*Note to Editors: A state-by-state breakdown of awards is included in this
release*
1998 WESTERN SARE GRANT AWARDS ANNOUNCED
Two million dollars in grants have been awarded to sustainable agriculture
research and education efforts in the Western U.S.
Logan, UT -- Competitive grant awards for 1998 have been announced
by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Western Sustainable Agriculture
Research and Education (Western SARE) program. The multi-million dollar
effort will support research, education and professional development
projects in 15 states and Pacific Island Protectorates.
After final contract negotiations, just over $2 million in awards
will be disbursed to universities, farmers and ranchers and organizations
to further knowledge and adoption of sustainable agriculture.
"More than a third of the grant work involves livestock, and almost
another third focuses on sustainable agriculture approaches for tropical
climates," said Phil Rasmussen, regional coordinator of Western SARE and a
soil scientist at Utah State University. "This says to me that the region's
outreach initiatives to the Pacific Islands have been successful."
"I'm also very pleased to see the number and caliber of proposals
from the Native American community grow," Rasmussen said.
The rest of the projects expand knowledge of soil quality,
alternative crops, organic marketing techniques, agroforestry and natural
buffers, and minimum tillage practices for cotton, among other topics. One
California project targets professional development in sustainable
agriculture to private pest control advisors and agricultural consultants.
Region-wide, more than $1.3 million was awarded to sustainable
agriculture research and education projects; nearly $404,000 was allocated
to professional education efforts for extension and other agricultural
personnel; and just over $143,000 was split among 31 farmer- and
rancher-initiated projects in the Western U.S.
In addition, another $164,900 will be split among state Cooperative
Extension programs in the West to further state-level activities for
sustainable agriculture professional development.
Grant applicants submitted project proposals that were ranked on
their merit and potential for achievement. Reviewers included scientists,
extension professionals, producers, and public and private sector
representatives from all areas of the Western region. At least half of the
review panels for the farmer/rancher research grants were producers.
Selections were made by the regional Administrative Council and
have been submitted to the USDA for final approval.
The SARE effort (which includes some pollution prevention projects
funded in part by the U.S. EPA) has been active since 1988. The
professional development program received funding for the first time in
1994. And, since the inception of the Farmer/Rancher Research Grant program
in 1995, about 120 grants have been made to producers to test their "in the
field" questions about sustainable practices and issues.
Since 1988 through federal fiscal 1998, the U.S. Congress has
allocated more than $92 million to the SARE effort; Western SARE has
received $20.7 million in funds.
The SARE program, which was authorized by Congress in the 1990 and
1996 Farm Bills, is managed in the West by an Administrative Council. The
committee of scientists, producers and administrators represent a variety
of interests and provide local leadership to research and training efforts.
It operates in cooperation with the USDA SARE office and the Cooperative
State Research, Education and Extension Service.
Utah State University is host to the SARE program in the Western
region, which includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii,
Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming and
the Island Protectorates of American Samoa, Guam, Micronesia and the
Northern Mariana Islands.
The next competitive grants cycle (which concludes in 1999) began
with the release of calls for research, education and professional
development proposals in mid-June 1998. The next call for producer-led
research projects will be released in October 1998. Potential grant
applicants should contact the host office at (435) 797-2257 or
wsare@mendel.usu.edu to get on the mailing list for these calls for
proposals.
Calls for proposals and other news and information are also
available on-line via Western SARE's Web site at http://ext.usu.edu/wsare/
Prepared by:
Kristen Kelleher, communications specialist
(530) 752-5987; kkelleher@ucdavis.edu
###
Western Region SARE Grants Awarded in 1998
State-by-State or Island Protectorate
State-Grantee-Award-Subject
ALASKA
Vickie Talbot, producer $5,000 Ligonberries
Total Funding for Alaska: $5,000
AMERICAN SAMOA
Ma'ataua Te'o, producer $2,900 Beef Cattle Pasture Manag.
Litani Ahoia, producer $4,646 Nutrition Support Group
Alosina Toomalatai, producer $2,210 Eel & Tilapia Farm
Nikolao Mageo, producer $2,975 Piggery Deep Litter Syst.
Total Funding for American Samoa: $12,731
ARIZONA
Robert Kattnig, University of Arizona $103,000 Indian Range Livestock
Wallace Tsosie, Navajo Res Consv & Devl. (RC&D)* $52,542 Noxious
Weed Control*
Glenda Davis, producer $7,000 Navajo Livestock Disease
Wayne Coates, University of Arizona $182,850 Cotton, Minimum Tillage
Total Funding for Arizona: $345,392
CALIFORNIA
Milt McGiffen, University of California, Riverside $130,672
Intensive Desert Vegetables
David Chaney, University of California SAREP* $80,100 Pest Control
Advisor Training*
Touxia Thaoxaochay, producer $4,000 Alts. to Methyl Bromide
Mike & Sandy Smith, producers $4,000 Solarization for Small Farm Crops
Aaron Albaugh, producer $5,000 Goats for Weeds, Agroforests
Total Funding for California: $223,772
COLORADO
James Faughnan, producer $3,000 Alternative Crop Rotations
Larry Matschke, producer $2,938 Biocontrol of Weed Musk Thistle
Dennis Moeller, producer $8,700 Cattlemen's Asso. Project
John Haws, producer $2,665 Forage, Intensive Winter Grazing
Total Funding for Colorado: $17,303
GUAM
Bob Barber, University of Guam* $41,360 "Portable" Extension Office*
Farouq G. Abawi, University of Guam $121,850 Swine Production
Total Funding for Guam: $163,210
HAWAII
Craig Elevitch, Permanent Agriculture Resources* $57,885
Agroforestry in Pacific Islands*
Richard Bowen, University of Hawaii* $85,400 Tropical Cover Crops*
Ronald McKeehan, producer $4,965 Swine Waste Re-Use for Crops
Zach Gibson, producer $5,000 Forage Peanuts for Cattle
Robert Gann, producer $3,400 Ag Waste to Plant & Fish Food
Samuel Okami, producer $5,390 Free Range Pork
Total Funding for Hawaii: $162,040
IDAHO
John O'Connor, producer $9,910 Nematode Control, Potatoes
Jim Wiersema, producer $5,000 Dairy Agroforestry
Total Funding for Idaho: $14,910
MONTANA
Vern Pluhar, producer $1,540 Annual Forages, Dryland
Derek W. Bailey, Montana State University $115,598 Cattle
Selection, Grazing
Steve McCullough, producer $7,500 Cull Potato Composting
Total Funding for Montana: $124,638
NEW MEXICO
Macario Herrera, Tierra y Montes Soil & Water Con. Dis. $49,272 Conservation
Milford Denetclaw, producer $3,100 Less Irrigated Water Use, Pastures
Don Bustos, producer $4,289 Cover Crops, Vegetables
John Leaf, producer $2,700 Catchment System, Dryland
Total Funding for New Mexico: $59,361
N. MARIANA ISLANDS
Nicolas Songsong, producer $4,500 Tilapia Production
Total Funding for N. Mariana Islands: $4,500
OREGON
Karen Murphy, Northwest Coal. for Alts. to Pesticides $42,000 Sustainable
Potatoes
Ron Jones, producer $2,658 Early Weaning, Ranching
Total Funding for Oregon: $44,658
UTAH
Schuyler Seeley, Utah State University $261,044 Less Chemical Use
in Orchards
Total Funding for Utah: $261,044
WASHINGTON
Barry C. Moore, Washington State University $157,721 Natural
Buffers, Poplars
Miles McEvoy, Washington Dept. of Agriculture* $19,100 Organic Production
& Marketing*
Edward Adams, WSU Cooperative Extension* $67,500 Alternative Dryland
Crops*
Owen Shaffner, producer $3,460 Baby Corn, Alternative Crop
Jim Divis, producer $10,000 Codling Moth, Leafhopper, Apples
Tim Clark, producer $3,460 Low-Cost Vacuum Silage
Woody Deryckx, producer $8,025 Soil Building, Vegetables
Fred Barkley, producer $3,200 Biocontrol of Apple Disease
Total Funding for Washington: $272,466
WYOMING
James M. Krall, University of Wyoming $173,979 Integrated
Crop/Livestock, Legumes
Total Funding for Wyoming: $173,979
* These projects have a specific goal to provide professional development
opportunities for Extension and Natural Resources Conservation Service
personnel, and other agricultural professionals.
*******************************
Kristen Kelleher
Senior Public Information Rep/ Communications Specialist
Western SARE
Mail and contact information:
SARE
University of California
One Shields Avenue
Davis, CA 95616-8716
(530) 752-5987
(530) 754-8550
kkelleher@ucdavis.edu
FOR UPS, FED-X, or other priority mail:
SARE, University of California
DANR Bldg, Hopkins Rd.
Davis, CA 95616
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