Short profiles of SARE-funded research and education projects in action.
Showing 1-10 of 48 results
Producer-Driven Research Finds Wood Chip Mulch Conserves Moisture and Improves Production Efficiency
In Virginia, using chipped wood for mulch can help manage weeds while increasing yield and cutting irrigation costs.
Adapting to Overgrazed Land and Drought on Joe Kipp’s Ranch in the Blackfeet Indian Reservation of Montana
On ancestral Blackfeet land in northern Montana, Joe and Kathy Kipp are breathing new life into overgrazed prairies.
Adapting to Extreme Rains and Drought at A-Frame Farm in Madison, Minnesota
At A-Frame Farm, resilience begins below the surface. In a new episode of America’s Heartland, produced in partnership with SARE, farmer Luke Peterson shares how his family is adapting to increasingly erratic weather through regenerative practices that focus on restoring the soil. Located on 500 acres in Madison, Minn., A-Frame Farm produces organic grains and […]
Adapting to Flooding and Drought on Hurricane Flats Farm in South Royalton, Vermont
On the banks of the White River, Hurricane Flats Farm is finding new ways to thrive in the face of increasingly unpredictable weather. In a new episode of America’s Heartland, produced in partnership with SARE, farmers Ashley Loehr and Antoine Guerlain share how they’re navigating both severe drought and catastrophic flooding on their 37-acre certified […]
Pennsylvania Producers Drive Research to Expand Switchgrass Markets
In Pennsylvania, switchgrass has emerged as a promising new crop for family farms. This perennial grass thrives on rocky, untillable land, requires minimal maintenance and reduces soil erosion. But a key challenge to expanding production has been the lack of stable markets and cost-effective methods of processing switchgrass for high-value applications like poultry bedding. In […]
Farmer-Led Innovation Improves Aquaculture Production and Ecosystems in New England
Southern New England’s climate offers ideal conditions for producing bay scallops—a sustainable seafood option that also diversifies aquaculture enterprises. However, an important challenge in bay scallop farming is access to nursery systems that can efficiently raise scallops to maturity before transferring them to grow-out environments. With support from a Northeast SARE Farmer grant, Dr. Daniel […]
Producer Partnerships Demonstrate the Benefits of Integrated Systems: Increased Profits and Soil Health
In the semiarid climate of the Great Plains, persistent drought is increasingly contributing to crop failure and soil erosion. A recent North Central SARE Research and Education grant in Kansas demonstrated how integrating crops, livestock and cover crops could help some producers offset revenue loss and failing crops. Kansas State University’s Dr. Augustine Obour partnered […]
The Value of Farming with Community
Shakera and Juan Raygoza talk about why their bonds with local consumers, families, schools, agricultural educators and other farmers are beneficial for both them and for the community where they live and farm. They operate Terra Preta Farm on 15 acres in Edinburg, Texas, where they grow organic radishes for wholesale markets and run a […]
Using Flowering Insectary Borders to Boost Natural Enemies
Beneficial insects play an important role in managing insect pests and pollinating crops, but they struggle to thrive in and around farms that have low plant diversity and rely mainly on tillage. Routine soil disturbances and low plant diversity can mean fewer prey, shelter and plant-based resources available to support natural enemies, especially early in […]
Cultivating Partnerships: Building Farm-Research Networks for Improved Physical Weed Control
Managing and controlling weeds can be a challenge and a frustration for farmers, no matter the farm size or crop. Associate professor of horticulture at Michigan State University, Daniel Brainard, knows that weed management represents a major barrier to sustainable production of both field and vegetable crops. Brainard has been researching new tools and techniques […]