This National Volunteer Month, we celebrate those who serve on behalf of the land-grant university mission. Juan M. Garcia retired after a long career with the USDA and continues to give back to Texas agriculture by volunteering with the Council for Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching (CARET). Learn more about his service in this Q&A: Why do you volunteer for …
Giving Back: Bob Mattive, CARET Delegate
This National Volunteer Month, we celebrate those who serve on behalf of the land-grant university mission. Bob Mattive is a Partner in Worley Family Farms LLC., located in Monte Vista, Colorado. Learn more about how Mattive volunteers with the Council for Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching (CARET) in this Q&A: Why do you volunteer for CARET? What does it mean …
Taking care of America’s forests
Forests are a critical part of life on Earth. They purify air, filter water, store carbon, provide food and shelter for a diverse array of plants and animals, and produce natural resources like timber, paper and medicine. Forests are also important places for recreation and cultural practices. But forests across the United States are under threat from pests, pathogens, deforestation, …
Managing waste
Agricultural wastes, like manure, animal carcasses and wastewater, can pose environmental and human health risks if not handled safely. Some wastes can be reused as fertilizers, but if not properly managed, excess nitrogen, phosphorous, and pathogens can run off or leach into ground and surface waters. Land-grant universities are finding ways to safely dispose of or reuse agricultural wastes. Here …
Preparing the next generation of farm operators
Farm families facing the challenging issue of transferring the farm to the next generation confront many hurdles in putting together a sound succession plan. Some programs are helping farmers with financial management – solidifying and preserving farm operations, ensuring these operations are profitable, sustainable, and transferrable in the years to come. Successful examples include: Purdue Extension adapted a program from …
Exploring commercial hemp production
Producer interest in industrial hemp is gaining traction. Hemp is a Cannabis sativa plant that was cultivated for 10,000 years as a fiber and grain crop used in textiles, building materials, seed oil, essential oils and much more. Land-grant university researchers and educators are helping producers learn about its viability, nutrient requirements and management practices as interest grows following the …
Staying a step ahead of pests
Researchers at the nation’s land-grant universities are helping protect food crops from direct insect damage and diseases spread by insect pests. Their work helps improve crop quality, crop yield and farm profitability. Here are a few examples of that work: At Fort Valley State University in Georgia, researchers have found a combination of beneficial nematodes and a widely available insecticide …
Improving the health of livestock animals
Livestock producers are continually searching for new management strategies that will help them be both innovative and better animal stewards. Maintaining healthy animals may also protect human health. Here are a few examples of that work: A Georgia poultry scientist worked with a pharmaceutical company to redesign their Salmonella vaccine to reduce poultry deaths. The vaccine, which contains killed Salmonella, …
Land-grant expertise make specialty crops viable
Specialty crops range from fruits and vegetables to cut flowers. These plants are cultivated for food, medicine or pleasure. Specialty crops face the same pressures as traditional row crops. Land-grant university research and outreach address these issues, making specialty crops a viable, profitable market. Successful examples include: Each year Georgia apple growers contend with tremendous pest and disease pressures to …