June 27, 2023 – June 29, 2023 Workshop On Advancing Controlled Environment Agriculture On Land And In Space In The Next 20 Years Toledo, OH
FFAR & WUR Launch Nature-Based Future Challenge Year Awarded 2023 FFAR award amount $255,001 Total award amount $689,190 Location Washington, D.C. Matching Funders Wageningen University & Research (WUR)and the University Fund Wageningen The Nature-based Future Student Challenges program trains students to develop nature-based solutions as a way to mitigate climate change effects in delta regions.
March 28, 2023 – March 29, 2023 Feedstocks of the Future for a Circular U.S. Bioeconomy Convening Event San Diego, CA
A Deeper Dive: Linking Below-Ground Soil & Water Quality with Above-Ground Productivity in Organic Systems to Enhance Economic Viability & Ecosystem Resiliency Year Awarded 2023 Total award amount $195,124 Location Ames, IA Matching Funders The Organic Center Grantee Institution Iowa State University Dr. Kathleen Delate is quantifying the optimal combinations of soil, greenhouse gas emissions and economic modeling for ecosystem health. She is comparing agricultural system management, manure management and alternative cropping systems. Delate plans to share her results with the farming community to encourage farmer participation in data collection and practice adoption. She is also training multi-cultural farmers on the identified practices to spur adoption of her research recommendations.
Investigating the re-integration of organic food crops & animal production on above & belowground diversity, soil health, farm resilience & food safety. Year Awarded 2023 Total award amount $199,256 Location West Lafayette, IN Matching Funders The Organic Center Grantee Institution Purdue University Dr. Moriah Bilenky is investigating how integrated cropping systems on organic fields can reduce input costs and enhance biodiversity above and below ground. Specifically, Bilenky and her team are investigating the impacts of adding small ruminants to an integrated cropping system on soil health, microbiome health and presence of food pathogens on vegetable farms. The researchers aim to identify integrated cropping system best practices and plan to disseminate educational materials to increase adoption of these practices.