NIFA will be holding a virtual listening session on Feb. 5 at noon EST to solicit public input on the implementation of the FY 2026 Research Facilities Act Program Notice of Funding Opportunity (RFAP). The RFAP program aims to assist Land-grant Institutions with the construction, modification, acquisition, modernization, refurbishment, or remodeling of agricultural research facilities to conduct research in the food and agricultural sciences.
In reauthorizing the program last year, Congress increased
its annual funding level to $125 million in mandatory spending. In addition to
the listening session, NIFA Program staff will also accept written comments
before Feb. 12. Visit the NIFA website for more information.
ECOP has outlined its position on this issue, which includes
the following:
“It is vital that stakeholders, particularly but not
exclusively farmers and ranchers, achieve the maximum benefit from this
historic investment. While every institution is different, for most
institutions this will mean balancing research facility investments on campus
and off campus. These off-campus facilities are an important part of
demonstrating an innovation’s relevance to local conditions, including soil
types, weather patterns, and ecosystems. They provide context specific
knowledge that can directly lead to the next logical adoption step,
on-operation trial. Investment in these off-campus facilities has the added
benefit of widening the perceived value to a broader cross section of the
state’s or territory’s citizenry.
Further, as we invest in off-campus research facilities,
it is important that these investments include state of the art Extension
facilities, capable of demonstrating innovations in the most effective possible
manner. Any investment in research facilities without a clear vision and plan
to ultimately communicate the resulting innovation to producers would be
short-sighted.”
The ECOP National Office will communicate its position
through the above and other channels.
He is a hunter, angler, conservationist, and third-generation farmer who owns Putnam Groves Inc. Putnam Groves is a family owned and operated citrus farm and cattle ranch located in Central Florida.
“I consider myself to be a land grant baby – I was a 10-year 4-H'er, grew up on a family farm, got a degree from the University of Florida, and truly benefited from all three legs of the stool - teaching, research, and Extension. I truly believe the U.S. land grant model should be replicated around the world.”
Specifically, regarding Cooperative Extension: DU is exploring much more work understanding social and economic values of conservation practices for landowners and to work to tailor conservation programs to best suit the needs of producers. There is enormous collaborative potential to explore these topics with Cooperative Extension.
Read the full interview.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is launching a new online portal to streamline reporting of transactions involving U.S. agricultural land by foreign persons, which can include businesses and governments, under the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (AFIDA). The new online portal is part of a broader effort to strengthen enforcement and protect American farmland as USDA continues its implementation of the National Farm Security Action Plan (PDF, 1.2 MB).
