Entries by Tracy Mumma

Report Recommends Improvements to EQIP to Serve More Farmers

/in

A new report from the Institute for Agriculture & Trade Policy, Costly versus Cost-effective: How EQIP can be improved to serve more farmers and the climate, suggests reforms to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). The report found that more than $182 million in EQIP funding for 2023 was spent on 10 practices designed for […]

Soil and Water Outcomes Fund Expands Eligibility across Illinois

/in

The Illinois Soybean Association announced that farmers across the state of Illinois are now eligible to enroll in the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund (SWOF). SWOF, an ecosystem services program, provides payment to farmers for environmental outcomes that result from implementing conservation practices. In 2022, the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund provided an average of […]

Community Helps Farm During Weather Crisis

/in

When Vermont experienced intense rains and flooding in July, community members turned out to help Intervale Center with an emergency harvest at its farms, says a story in Sierra magazine. Intervale Center found that it was too late to replant long-season crops after the floods, but the floods were early enough in the season that […]

Finalists Selected for New York AEM-Leopold Conservation Award

/in

Three finalists have been selected for New York’s Agricultural Environmental Management (AEM)-Leopold Conservation Award. New York’s longstanding AEM Award partnered with the Sand County Foundation’s nationally recognized Leopold Conservation Award® program in 2020 to honor a farm and its nominating Soil and Water Conservation District for their efforts to promote and protect the environment through […]

Conversation on Indigenous Food Sovereignty Published

/in

The Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development published a peer-reviewed article, “Indigenous food systems and food sovereignty: A collaborative conversation from the American Association of Geographers 2022 Annual Meeting.” The paper shares a synthesis of the conversation between Suzanne Brant (president & CEO of First Nations Technical Institute) and Keith Williams (director of […]

Videos Address Organic Almond Orchard Weed Control

/in

Two new videos in SARE’s Manage Weeds on Your Farm series explore organic almond-grove weed control on Burroughs Family Farm’s 1,200-acre orchard in Denair, California. In Ecological Weed Management at Burroughs Family Orchards, Benina Montes, who manages the property with her parents, shares how consistent vegetative cover paired with seasonal sheep grazing is used to […]

John May Farm Safety Fund

/in

Applications are accepted year-round. The New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health’s John May Farm Safety Fund provides 1:1 matching grants up to $5,000 to small and mid-sized farm operations in New York for repairs and upgrades that make for a safer workplace.

Floating Dairy Offers Approach to Resilient Local Food Production

/in

In Rotterdam, a high-tech floating microdairy offers a new take on local food production, reports the Guardian. The dairy consists of nearly nearly 10,000 square feet of space floating on pontoons that includes space for feeding and milking its 40 cows, milk-processing and cheesemaking facilities, and a space to age cheese. The cows are able […]

Southern SARE Sustainable Agriculture Leadership Program Seeks Nominations

/in

The Southern region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SSARE) program is seeking nominations for its Sustainable Agriculture Leadership Program for summer 2023. This program provides sponsorship funds (up to $3,000) to support sustainable agriculture education and training activities throughout the Southern region. The sponsorship funds education and training activities to help farmers, particularly historically underserved […]

Cooperative Agreement to Improve Soil Health Tools

/in

American Farmland Trust (AFT) and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service have signed a two-year, $2 million cooperative agreement to further develop and improve AFT’s soil health economic and environmental tools, including three Soil Health Economic Calculators. AFT announced that it will create a Soil Health Economics Accelerator Team, expanding the existing team by hiring five […]