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Western SARE logo with an icon of farm fields and a sun in green and yellowwestern.sare.org news recently-funded-projects

Recently Funded Projects

Western SARE has funded 77 projects for 2023. These 77 projects totaled $7,363,082 in funding for six programs: Research and Education, Farmer-Rancher, Professional + Producer, Professional Development Program, Graduate Student Research & Education, and Research to Grassroots. Projects were funded in 14 states and protectorates. Example topic areas include: Overall, To review summaries of all […]

woman holding oyster mushroomswestern.sare.org news farmers-test-benefits-of-using-hemp-stalks-to-produce-mushrooms

Farmers Test Benefits of Using Hemp Stalks to Produce Mushrooms

When optimists are buried in proverbial lemons, they make lemonade. When the women who own Intentional Growth Farm in Utah had too many hemp stalks, they produced exceptionally large, tasty mushrooms. “We used the hemp stalks as the nutrient source for our oyster mushrooms, and customers said they were the best mushrooms they ever tasted,” […]

the game based around agriculturewestern.sare.org news playing-pest-friends

Playing Pest Friends

At their annual meeting this summer, Western SARE state coordinators came together and played an educational board game about managing pests. Their experience was similar to other groups who indicate that they learn more by doing than listening. Jason Thomas and Grant Loomis, extension educators at the University of Idaho, received a Western SARE grant […]

Gil Giese and farm manager in vineyardwestern.sare.org news reasons-to-like-wine

Reasons to Like Wine

Reasons to like wine Number 462: It can be good for New Mexico’s native bees and other pollinators. Even though grapevines are largely self pollinating and don’t need insects like bees or butterflies to produce fruit, vineyards themselves can provide habitat for native pollinators and other insect species, benefiting both the grower and the environment. […]

Sheep grazing in a fieldwestern.sare.org news cheatgrass-eating-sheep

Cheatgrass-Eating Sheep

Wildfires in the West are inevitable and part of a natural, necessary ecological cycle, but invasive grasses like cheatgrass can make fires burn hotter, spread farther and cause more destruction. So, across the West, researchers, range managers, cattle ranchers and others are looking for ways to economically control cheatgrass and other invasive grasses on millions […]

farmer in truckwestern.sare.org news in-northern-colorado-building-soil-takes-time

In Northern Colorado, Building Soil Takes Time

For anyone focused on building or rebuilding healthy soils, it’s worth remembering that soil took eons to develop initially. Improving it doesn’t happen overnight. That’s a lesson farmers and ranchers are learning in northern Colorado through a Citizen Science Soil Health Project funded by Western SARE. The three-year, three-county project provides free soil testing and […]

western.sare.org news graduate-student-projects-funded-for-2022

Graduate Student Projects Funded for 2022

Western SARE’s Administrative Council recently approved funding of $323,118 for 13 Graduate Student Research and Education projects.  The projects are located in eight Western states (Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming). The Graduate Student Research & Education Program involves Master’s or Ph.D. students partnering with producers on innovative research and outreach on […]

western.sare.org news tribute-to-mark-frasier-western-sustainability-pioneer-award

Tribute to Mark Frasier: Western Sustainability Pioneer Award

Citing his career-long record in sustainable, holistic range management and his leadership for the Western SARE program, the organization’s leaders recently presented the 3rd Annual Western Sustainability Pioneer Award to Mark Frasier, CEO of his family’s cattle ranch in Eastern Colorado. As one nominator noted, “Mark’s contribution and impact to sustainability in the West has […]

graph from reportwestern.sare.org news needs-assessment-of-sustainable-agricultural-practices-in-the-western-u-s

Needs Assessment of Sustainable Agricultural Practices in the Western U.S.

Western SARE has always strived to meet the needs of our region’s agricultural communities. Toward that end, we recently funded a needs assessment to better understand information gaps and future directions for research and outreach efforts related to sustainable agriculture in our region. The study also aimed to understand the regional differences that may exist […]

list of videos in the racial equity webinar serieswestern.sare.org news project-focuses-on-equity-in-agriculture

Project Focuses on Equity in Agriculture

California agriculture includes a growing number of producers of color, who have historically been underserved by extension institutions, according to Sonja Brodt, University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program (SAREP). With increased attention on building constructive working relationships with producers of color and immigrant producers, extension services would become more widely accessible and […]

profile Jackson Phillipwestern.sare.org news remembering-jackson-phillip

Remembering Jackson Phillip

Jackson Phillip, long-time Western SARE PDP State Coordinator from Micronesia, passed away in September 2021. In his capacity of ANR Program Coordinator at the College of Micronesia, FSM, Jackson fulfilled his State Coordinator role since the very beginning of the Professional Development Program. That was in 1994 and former Associate PDP Coordinator Al Kurki remembers […]

Field demonstration with people standing ouside in face maskswestern.sare.org news getting-the-diagnosis-right-guam-workshop-focuses-on-foliar-fungal-diseases

Getting the Diagnosis Right: Guam Workshop Focuses on Foliar Fungal Diseases

In farming, as in medicine, an accurate diagnosis is critical. For a doctor to prescribe the correct treatment, they need to know the specific disease causing a patient’s symptoms. The same is true for growers. When they see disease symptoms in a field, they need to know the underlying cause in order to correctly treat […]