Did you know that nearly 61 million Americans call rural communities home? Since 2011, National Rural Health Day has recognized the “Power of Rural,” highlighting the resilience of rural communities and the partners working to strengthen them. Among the most important of those partners are public and land-grant universities. Through community-based programs, these institutions play a critical role in improving …
Managing water resources
Managing our water resources is essential. Clean water is essential for drinking, agriculture, energy, recreation, aquatic habitats, and other uses, but America’s water resources face complex issues such as climate change, pollution, and increasing demand. Many farmers, communities, and leaders are concerned about water scarcity and quality. Research guides effective solutions. Researchers at land-grant universities and partners across the U.S. are working …
Scaling up skills for success in agriculture
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 …
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 …