Event contact
Dr. LaKisha Odom
Lodom@foundationfar.org
With careful irrigation, hot desert croplands in arid and semiarid climates are the nation’s most productive food production systems because of their year-round growing season and minimal pest pressure. However, the Desert Southwest region requires a different definition of regenerative agriculture and tailored solutions for managing soil health. Current soil science has focused on the wetter climates and is not meeting the needs of desert crop producers and the diverse workforce of Latino communities and Tribal Nations within the United States.
These webinars, hosted by FFAR and building off the work of the Desert Agriculture Soil Health Initiative (DASHI) and Yuma Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture (YCEDA), will kick off conversations on identifying and prioritizing research gaps to inform a new research program that is co-designed with philanthropic foundations, Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers, crop producers, food retailers, trade associations, nonprofit organizations and state and federal program managers.
Webinar #1
Title- The Importance of Building Resilient Desert Agricultural Systems and Communities in the United States
Date- January 10, 2025
Time- 1 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. EST
Register for the webinar.
Moderator: Dr. LaKisha Odom, Scientific Program Director, FFAR
- Welcome and planning team introductions
- Overview of Desert Agriculture Soil Health Initiative (DASHI) (Dr. Joey Blankinship, Associate Professor, DASHI Director, University of Arizona)
- Overview of Southwest Desert Region of Yuma County, Arizona and Imperial Valley, California: Why is this area special? Description of demographics and food security from November through April and the Yuma Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture (YCEDA) (Dr. Tanya Hodges, Executive Director, YCEDA; Dr. Stephanie Slinski, Associate Director for Applied Research and Development, University of Arizona)
- Economic importance of agriculture in Southwestern U.S. (Dr. George Frisvold, Bartley P. Cardon Chair of Agribusiness Economics and Policy, Extension Specialist, University of Arizona)
- A tribal perspective of agricultural activities along the Colorado River (Brian Golding, Director of Economic Development, Quechan Indian Tribe)
- Workforce, labor, and other desert agricultural community strengths (Paul Brierley, Director, Arizona Department of Agriculture)
- Question and answer session from attendees
Webinar #2
Title- Challenges Facing Crop Producers in Building Resilient Desert Agricultural Systems in the United States
Date- January 24, 2025
Time- 1 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. EST
Register for the webinar.
Agenda forthcoming.