USDA Invests $4.8 Million in University Agricultural Programs

(AGNet) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today announced 19 grants totaling $4,790,100 to support agricultural science programs at non-land-grant universities. The funding is made possible through NIFA’s Capacity Building Grants for Non-Land-Grant Colleges of Agriculture (NLGCA) program, authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill.

“Our nation’s ability to achieve nutritional security in the context of the multitude of biological and environmental constraints will require continued new discoveries and a cadre of graduates who are prepared to enter the agricultural workforce,” said NIFA Director Sonny Ramaswamy. “NIFA investments that offer strong agricultural sciences programs is critical.”

NIFA’s NLGCA program offers competitive grants to help these institutions maintain and expand their capacity to conduct education, research, and outreach activities in agriculture, renewable resources, and related disciplines. NLGCAs also support the economic vitality of rural communities by funding new degree programs that emphasize new and emerging employment opportunities.

Awards for 2016 include:

Arkansas State University, Arkansas, $149,016

California State University, Chico, California, $150,000

California State University, Bakersfield, California, $149,753

California State University Fresno Foundation, Fresno, California, $148,699

Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, $300,000

Western Kentucky University Research Foundation, Bowling Green, Kentucky, $297,278

Murray State University, Murray, Kentucky, $149,868

Minnesota State University, Mankato, Minnesota, $30,000

Missouri State University, Springfield, Missouri, $298,669

Missouri State University, Springfield, Missouri, $137,074

Northwest Missouri State University, Maryville, Missouri, $150,000

Montclair State College, Upper Montclair, New Jersey, $150,000

SUNY College of Agriculture & Technology, Cobleskill, New York, $749,216

Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, $150,000

University of Tennessee at Martin, Tennessee, $299,989

Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, $283,072

Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, $749,404

Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, $148,556

University of Wisconsin, Platteville, Wisconsin, $299,506

Among the funded projects, a Montclair State University project will investigate how farmers markets in urban communities can improve both farmer livelihoods and nutrition among low-income consumers. Texas Tech University will create a new academic and outreach program on Global Food Security to train the next generation of change agents to help to reduce hunger on a global scale.

More information on these projects is available on the NIFA website.

Among past projects, a University of Tennessee at Martin project created a mobile energy classroom to share knowledge on traditional and renewable energy production and conservation. Fort Hays State University is developing curricula to help the next generation of farm managers, technicians, and crop advisors use small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) in precision agriculture

Since 2009, NIFA has invested in and advanced innovative and transformative initiatives to solve societal challenges and ensure the long-term viability of agriculture. NIFA’s integrated research, education, and extension programs support the best and brightest scientists and extension personnel whose work results in user-inspired, groundbreaking discoveries that combat childhood obesity, improve and sustain rural economic growth, address water availability issues, increase food production, find new sources of energy, mitigate climate variability, and ensure food safety