To remain competitive in the agricultural industry, farmers must stay current on the latest techniques and technology. Training new workers is also essential to building necessary skills in the agricultural labor force. Here are a few examples of that work: To improve ornamental horticulture industry profits, Hawaii Extension provides education for nursery and floriculture business owners and workers on crop …
Programs for an aging population focus on small ways to make a big difference
The percentage of the U.S. population over the age of 50 is rapidly rising, with the aging of the baby-boomer generation. In addition, a disproportionate share of this aging population growth is in rural areas, where access to health-based services is more limited and the mortality rate higher. Extension services across the country have found ways to target specific health …
New manual aids farmers market start-ups and maintenance
Farmers markets are a sales outlet for many South Dakota gardeners, but they can also help strengthen a community by stimulating the local economy and creating local entrepreneurial opportunities. Markets can promote food quality by reducing the distance that food travels from farm to consumer. When shipping is less of a concern, produce can be picked when it is full …
Prioritizing food and nutrition security
Many Michiganders struggle to reliably access nutrient-rich foods; this is especially true for households with children and with racial and ethnic minorities. MSU Extension community nutrition instructors contribute to efforts throughout the state focused on supporting access to and consumption of vegetables and fruit. MSU Extension staff members delivered relevant and practical nutrition education—a key component of the Fruit and …
Increasing food safety and reducing food waste
Protecting the nation’s food supply is a top priority of land-grant institutions across the United States. Whether that is training to ensure food safety, reducing food loss and food waste or research to better detect and protect foods. Successful examples include: Foodborne illness is a common but preventable problem that impacts one in six Americans and causes some 3,000 deaths …
Improving crops key to food security
Research at land-grant institutions keeps the U.S. food production on the cutting edge when it comes to quality, nutrition, disease resistance and other factors that help keep our food system safe and contribute to national security. Successful examples include: In North Dakota, nitrogen fertilizers are the single largest expense for food crops such as wheat, corn, canola, barley, sugar beets …
Land-grant universities improve local food security
Food security impacts individuals, as well as the health of entire communities. Through creation of food pantries, community gardens, food drives, farmers markets and more, land-grant universities and local community initiatives collaborate to keep food on the table for many. Successful examples include: An effort begun during Covid-19 is still providing high-quality shrimp to food banks in Louisiana. With help …
Controlling pests and protecting pollinators
Most agricultural systems in the Northeast rely on pesticides to ensure high yields and profits, but pesticides can pose risks to essential pollinators and environmental health. To reduce reliance on pesticides, scientists are exploring ways to harness natural plant defenses, such as emitting chemicals that slow insect feeding, inhibit infections, call beneficial insects to their aid, or warn other plants. …
Sustainable solutions to bee health
Bees provide essential pollination for many of the nut, berry, fruit, vegetable, and seed crops grown in the U.S. To supplement wild bee pollination, farmers often rent managed honey bee colonies. Demand is skyrocketing, but catastrophic die-offs are threatening the supply of healthy honey bee colonies. Parasitic mites, pathogens, pesticide chemicals, nutritional deficits, and environmental conditions have contributed to the …
Horticulture practices promote pollinator proliferation
A pollinator is any animal that visits flowering plants, moving pollen from flower to flower, supporting plant fruiting and reproduction. In North America, insect pollinators include bees, butterflies, moths, flower flies, beetles and wasps. The worlds natural systems rely heavily on pollinators to ensure ecosystem functioning and ensure future horticulture crops. According to the USDA, about 35% of the worlds …