Crop Production

Farmers are often reluctant to risk investments of time or money to adopt research-based conservation practices on their farms. In southern Wisconsin, a creative approach to fostering informal, farmer-led learning opportunities has been key to encouraging farmers to adopt cost-cutting grazing and cover cropping practices that successfully decrease soil erosion and waterway contamination. Dane County […]

Throughout the South, urbanization and development have diminished viable farmland. Now, some innovative researchers and farmers are exploring silvopasture—the integration of grazing livestock on forested land—to improve the economic performance and ecological benefits of grazed forests.  Dr. John Quinn and a team of pork farmers and researchers at Furman University received a Southern SARE Research […]

Bermudagrass has long served as a cornerstone forage for hay production and livestock grazing in the Southeastern United States, but nitrogen fertilizer used in its production is a costly input that can pose risks to soil, water and air quality.  In response, Auburn University’s Dr. Leanne Dillard spearheaded a Southern SARE Research and Education grant […]

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 […]

Proper management of postharvest handling practices is key to efficiency and safe working conditions on many farms. But small- to moderate-sized producers often struggle to keep pace with increasingly stringent rules that may vary by state or by county. One successful SARE-funded project rose to the challenge and provided hundreds of thousands of farmers with […]