for Heritage American Heritage Hogs in Puerto Rico, $14,855, Julie North, northjul@gmail.com
FS21-335 Development of AI for yak semen and the potential economic benefits to Southern Region yak, small acreage farmers and beef producers, $14,998, Gregor Dike, NCT1108@yahoo.com
FS21-336 Regenerative Organic Rice Weed Control, Conscious Cajun Farms, $7,474, Brennon Sagrera, bsagrera4@gmail.com
FS21-337 Establishing and Grazing Native Warm Season Grass: How Average Daily Gain and Internal Parasite Burden are affected in Weaned Lambs, LeeDer Farm, $2,723, Lee Holcomb, ljholcomb2583@gmail.com
Southern SARE is a USDA-funded program that provides funding opportunities for researchers, farmers, Cooperative Extension, NGOs, government agency personnel, and other ag professionals to conduct research in sustainable agriculture. Authorized in the 1985 Farm Bill, the mission of the SARE program is to promote sustainable agriculture practices throughout American agriculture that are profitable for the farmer, protect the environment, and promote community quality of life over the long term.
For more information on Southern SARE, visit http://www.southern.sare.org.
Published by the Southern Region of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. Funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Southern SARE operates under cooperative agreements with the University of Georgia, Fort Valley State University, and the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture to offer competitive grants to advance sustainable agriculture in America’s Southern region. This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, through Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education. USDA is an equal opportunity employer and service provider. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.