Entries by Tracy Mumma

American Farmland Trust Collaborating with Real Farmer Care to Advance Farmer Self-Care

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American Farmland Trust (AFT) announced that it will collaborate with Real Farmer Care (RFC) as the fiscal sponsor to support and advance farmer and rancher self-care and well-being. Real Farmer Care’s founding mission is to support farmers’ self-care needs and allocate donated funds directly to farmers and ranchers as $100 self-care awards. Self-care is defined as the […]

Fact Sheet Provides Resources for Dual-use Solar Ordinances

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The Center for Rural Affairs published a new fact sheet, Best Practices for Adopting Dual-Use Solar Ordinances, that addresses ordinance development for using the same land for both solar energy generation and agricultural production, including livestock grazing, crop production, pollinator habitats, or beekeeping. “Dual use is a great solution to alleviate concerns about solar on […]

Western SARE Graduate Student Research and Education Grants

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Proposals are due December 4, 2024. Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) funds proposals up to $30,000 over three years that present innovative research and educational outreach for advancing sustainable agriculture practices in the Western U.S. Only full-time graduate students enrolled at accredited universities in the Western region are eligible to apply for Graduate […]

Research Explores Role that Volatile Organic Compounds Could Play in Plant Protection

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A review study by researchers at the Tokyo University of Science, published in Trends in Plant Science, explored potential for adapting plant communication via Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) to help protect plants from pests. The scientists say that plants damaged by insect pests release VOCs that trigger neighboring plants to enhance their chemical defenses. Because […]

New Board Game Highlights Mycorrhizal Relationships

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A new board game called “Undergrove” highlights the mycorrhizal relationships between trees and fungi, reports National Public Radio’s Short Wave. In the game, players assume the role of trees that create carbon through photosynthesis. They then partner with mushrooms in the mycorrhizal network to trade that carbon for nutrients such as nitrogen. The game’s creator, […]

Vermont Business Emergency Gap Assistance Program for Agriculture Operations

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The application deadline is November 15, 2024. Vermont’s Business Emergency Gap Assistance Program (BEGAP) is a grant program for businesses, nonprofits, landlords, and farms that suffered physical damage from flooding in the 2024 floods. Grants will cover 30% of net uncovered damages, up to $100,000. Preference will be given to Vermont-based operations, and 10% of […]

Logs from Invasive Tree Species Promising for Mushroom Production

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The Weed Science Society of America reports that an article in the latest issue of Invasive Plant Science and Management provides new insights on the varying potential for using invasive tree logs to grow edible, marketable mushrooms. The study’s lead author, Kristen Bowers, Ph.D., New Mexico State University postdoc research scientist and USDA Agricultural Research […]

Plastic Mulch Leaves Contamination in Agricultural Fields, Study Finds

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Researchers at California Polytechnic State University published a study in PNAS Nexus in which they sampled 12 farm fields on California’s Central Coast after plastic mulch had been removed for the season according to best practices. According to a press release, all the fields surveyed had plastic contamination and the authors found up to 25 […]

USDA Invests $1.5 Billion Through Regional Conservation Partnership Program

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USDA is investing $1.5 billion for 92 partner-driven conservation projects through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). Partners will provide $968 million in contributions to amplify the impact of the federal investment. Selected RCPP projects will help farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners adopt and expand voluntary, locally led conservation strategies to enhance natural resources while […]

FACT Fund-a-Farmer Grants

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Applications are due by December 8, 2024. Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT) is offering two types of Fund-a-Farmer Grants: Fund-a-Farmer Welfare Improvement Grants up to $3,000 each and one Systems Change and Innovation Grant up to $10,000. Welfare Improvement Grants support farms in improving the lives of their farm animals, in seeking or maintaining animal […]