Recent Highlights from the Southern Region
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Nonprofits play an important role in furthering sustainable practices, and they typically work through educational initiatives rather than research. Two years ago, we added an Education grant to the Southern SARE portfolio as a way to better support nonprofits. As a result, the number of grant proposals submitted to Southern SARE by nonprofits has increased 30 percent compared to the previous five years.
- After hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, Southern SARE representatives reached out to identify ways farmers, researchers and ag professionals could improve their resilience. An outreach trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2018 recognized the need to reestablish island cooperatives, which resulted in a meeting between island farmers and some of the cooperative heavyweights in Georgia. The last farmer cooperative disbanded seven years ago. Following the visit, island farmers are eager to start a new one. An outreach trip to Puerto Rico was conducted in the fall of 2019.
- SARE’s success is built around our ability to serve our audiences fairly and equitably. In recognizing the diversity of our grant applicants, as well as taking note of how educational resources take their shape, Southern SARE is leading the charge on racial equity training for its Administrative Council, staff and state ag coordinators. The goal is to bring to the forefront strategies that both eliminate implicit biases and align with Southern SARE’s objectives.
Stories from the Field
A sampler of recent projects from the Southern region.
Using Locally Sourced Wood Chips for Effective Weed Management
North Carolina Graduate Student Tackles On-Farm Food Waste
Promoting the Adoption of Interseeding for Increased Sustainability