JANUARY 2024 TOOLKIT

INNOVATING FOR THE FUTURE: CLIMATE-SMART SOLUTIONS

Through their research, education, and Extension, land-grant universities are vital to innovate, increase knowledge, and implement climate-smart agricultural practices. Colleges of Agriculture and Natural Resources, in strong partnerships with farmers, ranchers, and USDA, provide important opportunities to develop and implement solutions. These collaborations are crucial to protect land, water, animals, and crops while minimizing climate-related impacts on food, fiber, and fuel systems in the United States and globally.

RESEARCH
Land-grant universities’ agricultural scientists are critical to propel scientific discoveries and advance climate-smart solutions for a wide range of complex challenges. These dedicated researchers work to minimize the negative impacts of extreme weather events including excessive heat, prolonged droughts, and massive floods.

agInnovation, a nationwide system of agricultural research stations operated under the auspices of the nation's land-grant universities, targets efforts to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change in its Grand Challenges. Research priorities include:

Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve carbon sequestration on agricultural lands
Collect robust data for climate modeling and predictions
Develop decision-making tools that account for variability and uncertainty
Breed crops and livestock that can tolerate water stress and extreme temperatures
Improve climate change education
Guide policy and regulation and enhance global cooperation

^{Source: OUR PRIORITIES | agInnovation | Experiment Station Section | Land Grant University Research}

COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SYSTEM (EXTENSION)
Extension has over 200 unique programs that address aspects of climate education and applied research to support the adaptation, mitigation, and resiliency of U.S. agriculture to climate disruption. Extension translates agricultural research into action to rapidly get practical tools and knowledge to the people and communities who need them. Extension engages communities in important dialogue and education to affect change across diverse audiences including rural, urban, and underserved groups. Examples include:

Developing and Implementing Climate-Smart Agriculture: Extension professionals help farmers and ranchers adopt climate-sensitive practices that improve the profitability and sustainability of plant and animal systems. They also support water users and managers’ use of new data and models to weigh the costs and benefits of complex water decisions.
Providing Co-Benefits through Ecosystem Services: Extension Climate-Smart management practices for forests, waterways, and other natural habitats reduce the negative impacts of climate on ecosystems and human communities.

^{Sources: Cooperative Extension / Climate Resiliency and Advocacy Toolkit (extension.org)}

LAND-GRANT CLIMATE-SMART AG

Examples from Land-grant Impacts

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, climate change, and other stressors. Land-grant university researchers and Extension educators are working to protect forests and the environmental, economic, and social benefits they provide.

Safer, more sustainable pest management
Managing pests is essential to healthy, safe and productive agricultural, urban, residential and natural areas. However, chemical pesticides can cause air and water pollution and unintended harm to nontarget organisms. Exposure to pesticides has also been linked to human health problems. In addition, many pests eventually develop resistance to commonly used chemicals, rendering them ineffective. Land-grant universities’ researchers are developing alternative and integrated pest control methods that are safer and more sustainable.

National Climate Change Roadmap

The National Climate Change Roadmap - A Research Framework for Agriculture, Forestry and Working Lands (December 2023) is a new resource that provides valuable insights for developing strategies that address climate change through agriculture and forestry. Researchers from Colorado State University with support from the Meridian Institute led this horizon scan analysis, which is an assessment process that looks at emerging issues, threats, and innovations.

This science roadmap process involved over 60 national experts in climate-related agricultural research and Extension with further input from over 100 leading scientists. It includes an assessment of the state of climate adaptation research in agriculture, forestry and working lands, along with key needs and gaps. For each gap, the authors identified research questions to address the impacts of climate change on agriculture, food systems, forests and natural resources, which are aligned with seven themes.

Systems-based innovations
Participatory research processes
Mitigation and adaptation through ecosystem management
Climate-informed water resource management
Energy-smart agriculture and technology integration
Strategic, sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices
Socioeconomic and policy research

This work was funded by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

^{Sources: National Climate Change Roadmap and USDA Announces the National Climate Change Roadmap | NIFA}

Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities

USDA is investing $3.1 billion in 141 selected projects under Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities to support a diverse range of farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners. This program involves nearly 100 universities, including over 30 minority serving institutions.

The partnerships will expand markets for America’s climate-smart commodities, leverage the greenhouse gas benefits of climate-smart commodity production, as well as provide direct benefits to small, underserved, and other producers. These projects will:

Provide technical and financial assistance to producers to implement climate-smart production practices on a voluntary basis on working lands
Pilot innovative and cost-effective methods for quantification, monitoring, reporting, and verification of greenhouse gas benefits
Develop markets and promote the resulting climate-smart commodities.

USDA anticipates that these projects will result in:

More than 60,000 farms engaged in climate-smart production practices encompassing more than 25 million acres of working land
Hundreds of expanded markets and revenue streams
More than 60 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent sequestered over the lives of the projects.

USDA updates the project dashboard periodically.

^{Sources: Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities and Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Project Summaries | USDA}

SOCIAL MEDIA

SAMPLE POSTS

RESEARCH
#LandGrantUniversities like [@SCHOOL] are at the forefront of #ClimateSmartAgriculture research, working to mitigate the impacts of climate change on food, fiber, and fuel systems. Learn more about how our scientists create solutions for the future: [LINK TO PROJECT]

EDUCATION
[@SCHOOL] faculty equip students with the latest science and best practices in #ClimateSmartAgriculture in preparation for their future careers as farmers, ranchers, scientists, policymakers, and more. [EXAMPLE OF COURSE] #AgIsAmerica

EXTENSION
[@SCHOOL] Cooperative Extension professionals deliver #ClimateSmartAgriculture solutions to their communities, helping strengthen climate mitigation, resiliency, and adaptation: https://advocacy.extension.org/#climate @Ext100Years #AgIsAmerica

Feel free to reach out to us with specific posts that you would like @AgIsAmerica to share. Please email your request to Kim Scotto at agcomms@aplu.org or use #AgIsAmerica.

HASHTAGS AND HANDLES

HASHTAGS
#LandGrantUniversities
#AgIsAmerica

HANDLES

Ag is America	@AgIsAmerica
APLU Ag	@APLU_Ag
Sec. Vilsack (Secretary of Agriculture)	@SecVilsack
USDA	@USDA
USDA National Institute of Food & Ag	@USDA_NIFA
APLU	@APLU_News
Cooperative Extension	@Ext100Years

CALENDAR

JANUARY HOLIDAYS

MONTHS
National Soup Month, #NationalSoupMonth

WEEKS
January 16-19, International Hoof Care Week, #InternationalHoofCareWeek
January 28 - February 4, National Meat Week, #MeatWeek

DAYS
January 5 – National Bird Day, #NationalBirdDay
January 6 – National Bean Day, #NationalBeanDay
January 9 – National Apricot Day, #NationalApricotDay
January 11 – National Milk Day, #NationalMilkDay
January 15 – Martin Luther King Jr Day, #MLKDay
January 20 – National Cheese Lover’s Day, #CheeseLoversDay
January 23 – National Pie Day, #NationalPieDay
January 24 – National Peanut Butter Day, #PeanutButterDay
_{Source: January 2024 - National Day Calendar}

USDA EVENTS & DEADLINES

January 8 – Technical Assistance Webinar: Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative RFA
The Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) seeks to solve critical organic agriculture issues, priorities, or problems through the integration of research, education, and extension activities. The purpose of this program is to fund projects (see the OREI Funding page) that will enhance the ability of producers and processors who have already adopted organic standards to grow and market high quality organic agricultural products.

January 8 – Technical Assistance Webinar: Organic Transitions Program RFA
The Organic Transitions Program (ORG) supports the development and implementation of research, Extension and higher education programs to improve the competitiveness of organic livestock and crop producers, as well as those who are adopting organic practices.

January 8 & 10 – GusNIP Produce Prescription 2024 RFA Technical Assistance Webinar
NIFA and NTAE Center staff will host a webinar for applicants interested in applying to the GusNIP Produce Prescription Program. The webinar is focused on the FY 2024 GusNIP Produce Prescription Request for Applications (RFA), general program guidelines, GusNIP NTAE Center’s Nutrition Incentive Hub free one-on-one support, and the required core firm-level and participant-level metrics. There will be two sessions based on location.
For Insular Areas: January 8, 2024, 5:00-6:30 p.m. EST
For Continental U.S.: January 10, 2024, 2:00-3:30 p.m. EST

January 15 – Application Deadline: Agriculture Risk Management Education Partnerships Competitive Grants Program RFA
The purpose of the Agriculture Risk Management Education Partnerships Competitive Grants Program (ARME) is to educate agricultural producers about the full range of risk management activities. These activities include futures, options, agricultural trade options, crop insurance, cash forward contracting, debt reduction, production diversification, marketing plans and tactics, farm resources risk reduction, and other appropriate risk management strategies.

January 16 – Application Deadline: Capacity Building Grants for Non-Land-Grant Colleges of Agriculture Program
Capacity Building Grants for Non-Land-Grant Colleges of Agriculture Program (NLGCA) Institutions may use the funds: (a) to successfully compete for funds from Federal grants and other sources to carry out educational, research, and outreach activities that address priority concerns of national, regional, State, and local interest; (b) to disseminate information relating to priority concerns to interested members of the agriculture, renewable resources, and other relevant communities, the public, and any other interested entity; (c) to encourage members of the agriculture, renewable resources, and other relevant communities to participate in priority education, research, and outreach activities by providing matching funding to leverage grant funds; and (d) through: (1) the purchase or other acquisition of equipment and other infrastructure (not including alteration, repair, renovation, or construction of buildings); (2) the professional growth and development of the faculty of the NLGCA Institution; and (3) the development of graduate assistantships.

January 24 – Stakeholder Listening Session: Administration of the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program and Veterinary Services Grant Program
USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announces its stakeholder listening initiative “NIFA Listens Regarding Administration of the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) and the Veterinary Services Grant Program (VSGP).” As part of the stakeholder input process, NIFA is conducting a public meeting to solicit comments regarding the administration of the programs and processes developed and implemented since the conclusion of the first application and award cycle in September 2010 for the VMLRP and September 2016 for the VSGP.

January 30 – Grant Applicant/Awardee Networking Sessions (GAANS)
Welcome to the “new” Grant Applicant/Awardee Networking Sessions (GAANS). In 2024, NIFA is organizing four virtual sessions – 2 each in grants development and grants management – to help enhance access and effectiveness of the agency’s programs. The first session will focus on allowable and unallowable costs. Panelists from NIFA Office of Grants and Financial Management and Program Institutes will respond to pre-submitted as well as live questions. To help plan the initial presentation by the panelists, attendees are requested to submit questions during registration. The registration is open to all NIFA applicants, awardees, and others interested in the agency’s funding programs.

_{Source: Upcoming Events | National Institute of Food and Agriculture (usda.gov)}