News

Reaching Women in Agriculture: A Guide to Virtual Engagement

"Reaching Women in Agriculture: A Guide to Virtual Engagement" outlines a range of strategies and tools to help educators who have prior experience conducting in-person educational activities adapt their programming for online and hybrid spaces.

Farmer-Focused Innovations Funded by SARE

“Institutionalized food is the forgotten part of the food revolution,” says Ann Swanson, talking about the lack of fresh produce available from local institutions in her community of Champaign–Urbana, IL. Inspired, Swanson used a SARE Farmer/Rancher grant to create new opportunities for local farmers, launch a series of educational classes and expand institutional capacity to […]

Manage Weeds on Your Farm: An Ecological Approach

SARE’s newest book, "Manage Weeds on Your Farm: A Guide to Ecological Strategies," examines the biology and behavior of common weeds and provides an integrated set of non-chemical control strategies that exploits their weaknesses.

SARE Welcomes New Associate Director Dr. Kristy Borrelli

The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SARE) is pleased to announce that Dr. Kristy Borrelli has been hired to serve as its new associate director.

SARE Video Dives into the 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 […]

Updated Building Soils for Better Crops Focuses on Soil Health Fundamentals

SARE’s newest book, the fourth edition of Building Soils for Better Crops, provides rich detail on ecologically sound practices for developing and maintaining healthy soils. It is a must-read for farmers, educators and students alike.

New SARE Bulletin Highlights Best Practices for Adult Learning

Studies show that farmers learn best through in-person, face-to-face educational programs. But learning opportunities often miss the mark due to content choice, disorganization or lack of understanding of participants' learning styles. Educators that use best adult learning practices have a greater effect on participants’ learning and retention, and empower farmers to make sustainable changes to […]

Water Management Addressed in New SARE Video

SARE's "Water Conservation" animation illustrates how efficient water management can help farmers and ranchers increase the resilience of their operations while improving the health of their crops and livestock.

New “Sustainable Grazing and Pasture Management” Video from SARE

“Sustainable Grazing and Pasture Management,” the sixth video in SARE’s “What is Sustainable Agriculture?” series shows how farmers can improve soil health and plant vigor by focusing on the health of their pastures and rangelands. This simple animation is a great introduction to the basic principles of sustainable livestock management and is intended to complement […]

New SARE Video "Ecological Pest Management"

SARE's new “Ecological Pest Management” animation highlights how farmers can use natural principles to control pests and improve the health and productivity of their production systems. The fifth episode in SARE's "What is Sustainable Agriculture?" series introduces key components of ecological pest management and is intended to complement more detailed training materials. Ecological pest management strategies […]

New SARE Video Centers on Social Sustainability

SARE's new "Social Sustainability" animation addresses the importance of human resilience, success and fulfillment in sustainable agriculture. The fourth episode in SARE’s “What is Sustainable Agriculture?” series introduces key components of social sustainability in agriculture and illustrates strategies that can help farmers and ranchers succeed. Agriculture is a dangerous and demanding way of life, and […]

SARE Seeks Applications for Associate Director Position

The University of Maryland seeks an Associate Director for the National Reporting, Coordination and Communications Office (NRCCO) of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program.  This Associate Director position is appropriate for both experienced and early career professionals. See https://ejobs.umd.edu/postings/82240 for a full job description, responsibilities, qualifications and application guidelines. Submit applications by the […]

New "Conservation Tillage and Soil Health" Video from SARE

The newest episode of SARE’s “What is Sustainable Agriculture?” animation series illustrates how many producers are retiring conventional tillage equipment and turning to conservation tillage to improve soil health and productivity. “Conservation Tillage and Soil Health” provides a short, animated outline of the basic principles of conservation tillage that can be used to introduce or […]

New “Cover Crops and Soil Health” Video from SARE

The newest episode of SARE’s "What is Sustainable Agriculture" animation series illustrates how producers can use cover crops to improve productivity and sustainability. In just a few short minutes, “Cover Crops and Soil Health” outlines how cover crops can build soil structure, protect water quality, suppress pests and improve a farm's bottom line. Combining cover […]

What is Sustainable Agriculture?

Farmers and researchers are working together to develop and implement agricultural practices that increase profitability, quality of life and environmental stewardship. SARE's new series of short animated videos illustrate how producers can improve the success and health of their farms by implementing sustainable practices. The eight “What is Sustainable Agriculture?” videos are useful and engaging […]

SARE’s Smart Water Use Bulletin Highlights Sustainable Water Management

Smart Water Use on Your Farm or Ranch is available for free in print and for download; it is particularly useful to farmers and educators considering innovative approaches to agricultural water use.

Updated Guide to USDA Programs Opens Door to Millions of Dollars of Available Funding

Building Sustainable Farms, Ranches and Communities covers 62 government programs and has been updated to include program updates from the 2018 Farm Bill. Each program listing provides a description of the program’s available resources, information on how to apply, and in some cases, examples of how the funding has been used.

New SARE Bulletin Addresses Ecological Approach to Managing Pests

A flock of sheep is vital to the success of one particular vineyard in Winters, California. While many operations struggle to manage weeds, this vineyard used a SARE-funded grant to test grazing sheep as a pest management practice, and they are seeing many whole-farm benefits. The sheep were trained to avoid the grape crop’s leaves […]

National Farmer Survey Documents a Wide Range of Cover Crop Benefits as Acreage Continues to Expand

Despite the crippling rainfall that significantly delayed planting across much of the country in 2019, more than 90% of farmers participating in a national cover crop survey reported that cover crops allowed them to plant earlier or at the same time as non-cover-cropped fields. Among those who had "planted green," seeding cash crops into growing […]