- identify Extension programs that are ready to be scaled up nationally
- serve as Extension’s partnering group regarding national climate initiatives according to priority
- develop letters of intent for national program grants
- provide content for the PAT on Climate to further develop the advocacy toolkit for climate, mitigation, resiliency, and adaptation
Extension Directors and Administrators are asked to consider volunteering a faculty member or educator to participate on one of the following Teams. Please send interested faculty and/or staff member's contact information to Caroline Henney.
Priority Area Implementation Teams
NASS to Send 2021 Hemp Acreage and Production Survey This Fall - This October, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service will mail its first Hemp Acreage and Production Survey. The survey will collect information on the total planted and harvested area, yield, production, and value of hemp in the United States. The Domestic Hemp Production Program established in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) allows for the cultivation of hemp under certain conditions. The Hemp Acreage and Production survey will provide needed data about the hemp industry to assist producers, regulatory agencies, state governments, processors, and other key industry entities. Producers may complete the survey online at agcounts.usda.gov or they may complete and return the survey by mail using the return envelope provided. Learn more about the survey at nass.usda.gov/go/hemp.
SARE Animation Features Economics of Sustainable Agriculture - While most agricultural profit models focus on maximizing yields in the short term, sustainable strategies prioritize profitable returns over the long term. SARE’s The Economics of Sustainable Agriculture animation describes how practices such as crop rotation and reduced tillage can improve an operation’s bottom line sustainably. The newest episode in SARE’s What is Sustainable Agriculture? series provides a short and simple introduction to ecological practices that form the foundation of thriving and resilient farm systems.
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Climate-Smart Agriculture – Cooperative Extension can support the adaptation, mitigation, and resilience of U.S. agriculture to climate change. Helping farmers, ranchers and landowners develop and adopt climate-sensitive practices on working lands will improve the profitability and sustainability of plant and animal systems in rural and urban environments. These practices will maintain adequate and safe food systems as supply chains strain under shifting climate conditions.
- Climate-Resilient Communities – Cooperative Extension can work with rural and urban communities to develop climate sensitive community plans to support the adaptation, mitigation, and resilience of communities to climate change. In addition, these plans would also focus on supporting communities as they develop risk management plans surrounding natural disasters – fires, floods, rising temperatures, and increased incidence of extreme weather events.
- Ecosystem Services – Cooperative Extension supports the protection and preservation of natural areas and resources amid changing climates. Translational research and Extension programs focused on adaptation, mitigation and resilience can help reduce atmospheric greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and forest production. In addition, climate sensitive management practices for our forests, waterways, and other natural habitats can reduce the negative impacts of climate change.
EPA Report Shows Disproportionate Impacts of Climate Change - On September 2, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a significant and detailed report on the impacts of climate change among different demographic groups in the contiguous United States. The report, titled Climate Change and Social Vulnerability in the United States: A Focus on Six Impact Sectors, examines the extent to which “socially vulnerable” populations within the United States are disproportionately subject to the most significant impacts of climate change. The report serves a critical role in guiding the federal response strategies to existing impacts of climate change in America’s unserved and underserved communities, while informing environmental justice initiatives about the detriment of projected future impacts on these same communities.
NASS to Send 2021 Hemp Acreage and Production Survey This Fall - This October, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service will mail its first Hemp Acreage and Production Survey. The survey will collect information on the total planted and harvested area, yield, production, and value of hemp in the United States. The Domestic Hemp Production Program established in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) allows for the cultivation of hemp under certain conditions. The Hemp Acreage and Production survey will provide needed data about the hemp industry to assist producers, regulatory agencies, state governments, processors, and other key industry entities. Producers may complete the survey online at agcounts.usda.gov or they may complete and return the survey by mail using the return envelope provided. Learn more about the survey at nass.usda.gov/go/hemp.
SARE Animation Features Economics of Sustainable Agriculture - While most agricultural profit models focus on maximizing yields in the short term, sustainable strategies prioritize profitable returns over the long term. SARE’s The Economics of Sustainable Agriculture animation describes how practices such as crop rotation and reduced tillage can improve an operation’s bottom line sustainably. The newest episode in SARE’s What is Sustainable Agriculture? series provides a short and simple introduction to ecological practices that form the foundation of thriving and resilient farm systems.
Updated Links to NIFA Resources and Contacts -
- NIFA Organizational Structure
- New Upcoming RFA Calendar
- List of National Program Leaders by Program and Institutes
- New organization of our Programs page
- Detailed Competitive and Capacity Grants Process Flowcharts
