News

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 […]

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 […]

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 Producer Grant Calls for Proposals Released

GRIFFIN, Georgia – The Call for Proposals for the 2022 Producer Grant Program, intended for farmers/ranchers and farmer/rancher organizations throughout the Southern region, is now available from the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SSARE) program. Proposal submission deadline is November 12, 2021 at 12 p.m. (NOON) EST. Announcement of funded proposals will take place […]

Southern SARE Funds Research for Graduate Students Across the Southeast

GRIFFIN, Georgia – The Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program (SSARE) has announced the funded projects for the 2021 Graduate Student Grants Program. The SSARE Administrative Council selected 19 projects which received $302,661 in funding. The Graduate Student Grant program is one of the few funding opportunities open to master’s and PhD students researching […]

Alabama Farmer Helping to Diversify State’s Aquaculture Production with Crawfish

BOLIGEE, Alabama – A tall, bright yellow banner with the words “Crawfish” in big, black letters displayed at the entrance of Greene Prairie Aquafarm along rural U.S. Highway 43 in western Alabama may be signaling a shift in the aquaculture industry in the state. Farm owner David Coddington is among a handful of farmers who […]

Intercropping Cowpea with Vegetables Can Increase Yields

GREENSBORO, North Carolina- Intercropping cowpea with vegetable crops can increase yields up to 50% according to a new report from the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program. Cowpea is a nitrogen-fixing legume originally domesticated in Africa. Known for its black-eyed peas that are common in southern cooking, it has a high tolerance for sandy, […]

2022 Professional Development Program Grant Applications 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. […]

Sustainable Agriculture Leadership Program Supports Historically Underserved Farmers and Ranchers

This program seeks to champion the leadership contributions of those who serve historically underserved audiences within the Southern region. Participants receive sponsorship support to conduct education or training activities about sustainable agriculture.