Showing 1-20 of 65 results
western.sare.org news growing-green-in-the-nevada-desert Growing Green in the Nevada Desert
When outsiders think of Nevada, they picture the garish lights of Las Vegas, the blue depths of Lake Tahoe or perhaps red desert sands. But Nevada has a green side, too, in the form of small farms and ranches and a growing urban agriculture sector. Helping those producers thrive, University of Nevada, Reno Extension, with […]
western.sare.org news learning-how-bison-grazing-impacts-rangelands-and-invasive-grasses Learning How Bison Grazing Impacts Rangelands and Invasive Grasses
The 19,000-acre Bison Range on the Flathead Indian Reservation is the traditional homeland of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Here, the Salish, Kootenai, and Pend d’Oreilles tribes have focused on land restoration, soil health improvement, and invasive species containment in response to climate change. Invasive annual grasses, particularly Ventenata dubia, pose significant threats to […]
western.sare.org news training-for-the-future-of-arizonas-small-scale-agriculture Training for the Future of Arizona’s Small-Scale Agriculture
When supply chains collapsed and grocery shelves sat empty in the first years of the COVID pandemic, many people got interested in growing their own food. Most of those didn’t have access to dozens or hundreds of acres of land. What land they could find were small urban plots, or suburban backyards, or maybe a […]
western.sare.org news creating-fungal-compost Creating Fungal Compost
A former Chicago science teacher turned Colorado farmer, Rick Bieterman isn’t afraid of a challenge. Start with the location of his Watershed Ranch near Buena Vista in central Colorado. “Soil quality out here is pretty terrible,” he said. “Organics are way low. We’re right next to the Arkansas River, so most of our fields are […]
western.sare.org news light-it-up-using-uv-light-to-kill-powdery-mildew-in-grapes Light it Up! Using UV Light to Kill Powdery Mildew in Grapes
Instead of relying solely on fungicides to control powdery mildew on winegrapes, growers may one day – and one day reasonably soon – have an effective non-chemical option: light. Specifically, light in the form of spore-killing ultraviolet UV-C radiation, delivered directly to the plant by a self-driving tractor moving through vineyard rows autonomously at night. […]
western.sare.org news measuring-biochars-benefits-for-healthy-orchard-soils Measuring Biochar’s Benefits for Healthy Orchard Soils
As the California agricultural community seeks new tools and practices critical for adapting to a changing climate, the American Farmland Trust partnered with a Madera County almond grower, conservation districts, and the University of California at Merced to conduct a field demonstration project and experiment on the application of biochar and its effects on soil […]
western.sare.org news breaking-the-barriers-to-ipm-adoption-in-wenatchee-pears Breaking the Barriers to IPM Adoption in Wenatchee Pears
For all the promise, potential and profound benefits integrated pest management can bring, there’s also this harsh reality: IPM only works if people practice it. In some pear-growing regions in the Pacific Northwest, IPM is a widely accepted, effective and economical way to manage pear psylla and codling moth, the crop’s key insect pests. But […]
western.sare.org news a-new-tool-for-managing-invasive-grasses-in-montana A New Tool for Managing Invasive Grasses in Montana
Invasive annual grasses, such as cheatgrass and ventenata, are reducing the abundance of native grasses that livestock producers depend on in the semi-arid rangelands of southwestern Montana. At the current low-to-moderate levels of invasion, it’s crucial to begin targeted management before invasive populations become too advanced. To guide efforts to slow or halt annual grass […]
western.sare.org news impacts-of-compost-application-on-the-drought-resiliency-of-rangeland Impacts of Compost Application on the Drought Resiliency of Rangeland
Severe droughts, expected to increase due to climate change, pose threats to California’s rangelands. Ranchers and rangeland managers are facing decreased livestock forage production, reduced biodiversity, and soil degradation. A previously funded Western SARE project (grant number OW19-349) found that compost amendments provide benefits to soils and forage productivity, including greater resilience to drought. However, […]
western.sare.org news propagating-tea-plants-for-the-west Propagating Tea Plants for the West
Tea is one of the most popular drinks in the world, second only to water in consumption. In America, you can find it in more than 80 percent of households. Finding it growing in U.S. soil is another story. Tea is produced on less than 100 acres in America, mostly in Hawaii and the South. […]
western.sare.org news hawaii-research-examines-ecological-pest-management-and-values-driven-farming Hawaii Research Examines Ecological Pest Management and Values-Driven Farming
Agricultural researchers often measure success in terms of higher yields or higher profits, but a new project in Hawaii is looking at a third dimension of success: Growers’ personal values. “A lot of farmers make the transition to organic partially for commercial reasons, but it’s also a values-driven decision,” said Ben Wiseman, a third-year PhD […]
western.sare.org news studying-the-ecology-of-fear-to-protect-chile-in-colorado Studying the Ecology of Fear to Protect Chile in Colorado
Tiny aphids are causing outsized losses for chile pepper growers in Colorado, even though the insects don’t feed on that particular crop and don’t linger in it. Instead, aphids move through chile fields, especially after nearby alfalfa fields are cut. That wasn’t a problem until 2019 when alfalfa mosaic virus appeared in southern Colorado. Aphids […]
western.sare.org news targeted-grazing Targeted Grazing
Wildfires throughout the West are growing more severe. Fire season starts earlier, lasts longer and claims more lives and property along the way. Grazing is one of the most effective, cost-efficient tools available to lessen fire spread and severity. And now, thanks to a recent Western SARE-supported project, grazing has become even more useful to […]
western.sare.org news boosting-beneficial-insects-in-oregons-cherry-orchards Boosting Beneficial Insects in Oregon’s Cherry Orchards
Eighty percent of Oregon’s cherries are produced in the Mid-Columbia Basin. Typically, when new orchards are planted, farmers leave the ground under the trees bare or plant grass. Farmers also regularly apply chemicals to control insect pests such as spotted wing drosophila, thrips, and leafhoppers, among others. However, planting mixed cover crops that include flowering […]
western.sare.org news training-ag-leaders-in-the-bering-strait Training Ag Leaders in the Bering Strait
A large nonprofit with a long history in Alaska, the Rural Alaska Community Action Program (CAP) is well-known for its work addressing housing, workforce development, and health challenges. When COVID hit, the organization added food security work to their priorities. With the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding, they initiated ten food […]
Funded Projects
At their March 2025 meeting, the Administrative Council approved funding for 86 projects. The total amount of funding is over $7.9 million. Projects were funded in 14 states and territories. Funding included:
western.sare.org news can-introducing-mason-bees-boost-berry-pollination Can Introducing Mason Bees Boost Berry Pollination?
When it comes to berry pollination throughout the West, honeybees are the biggest show in town. That can be a problem for pollination diversity and for farmers because honeybees aren’t always the best option for some crops. “That’s especially true with blueberries,” said Miranda Jones, a graduate student in biology at Utah State University. “Blueberries […]
western.sare.org news the-terroir-of-bison The Terroir of Bison
Is Grass-Fed Bison Better for your Health? Not all bison burgers are created equal. As with other livestock, it stands to reason that how and where bison are raised would impact the meat’s nutritional profile. But there isn’t much science on how different forages and finishing strategies effect bison quality. Until now. Nutrition science […]
western.sare.org news biofertilizers-in-high-elevation-meadows Biofertilizers in High Elevation Meadows
Livestock producers in the high elevation areas of Wyoming and Colorado depend on hay meadows for their forage production. Because of limited precipitation and low fertility, producers have routinely practiced flood irrigation in these meadows and apply high rates of nitrogen fertilizer to guarantee sufficient production. Yet, these integral meadows are underperforming, expensive to manage, […]
western.sare.org news from-vertical-farms-to-outer-space From Vertical Farms to Outer Space
Research projects can at times lead to unanticipated results. While working to identify an alternative and sustainable source of carbon dioxide (CO2) generation for enriching plant chambers within the growing vertical farming industry as a graduate student at the University of Arizona, Justin Chung discovered the potential benefits for sustaining astronauts in long duration missions. […]