Sustainable Communities

Urban Agriculture Initiatives in Kentucky: Empowering Communities and Driving Research

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky Tiffany Bellfield El-Amin, the founder and director of the Kentucky Black Farmers Association (KBFA), leads the Urban BIPOC Farms Mentoring Program through a Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SSARE) On-Farm Research grant. The grant involves three urban farmers in different parts of Kentucky, each with unique soil conditions and farming practices. The […]

Georgia Organics & SSARE partnered at SOWTH Conference

Thank you and your team for a great conference! I really enjoyed the energy, the thoughtful sessions, and connection to this amazing community across the Southeast.~Gini Knight, USDA SE Regional Coordinator ATLANTA, Georgia -- A collaborative effort between Georgia Organics and Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SSARE), the inaugural SOWTH conference held February 4-6 at the World […]

Southern SARE Webinar held on the Professional Development Program Grant Program

GRIFFIN, Georgia – The Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SSARE) program held a free webinar on August 16 for agricultural professionals such as Cooperative Extension; NRCS; Farm Service Agency, or other USDA agency staff; agriculture consultants; non-governmental organizations; mentor farmers; and other agriculture professionals interested in learning more about and applying for the Professional Development […]

HABESHA Progresses: Intends to Give Back by Supporting Others

Atlanta, GEORGIA -  by DaraMonifah Cooper Social sustainability is one of the three pillars that Southern SARE encourages more research, education and outreach on. More commonly called quality of life, many aren’t always able to identify and include the specifically related area, but some are all about it as an integral part of their holistic […]

Can Indigenous Agricultural Methods of Puerto Rico Mitigate Erosion and Feed the Island?

UTUADO, Puerto Rico - Graduate student Joseph Anthony Navarro thinks that sustainable agroecological practices can preserve biodiversity and was awarded a $16,491 SSARE grant to research it. He asks the question, “Can Taino be an alternative to traditional intensive Agriculture?” According to Joseph, a Conuco is an elevated bed of soil, organic matter, and plant/tree residues (mulch) for easy harvesting/weed management. “My […]

2024 Innovative Urban Ag Conference: Bridging Education, Agriculture, and Technology

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas - Kesha Cobb wanted to combine education, urban agriculture and technology so she applied for the Southern SARE Education grant and was awarded $50,000 to create the 2024 Innovative Urban Ag Conference (IUAC) taking place in the fall. A one day, power-packed event, the IUAC will encompass live, futuristic agriculture exhibits, educational […]

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 […]

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 […]

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.

Farm to Fork in North Carolina

This guide provides key action ideas for building a sustainable food economy in North Carolina.

Sustainable Food Systems for Georgia’s Agrarian Future

In Georgia, demand for local, sustainable food exceeds the supply, but a lack of infrastructure limits the development of a local, sustainable food system. Through a Southern SARE planning grant, the Georgia Sustainable Agriculture Consortium was formed to coordinate and leverage resources across the state of Georgia and to determine the necessary components of a […]

Private Landowners Guide to Forest Certification in the South

"Private Landowners' Guide to Forest Certification in the South," developed by the LSU Ag Center and Mississippi State University Extension, helps forest landowners understand forest certification.

Finding Common Ground with Farmers and Policymakers on Urban Agriculture Development in Puerto Rico

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The damage to small farms in Puerto Rico from Hurricanes Maria and Irma in 2017 brought to light the disconnect between communities interested in urban agriculture initiatives and local governments that don’t recognize their social and economic benefits. To provide solutions, researchers at Ana G. Méndez (formerly Metropolitan University) in […]

Benefits to Farmers Who Donate Fresh Produce to Food Banks

RALEIGH, North Carolina -- The Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) Whole Crop Harvest initiative has released a new video to encourage farmers to donate produce to food banks. Donations to food banks provide alternatives for farmers when they are unable to sell all of their fresh produce, says Rebecca Dunning, a North Carolina State […]

Agriculture in U.S. Virgin Islands Challenging, But Prevailing with Sustainable Agriculture Practices

CHRISTIANSTED, St. Croix – For months, a 14,000-gallon water tank has been sitting on its side in the middle of Frederick Miller’s Moringa tree orchard. Winds from Hurricane Maria had rolled the tank down the hillside of his farm, and he still hasn’t figured out yet how he’s going to move it. Yvette and Dale […]

Check Out These Resources to Calculate Food Waste on the Farm

RALEIGH, North Carolina – For farmers concerned about food waste on the farm, North Carolina State University researchers are developing tools and other educational resources that would help farmers calculate on-farm produce losses and then find ways to bring those products to market. In a newly funded Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Grant (LS17-280), […]

Despite Challenges, the Farm-to-Childcare Relationship Holds Promise

RALEIGH, North Carolina – North Carolina State University researchers are exploring the relationship between farmers and childcare facilities – a segment of the local food movement that holds a myriad of economic and social opportunities. Graduate student Jacob Rutz and local foods Extension specialist J. Dara Bloom, through a $10,636 Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research & […]

NCSU Researchers Develop Protocol for Measuring Food Waste on the Farm

RALEIGH, North Carolina – A North Carolina State University study quantifying food waste on the farm seems to suggest that the amount of edible and marketable vegetable crops being left in the field after primary harvest is much higher than previously thought. In a Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SSARE) Graduate Student Grant, researchers […]

Getting a Glimpse of Sustainable Agriculture in Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Sustainable agriculture is growing in Tennessee and members of the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SSARE) program got a glimpse recently of the innovations, research, and marketing and productions methods driving that growth. Nearly 50 SSARE staff, members of the Administrative Council, and state ag coordinators were treated to a daylong […]