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Impact

Grupo De Mujeres Provides Education, Community for Spanish-Speaking Women

In partnership with the Land-Grant University and Cooperative Extension System, USDA’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture supports efforts that promote learning and development for individuals and families. Formal and non…

Impact

1890 Land-grant Institutions Strengthening Agricultural Profitability and Sustainability of Small-Scale Farms

Producers working on small-scale farms often face different challenges than their counterparts farming larger acreages. With support from USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, a number of 1890 Land-grant Institutions…

Impact

Aquaculture America 2024 Features NIFA-Funded Research and Extension Projects

Aquaculture America 2024, the most prominent national aquaculture conference and exposition in the United States, will feature research and Extension projects supported by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The…

Impact

Researchers Find Environmentally Friendly Solutions to Controlling Mites in Dry-Cured Ham

With funding from USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Mississippi State University and Kansas State University researchers have developed many safe and cost-effective methods and technologies over the last 15 years for…

Impact

Research Supporting Midsize Producers

This impact story was first published on the Multistate Research Fund website and is reprinted with permission. Midsize farms are vital to the long-term resilience of the global food system and the wellbeing of rural communities,…

Impact

University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine Scientists Unravel Mystery of How Fish Develop Immunity to Disease

Jawed vertebrates comprise more than 99% of living vertebrate species, including humans. And when the immune systems of these animals are stimulated by an infection or immunization, they generate proteins called antibodies that fight…

Impact

A Look Back at 2023

The past year was an exciting time at NIFA – a time of growth, change, renewed focus and impact. NIFA investments play a critical role in not only inspiring innovation but providing the crucial funding needed to pursue those…

Impact

Conservation Planning Through Genetic Monitoring

Indicator species are crucial for determining and monitoring ecosystem health, as they alert scientists to potential dangers facing an environment. With support from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, a research team led…

Impact

Improving Wine Grapes for American Growers and Winemakers

This impact story was first published on the Multistate Research Fund website and is reprinted with permission.The National Institute of Food and Agriculture supports a number of projects through the Hatch Multistate Research Fund…

Impact

Land-Grant University Scientists Are Making Turfgrass Safer, Better for Environment

USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture supports research across a broad spectrum of agricultural crops, including the turfgrasses that comprise not only lawns, but also playing fields across the nation.

Impact

Climate Change to Drive Surge in Insects That Attack Almonds, Peaches, Walnuts

The Extension, Education & USDA Climate Hubs Partnership is part of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA) Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) portfolio. It supports projects developing effective and…

Impact

Cover Crops’ Value Affirmed in Recent Survey

Cover crops can increase soil organic matter and fertility, reduce erosion, improve soil structure, promote water infiltration, and limit pest and disease outbreaks. Many farmers receive incentive payments from USDA to plant cover…

Impact

Managing Antimicrobial Resistance

In animal agriculture, antimicrobial drugs are used to protect animal health and welfare, but over the past several decades, microbial resistance to these drugs has escalated. Resistant microbes and resistant genes can spread through…

Impact

Multi State Research Efforts Focus on Climate Data & Monitoring

Climate information—historical, real-time and predictive—is vital for the sustainable management of agriculture and natural resources. Climate change poses major challenges to agriculture and natural resources in the western…

Impact

Scientists Across the Country Working to Create More Nutrient-Dense Diets

Many American diets don’t include enough basic nutrients, which can lead to health issues as we age. Low-nutrient diets can lead to issues such as macular degeneration, Alzheimer’s disease, obesity and diabetes. Improving the…

Impact

Supporting Healthy Habits Among Young Adults

About 30 million Americans are between the ages of 18 and 26. This stage of life is associated with changes in living and social situations and often involves declines in healthy behaviors. For example, many young adults live on…

Impact

IR-4 Petition Yields First Conventional Pesticide Tolerance for Hemp

Hemp growers seeking more pest management tools now have a conventional pesticide tolerance for hemp seed as a result of work by the Minor Crop Management Program Interregional Research Project #4, or the IR-4 Project, which is funded…

Impact

GusNIP Efforts Impacting Rural Communities – and Economies

After the deaths of both her husband and daughter, Teresa found herself the legal guardian of her 12-year-old grandson – essentially becoming a single mother in her 70s. The Putnam County, West Virginia, resident had to give up her…

Impact

Smart Water Management 

Today, agricultural engineering includes the wide range of technologies and disciplines that must be employed to meet the challenges of a new century. A hundred years ago, agricultural engineers were developing and refining the…

Impact

Reimagining Resilient Agri-food Supply Chains

The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting supply chain disruptions revealed the challenges of a national food system that depends on production concentrated in a few geographic areas and requires many steps to get from farm to fork. …

Impact

UC Davis Releases 5 Strawberry Varieties Resistant to Deadly Fungal Disease

The University of California, Davis, has released five new strawberry varieties that are resistant to the soilborne disease Fusarium wilt, have high yields and improved fruit quality. The breeding research was supported by a $6.2…

Impact

GusNIP Program Improves Fruit and Vegetable Intake

The Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP), one of USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s five primary nutrition programs, is increasing the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables by income-eligible…

Impact

Understanding Bioactive Dietary Chemicals

The foods and drinks we consume contain natural chemicals (vitamins, minerals, fat, sugar, protein, flavonoids, toxicants, hormones and more) that can positively or negatively impact human health.

Impact

1890 Extension Efforts Supporting Nutrition, Health and Wellness of Individuals, Families and Communities

The 1890 Land-grant Universities shape a brighter future for their communities through their Cooperative Extension programs that are providing families with the information they need to make healthy lifestyle choices. Supported by USDA…

Impact

Science and Engineering for a Biobased Industry and Economy

Petroleum and other nonrenewable fossil fuels are commonly used for fuels, energy, plastics, industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and other materials we use daily. But many of these products can be made using plant…

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