Celebrate 10 Years of FFAR

Celebrate 10 Years of FFAR

2024 marks a decade since FFAR’s creation. We are proud of the hundreds of grants we have funded with more than 550 partners. We look forward to funding more bold food and agriculture research with new and existing partners!

FFAR is Making an Impact

We invest in research that produces actionable results. Since 2014, we have accelerated food and agriculture research to deliver agile solutions that address large-scale challenges. Through public-private partnerships, we collaborate with diverse stakeholders to pioneer the next frontier of food and agriculture research.

FFAR Stakeholders Share Impact

FFAR-funded research has real-world results. Hear from our stakeholders about how our research is having an impact.

In June 2024, producers from around the world came together to participate in the FFAR-funded Global Producers’ Consultation facilitated by the World Farmers’ Organsiation during their General Assembly at the United Nations FAO headquarters. FFAR staff captured these interviews from producers who participated in the Global Producers’ Consultation about how severe weather events are impacting their operations and the critical need for agriculture research.

U.S. Farmers Value FFAR Research

One thing I think all of us as farmers can attest to is that we’re always down to learn new things, to better ourselves…

Ben Klick

5th Generation Crop Farmer, Northeast Ohio

Ben Klick

5th Generation Crop Farmer, Northeast Ohio

If you have livestock, no livestock, how you market your grain, whatever, there’s always room for improvement. And I think a very positive thing about research is it is kind of our cheat sheet to help us. Hey look, let’s try that. This worked on a farm in my area, maybe if we try that, it’ll work for us too.

Ben Klick is a fifth-generation crop farmer in Northeast Ohio. He was involved with the FFAR-funded Soil Carbon Project with Dr. Lal at The Ohio State University. The research looked at ways to increase carbon sequestration on farm lands, providing tools and data to help farmers across the United States and around the world, reach their full potential as a carbon sink.

As an organic dairy producer my main concern is the well-being of our land, environment and planet.

Eric Ziehm

Owner of High Meadows of Hoosick, one of Stonyfield’s direct supply farms

Eric Ziehm

Owner of High Meadows of Hoosick, one of Stonyfield’s direct supply farms

Having access to the tools like a grazing record app, Cool Farm Tool for carbon footprint measurementand soil carbon sampling provided by the program, we were able to establish a solid baseline.

Eric Ziehm is the owner of High Meadows of Hoosick dairy farm, located near Hoosick Falls, New York. Since 2017, he has been a direct organic dairy supplier to Stonyfield Organic. His farm participates with OpenTEAM, the first open-source technology ecosystem in the world to address soil health and mitigate climate change through providing research and decision-making tools while demonstrating a collaborative approach to agriculture challenges.

There is a chronic shortfall in funding for basic research in food and ag, and this deficit is becoming wider in comparison to other major food-producing countries.

Jeff Lakner

Farmer, FFAR Advisory Council member

Jeff Lakner

Farmer, FFAR Advisory Council member

I appreciate (FFAR’s) inclusive approach which also considers the challenges faced by farmers and ranchers to manage everyday pressures of climate, pest and disease threats, as well as the economic and social impact in the ag value chain.

Jeff Lakner operates Lakner Farms, a 4500 acre diversified crop and livestock farm in east central South Dakota. He has served on FFAR’s Advisory Council related to crop research since 2017 . Comprised of farmers like Jeff, scientists and industry experts, FFAR’s Advisory Council focusing on crop research has evaluated new food, forage and fiber crop research proposals that are adaptable and economically viable

Joe Del Bosque
It's a changing world and we need to continue to do research on how we can protect our crops and continue to be productive.

Joe Del Bosque

California specialy crop farmer, FFAR Board Member

Joe Del Bosque

Joe Del Bosque

California specialy crop farmer, FFAR Board Member

And the one (resource) that everybody in California knows about is water. We are having to farm with less water, and we are trying to farm with less fertilizer and/or less labor. And yet at the same time, we've got a bigger population to feed and we're farming sometimes on less acreage because we don't have the water to do it. That's important. How do we keep this agriculture going with fewer resources. A lot of that comes back to climate change. And for us in California, climate change means the potential for drought any given year and less water supply. So we have to understand those issues and how we can adapt to the changing climate. Whether very wet years, very dry years or very hot years.

Joe Del Bosque is primarily an organic melon farmer, but he also grows almonds, cherries and processing tomatoes in the Central Valley of California. He joined to FFAR Board of Directors in order to bring a west coast perspective to the emerging climate, pest and disease risks that farmers in California face.

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Kyle Bridgeforth
Agriculture is often the centerpoint for solutions for some of the worlds biggest problems. In order to continue being a global leader in agriculture, we need the tools to do so.

Kyle Bridgeforth

Owner of Bridgeforth Farms, FFAR Board Member

Kyle Bridgeforth

Kyle Bridgeforth

Owner of Bridgeforth Farms, FFAR Board Member

Generally, FFAR funds new technologies towards agricultural productivity and through its work downstream creates new demand for our crops as overall consumption grows.

Kyle Bridgeforth is the owner of a fifth-generation row-crop agribusiness, Bridgeforth Farms, in Tanner, Alabama. There, they use modern technology and agronomics to grow high quality agriculture products and use modern traceability and revenue management efficiencies.

Kyle Bridgeforth

FFAR Grantees Drive Innovative Food & Agriculture Research

FFAR was one of the few funding bodies that encouraged and supported highly novel ideas, albeit having a high risk/high reward.

Kranthi Mandadi

Associate Professor, Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center

Kranthi Mandadi

Associate Professor, Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center

In addition to speeding up our work, other public-and private-sector collaborators quickly recognized and utilized the microbial hairy root system to evaluate their candidate therapies to kill Candidatus Liberibacter spp. Many of these promising candidates are currently being evaluated in the field, and we hope to pursue commercialization and regulatory approvals of the new therapies through public-private sector partnerships.

Dr. Mandadi is an Associate Professor and Principal Investigator in the Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center. Candidatus Liberibacter spp. Are pathogens that contribute to billions of dollars in crop losses annually, but could not be grown in a lab environment…yet. Equipped with a FFAR grant, Dr. Mandadi and his team set to change that course. They developed a way to grow the bacteria in a laboratory setting, which allowed them to test and evaluate new treatments. Learn more about Dr. Mandadi’s breakthroughs here.

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Dr. Joseph Mcfadden
We are faced with an urgent demand to develop safe and effective technologies that enhance animal health and performance without negative environmental impacts.

Dr. Joseph Mcfadden

Associate Professor of dairy cattle biology in the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Dr. Joseph Mcfadden

Dr. Joseph Mcfadden

Associate Professor of dairy cattle biology in the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

The challenge is to utilize a holistic scientific approach to ensure that intended benefits do not develop with unintended negative impacts.

Dr. McFadden is an associate professor of Dairy Cattle Biology and animal science at Cornell University. His research group leads the development of Cornell’s Accelerating Livestock Innovations for Sustainability program. Their focus is on animal health, performance, nutrition and the environmental impact. With a FFAR Seeding Solutions grant, Dr. McFadden and his team are able to investigate causes and remedies for milk decrease in dairy cows during hot weather. An especially important breakthrough with emerging climate change. Learn more about Dr. Mcfadden’s breakthrough here.

This study has immediate application. If we can understand the nutrient requirements that a cow has during a heat-stress event, we could revolutionize the dairy cattle industry by ensuring she’s getting what she needs to maintain optimum health and performance.

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Our AMP Grazing Southeast U.S. research was designed so that the scientists learned from the farmers…

Peter Byck

Professor of Practice, School of Sustainability and Journalism at Arizona State University

Peter Byck headshot

Peter Byck

Professor of Practice, School of Sustainability and Journalism at Arizona State University

Our AMP Grazing Southeast U.S. research was designed so that the scientists learned from the farmers - we did not impose reductionist restrictions, we listened, watched, and measured.  This in turn gave the farmers the room to learn from the scientists, so when we showed them our data, they were open to change.  Together, we built trust.

With a FFAR grant, Peter Byck is leading a research team with on-farm research documenting whether adaptive, multi-paddock (AMP) grazing is better for the environment, as well as being more profitable for farmers. In addition to the scientific findings, Byck is directing a four-part documentary highlighting their results and the experiences of farmers using them, called “Roots So Deep (you can see the devil down there)” - which will be available May 28 for streaming, at rootssodeep.org. Learn more about Byck’s breakthroughs here.

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FFAR Invests in the Scientific Workforce

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The award has given me the opportunity to establish field trials which can be used for decades.

Dr. Leigh Archer

Perennial Systems Specialist at the Rodale Institute, 2023 New Innovator Award (NIA) Winner

Archer Headshot

Dr. Leigh Archer

Perennial Systems Specialist at the Rodale Institute, 2023 New Innovator Award (NIA) Winner

The research potential and continuing impact that the NIA enables is unmatched. It's an ideal resource for new scientists developing their research programs, especially for those who are focused on long-term, applied agricultural research. The award has given me the opportunity to establish field trials which can be used for decades. The research and education that stem from these trials over the years will all be thanks to the initial support from the NIA.

Dr. Archer is the Perennial Systems Specialist at the Rodale Institute in Pennsylvania. She received a 2023 FFAR NIA grant to assist in her research into exploring low-input fruit and nut tree species in organic systems throughout the Northeast United States. These breakthroughs in species selection will maximize ecosystem health while being economically viable for organic farmers.

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To be at the forefront of next-generation scientists, I desire to further develop my relationship with academic, industrial and social communities by sharpening my leadership and communication skills.

Erika Ibarra-Garibay

Doctoral student, Iowa State University Department of Ecology, 2023 FFAR Fellow

Ibarra-Garibay Headshot

Erika Ibarra-Garibay

Doctoral student, Iowa State University Department of Ecology, 2023 FFAR Fellow

I now have an exciting opportunity to work directly with an industry partner, Bayer, to study an important agricultural pollinator, bumble bees. With both Bayer and the FFAR fellowship, I can use a holistic approach to inform my graduate school research.

Erika Ibarra-Garibay is a doctoral student at Iowa State University and a 2023 FFAR Fellow. Her research looks into environmental and pesticidal stressors on native bumble bees which are crucial crop pollinators. She chose to apply for the FFAR Fellows program to take advantage of the holistic training provided to strengthen her research skills and professional development. Learn more about Ibarra-Garibay and her research here:

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A Timeline of FFAR

We are proud of FFAR’s many accomplishments since our creation in 2014. The timeline below celebrates some of our major milestones.

Visit Our History webpage

Year 1
February 7, 2014

Congress established FFAR in the 2014 Farm Bil

Year 2
October 28, 2015

FFAR launched inaugural programs: the New Innovators in Food & Agriculture
Research and the Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research (ROAR) program

Year 3
November 16, 2016

FFAR awards our first awards to fund the 2016 cohort of the New Innovators in
Food & Agriculture Research

Year 4
June 29, 2017

FFAR established our first consortium, the Crops of the Future Collaborative

Year 5
December 20, 2018

FFAR was refunded in the 2018 Farm Bill

Year 6
July 15, 2019

FFAR awards our 100th grant to the Blackfeet Nation and Montana State
University

Year 9
May 8, 2023

FFAR supports AIM for Climate Summit
in Washington, D.C.

Year 9
December 20, 2023

FFAR unveils a Research Strategy
and restructures the six Challenge Areas to four Priority Areas including:
Agroecosystems, Production Systems, Healthy Food Systems and Scientific
Workforce Development

  • 390+ grants awarded
  • $775M funding awarded
  • 1:1.4 ratio of FFAR funding to matching funds
  • 550+ funding partners

Join FFAR's 10-Year Anniversary Webinar Series!

2024 marks FFAR's 10-year anniversary. To celebrate, we are hosting monthly webinars celebrating FFAR-funded research. Mark your calendars and join as we celebrate our decade of impact.

Science for Climate Smart Agriculture – Engaging Farmers as Collaborators to Accelerate the Transition

10-Year Anniversary Webinar Virtual

Woman of Asian appearance working in garden between beds with pitchfork in hands

Minimizing the Impact of Emerging Disease Threats in Swine Through Research Funding Partnerships

10-Year Anniversary Webinar Virtual

close up of a piglet facing the camera being held in a person’s arms clothed in white protective clothing

The Power of Collaborative Agricultural Research

10-Year Anniversary Webinar Virtual

Environmental Sustainability

Taking ACTION: Promoting Water Conservation Practices

10-Year Anniversary Webinar Virtual

Watering of agricultural crops, countryside

Preparing Today’s Scientific Workforce to Address the Food & Agriculture Challenges of Tomorrow: A FFAR Strategy Update & Student Fellowship Panel Discussion Webinar

Panel Discussion Virtual

Woman in lab coat seated at a lab table with a computer monitor and microscope, and on the table plants, beakers and vegetables

Crop Health Webinar

Join us as crop health researchers discuss plant health in relation to climate change, water, soil and human and global health.

Informational Session Virtual

Wheat Field

Food Waste Webinar Series

Join our Food Waste Webinar Series that will share results from FFAR-funded food waste research studies, their associated innovations and future research directions.

Informational Session Virtual

A woman throws a banana peel into a sorted garbage bin.

Results that Go FFAR

Our Breakthroughs outline findings and successes resulting from FFAR-funded research.

See all Breakthroughs

New Study Shows AI & Supercomputing Can Quantify Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Individual Farms

Breakthrough for FFAR Grant Quantifies Organic Carbon to Improve Agricultural Productivity

A new study shows artificial intelligence and supercomputing can quantify greenhouse gas emissions from individual farms.

Loyalty Shopper Card Intervention Creates Behavior Change

Breakthrough for Individually-targeted incentives, diet quality and health outcomes among adults

Researchers used an individual’s past food choices to inform the targeted food incentives, creating behavior change and improving food quality purchases.

Developing an Extensive Database of US Groundwater Wells

Breakthrough for Achieving Sustainable Groundwater Management Through Innovative Governance & Optimal Agricultural Water Use Under Conflicting Objectives

Dr. Landon Marston and his research team created the Database of Groundwater Wells in the United States, a major undertaking compiling records of over 14 million groundwater wells across the United States that is a crucial decision-support tool for improving groundwater management and conservation.

Impact Reports

Our Impact Reports detail the results of FFAR's research and highlight our value for the food and agriculture sectors.

Insights

FFAR Benefits American Farmers

Our Insights highlight unique perspectives from across for food and agriculture community.

See all Insights

The Importance of Healthy Indigenous Food Systems & How to Improve Them 

Dr. Michael Kotutwa Johnson

Assistant Professor - Indigenous Resiliency School of Natural Resources & the Environment Indigenous Reliance Center University of Arizona 

The Aim For Healthy, Productive & Environmentally Friendly, Southeastern Beef Calves

Federico Tarnonsky

FFAR Fellow (2022-2025), University of Florida

Using Artificial Intelligence to Calculate GHGs at the Individual Farm Level

Kaiyu Guan

Dr. Kaiyu Guan

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Data for Dairy: Research to Guide Farmers in Their Sustainability Journey

Reza Afshar

Reza Afshar

Vice President, Soil, Feed and Water Research at Dairy Management Inc.

Time Teaches Biosecurity Importance

Kevin Schulz

Kevin Schulz

Editor, The Farmer/Farm Progress

Greener Cattle Initiative is Game Changer for Dairy’s Future

Dr. Juan Tricarico

Dr. Juan Tricarico

Senior Vice President, Environmental Research, Dairy Management Inc.

Entrepreneur Attributes Kirchner HBCU Fellowship to Career Success

Kwame Terra

Kwame Terra MPH

Kirchner Fellowship HBCU 2021 Cohort

Reducing Enteric Methane Emissions from Dairy Cattle

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Dr. Francisco Peñagaricano and Dr. Guillermo Martinez Boggio

Building Diversity & Inclusion in the Agriculture Technology Venture Capital Industry

LaKisha Odom, Ph.D.

Scientific Program Director Sustaining Vibrant Agroecosystems

Advancing Ecosystem Service Markets for Sustainable Farming

LaKisha Odom & DJ May

A Place for Everyone in Agriculture

Dr. LaKisha Odom & Jocelyn Hittle

Let’s Raise a Glass on National Milk Day to the Power of Agriculture Research

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Krysta Harden

President and CEO U.S. Dairy Export Council

Building Team Chemistry: The Bigger Picture Behind Cows & Climate

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Conor McCabe

Animal Biology Graduate Student, UC Davis

Insight on Livestock Methane Mitigation

Dr. Rod Mackie

Dr. Rod Mackie, Professor, Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 

Champaign, IL

Finding a New Way to Control Weeds in Cotton.

Sarah Chu

Sarah Chu

FFAR Fellow, Texas A&M University

Indigenous Farmers are Leading a “New Green Revolution” Focused on Hemp

James DeDecker, Director, Michigan State University – Upper Peninsula Research and Extension Center Mary Donner, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians – Ziibimijwang Farm Executive Director and Tribal Citizen

Protecting the Vidalia Onion

Sujan Paudel

FFAR Fellow

Irrigation’s Role in Ensuring Global Food Security

Luke Reynolds

Irrigation Association

The “Good Soil Discount” — A Game Changer for U.S. Agriculture

Harley Cross

Harley Cross

Land Core Co-founder & Director of Strategy

Partner Profiles

Our public-private partnership model allows us to accelerate bold solutions to urgent food and agriculture challenges.

See all Partner Profiles

Partner Profile: Novo Nordisk Foundation

Thomas de Bang

Senior Scientific Lead, Novo Nordisk Foundation

Partner Profile – Almond Board of California

Dr. Josette Lewis

Vice President & Chief Scientific Officer, Almond Board of California

Partner Profile: National Pork Board

Dr. Heather Fowler

Director of Producer and Public Health, National Pork Board

Partner Profile: Pivot Bio

Jane Franch

Senior Director of Climate Impact, Pivot Bio

Partner Profile: Bayer

Phil Taylor

Director of Open Innovation & Outreach for Crop Science R&D, Bayer

Partner Profile: Global Methane Hub

Hayden Montgomery

Program Director, Global Methane Hub

Partner Profile: Native American Agricultural Fund – Tribal Agricultural Fellowship Fund

Toni Stranger-McLaughlin

Chief Executive Officer

Partner Profile: Meeting Producers Where They Are: A Farmer-Centered Approach to Understanding the Needs of Historically Underserved

Amy Cole

Amy Skoczlas Cole

President of Trust In Food

Partner Profile: Sustainable Agriculture & Supply Chain Equity

Philippa Lockwood

Clif Bar Program Manager

Partner Profile: FMC

Julie DiNatale Headshot

Julie DiNatale

FMC vice president and chief sustainability officer

Partner Profile: Regrow

Bill Salas

Dr. Bill Salas

Chief Strategy Officer and Co-Founder of Regrow

Partner Profile: Kirchner Impact Foundation, Kirchner Fellowship Program

Hattie Brown

Co-Manager, Kirchner Impact Foundation and Managing Director of Impact and ESG, Kirchner Group

Partner Profile: Decode 6

Dr. Chris Boomsma

Partner Profile: Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture

Dr. Yuan Zhou

Partner Profile: Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy

Juan M. Tricarico

Partner Profile: Fluence by OSRAM

Dr. David Hawley

Partner Profile: University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS)

J. Scott Angle

Partner Profile: Benson Hill

Matt Crisp

CEO at Benson Hill

Partner Profile: Burroughs Wellcome Fund

Kelly Rose Burroughs - Wellcome Fund

Dr. Miquella "Kelly" Rose

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