Showing 41-60 of 80 results
western.sare.org news wireworms-in-western-washington Wireworms in Western Washington
Christine Langley has successfully run Lopez Harvest organic farm on Lopez Island in Washington state’s famed San Juan Islands for more than two decades. But for most of that, she wasn’t fighting wireworms. Those showed up about a dozen years ago, and have made her job a lot harder. “I grow a lot of lettuce […]
www.sare.org news new-cover-crops-and-soil-health-video-from-sare New “Cover Crops and Soil Health” Video from SARE
The newest episode of SARE’s "What is Sustainable Agriculture" animation series illustrates how producers can use cover crops to improve productivity and sustainability. In just a few short minutes, “Cover Crops and Soil Health” outlines how cover crops can build soil structure, protect water quality, suppress pests and improve a farm's bottom line. Combining cover […]
www.sare.org news what-is-sustainable-agriculture What is Sustainable Agriculture?
Farmers and researchers are working together to develop and implement agricultural practices that increase profitability, quality of life and environmental stewardship. SARE's new series of short animated videos illustrate how producers can improve the success and health of their farms by implementing sustainable practices. The eight “What is Sustainable Agriculture?” videos are useful and engaging […]
www.sare.org news sares-smart-water-use-bulletin-highlights-sustainable-water-management SARE’s Smart Water Use Bulletin Highlights Sustainable Water Management
Smart Water Use on Your Farm or Ranch is available for free in print and for download; it is particularly useful to farmers and educators considering innovative approaches to agricultural water use.
www.sare.org news updated-guide-to-usda-programs-opens-door-to-millions-of-dollars-of-available-funding Updated Guide to USDA Programs Opens Door to Millions of Dollars of Available Funding
Building Sustainable Farms, Ranches and Communities covers 62 government programs and has been updated to include program updates from the 2018 Farm Bill. Each program listing provides a description of the program’s available resources, information on how to apply, and in some cases, examples of how the funding has been used.
western.sare.org news putting-the-winter-back-in-winter-squash Putting the Winter Back in Winter Squash
For growers, it doesn’t matter how much you harvest. What matters is what you sell! A good example of that came out of Oregon recently, but applies broadly. Growers were having trouble producing and storing a crop they for sale in the winter into the early spring. “We heard from farmers that they weren't making […]
www.sare.org news new-sare-bulletin-addresses-ecological-approach-to-managing-pests New SARE Bulletin Addresses Ecological Approach to Managing Pests
A flock of sheep is vital to the success of one particular vineyard in Winters, California. While many operations struggle to manage weeds, this vineyard used a SARE-funded grant to test grazing sheep as a pest management practice, and they are seeing many whole-farm benefits. The sheep were trained to avoid the grape crop’s leaves […]
western.sare.org news building-agricultural-capacity-in-alaskas-kenai-peninsula-one-row-of-potatoes-at-a-time Building Agricultural Capacity in Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula One Row of Potatoes at a Time
The Kenai Peninsula is the fastest-growing agricultural region in Alaska, with the number of farms increasing at nearly three times the rate of the rest of the state. But most of those farms are small – less than five acres – and selling direct to consumers at farmers markets or to local restaurants. The Kenai […]
western.sare.org news funded-grants-on-diverse-ag-topics Funded Grants on Diverse Ag Topics
Western SARE funding is important for many reasons. It helps researchers develop and test new sustainable farming and ranching techniques. It helps university extension agents and other agricultural professionals get that new knowledge into the hands of producers. And it helps farmers and ranchers conduct their own research on their own land, testing out new […]
western.sare.org news hawaii-and-the-pacific-islands-face-unique-challenges-during-the-covid-19-crisis Hawaii and the Pacific Islands Face Unique Challenges During the COVID-19 Crisis
The agriculture community in Hawaii and the Pacific Islands is feeling the same impacts from COVID-19 as the mainland. But in addition, the islands face the added challenges of remoteness and having tourism-dependent economies. The loss of tourism is a huge impact for all of the food system. Restaurants rely on tourists and the local […]
western.sare.org news getting-research-knowledge-to-ranchers-quickly Getting Research Knowledge to Ranchers Quickly
Western SARE’s Research to Grass Roots grants have a simple goal: to get the knowledge gained in recent research into the hands of farmers and ranchers who can use it to improve their practices and profitability. A newly funded Utah project is a perfect example. It looks at the results of four previously funded Western […]
western.sare.org news western-ags-creative-strategies-during-covid-19-pandemic Western Ag’s Creative Strategies During COVID-19 Pandemic
Farmers and ranchers in the West have confronted considerable challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic. They have been dealing with rapidly changing markets, supply chain slowdowns, and shortages. Strongly shifting consumer behaviors and dramatic drops in demand from restaurants and schools required them, as well as farmer organizations, to respond quickly and creatively. Responding quickly and […]
western.sare.org news focus-on-getting-research-results-adopted Focus on Getting Research Results Adopted
Over the years, SARE has provided millions of dollars for research into sustainable agriculture practices through competitive awards to university researchers, non-profit organizations, extension agents, and directly to farmers and ranchers. The grant recipients conduct their research, develops education and outreach activities, and write up their results. SARE publicizes those results, through reports and newsletters […]
www.sare.org news 2020-cover-crop-survey-report National Farmer Survey Documents a Wide Range of Cover Crop Benefits as Acreage Continues to Expand
Despite the crippling rainfall that significantly delayed planting across much of the country in 2019, more than 90% of farmers participating in a national cover crop survey reported that cover crops allowed them to plant earlier or at the same time as non-cover-cropped fields. Among those who had "planted green," seeding cash crops into growing […]
www.sare.org news conservation-tillage-systems-in-the-southeast-production-profitability-and-stewardship Conservation Tillage Systems in the Southeast: Production, Profitability and Stewardship
“What could be more important to a farmer than soil erosion and soil quality? High-quality soil is a business asset,” says Bob Rawlins, a Georgia farmer who has been using no-till farming for 40 years. SARE’s newest book, Conservation Tillage Systems in the Southeast, explores the importance of conservation tillage and provides in-depth management guidance […]
western.sare.org news response-to-covid-19 Response to COVID-19
Western SARE conducted a survey of state coordinators and grantees about the impact of, and responses to, COVID-19. We gained a lot of insight from our ag community. View responses and data and download full report.
western.sare.org news regenerative-agriculture-the-next-evolution-of-sustainable-farming Regenerative Agriculture – The Next Evolution of Sustainable Farming?
Looking through all the projects funded by Western SARE since 1988, you’ll find 173 with the word “sustainable” in the title, including 11 projects funded in 2019. That’s not surprising. What might be surprising is that same 31-year period, there have been only four projects with “regenerative” in their titles – and all four of […]
western.sare.org news turning-the-tide-on-overfishing Turning the Tide on Overfishing
According to Simon Ellis, director of MERIP Micronesia, over-fishing is depleting natural resources in Micronesia and other parts of the Pacific, creating a clear need to develop alternatives for the economy and food security for fishing communities. Sustainable, capture-based aquaculture and hatchery rearing methods of Rabbitfish hold promise not only for fisheries management and coral […]
SARE Funding in Your State
Since 1988, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program has helped farmers, ranchers, researchers and educators develop cutting edge innovations that improve farm profitability, protect water and land, and revitalize communities. Funded by the United States Department of Agriculture's National Institute for Food and Agriculture, SARE has awarded nearly $300 million to more than 7,300 […]
www.sare.org news the-future-of-agriculture-depends-on-new-faces-and-new-ideas The Future of Agriculture Depends on New Faces and New Ideas
"I grew up on this farm and had no desire to become a farmer,” says Liz Brownlee, talking about a 250-family property near Crothersville, Ind. But eventually, Brownlee and her husband Nate came to see farming as the ideal way to combine a passion for food with an ethic of environmental stewardship. SARE’s 2019/2020 Report from […]