Vermont Business Magazine The Administrative Council of the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program recently approved $5.8 million[VG1] in funding to support 62 projects to conduct applied research, farmer education and farm advisor training to strengthen sustainable agriculture throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. This includes more than $1 million in Vermont. See list below.

Northeast SARE offers six different grant programs for farmers, educators, service providers, researchers throughout our region, with funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.[VG2]

Projects were awarded through the Research and Education, Research for Novel Approaches in Sustainable Agriculture, Professional Development, and Farmer Grant programs. Recipients of the Partnership and Graduate Student Research Grant programs, currently accepting applications, will be voted on at the Administrative Council meeting in July.

Teams of farmers, researchers, educators, and industry and non-profit representatives reviewed proposals. Northeast SARE’s Administrative Council—a 20-member governance body representing a broad constituency of the Northeast agricultural community—then made final funding allocation decisions.

Projects recommended to receive funding that will start in 2022 include the following.

Vermont

Vermont Research and Education Grants

Capturing Value with Cereal Rye: Growing High Quality Rye in the Northeast for Value-Added Markets

Heather Darby

University of Vermont Extension

$247,241

In the Northeast, cereal rye is common as a cover crop. However, increasing demand for rye grain has many farmers interested in pursuing value-add markets for this cover crop. This project will develop agronomic, end-use quality, and marketing information to help farmers gain access to new markets.

Online Educational ‘Hub’ for Migrant Farmworkers

Sarah Kleinman

University of Vermont Extension

$261,372

University of Vermont Extension will establish and maintain an online educational "hub" for Spanish speaking migrant farmworkers. This project will facilitate enrollment, provide technology and instruction. Content will focus on enhancing work-based communication, farm safety, and technical skills required for the modern dairy farm.

Scaling Northeastern Agroforestry using a Farmer-centered Field Consultancy Model

Meghan Giroux

Interlace Commons

$68,365

Utilizing a farmer-centered framework, Interlace Commons will work with ten farms across the northeast to help them identify and design an agroforestry practice that meets specified conservation and production objectives.

Supporting New High-Tunnel Vegetable Growers with a Comprehensive Crop Management Approach

Margaret Skinner

University of Vermont

$199,688

Insect, disease, soil fertility and crop management in high tunnels are different from field production, demanding specific skills to ensure crop quality and yield. Growers new to high tunnels will receive goal-based guidance and an information toolkit to adopt integrated management strategies.

Vermont Novel Approaches Grants

Development of above and below ground strategies using entomopathogenic fungi and RNAi technologies for the control root crop pests

Victor Izzo

University of Vermont

$199,710

Assess the efficacy of both cultured entomopathogenic fungi and RNAi technologies for the control of wireworms and Colorado potato beetle in root crops.

Biochar from Biosolids and Source Separated Human Urine: Soil Health Impacts and Farmer Perspectives

Abraham Noe-Hays

Rich Earth Institute

$175,724

Investigate novel human-waste-derived soil amendments, by conducting field trials to test the soil health impact of urine, biomass biochar, and biosolids biochar (in comparison to conventional and organic amendments), and farmer interviews.

Vertical Bifacial Solar Panels: A Winning Solution for Agrivoltaics and Farmers

Bruce L. Parker

University of Vermont

$199,998

Showcase a highly efficient farming-friendly solar agrivoltaic system using innovative vertical bifacial solar panels for the first time in the US. Data gathered will quantify the economic, agricultural and environmental advantages of this system for Northeastern farmers.

Culturally Meaningful, Regionally Adapted Seed: Making the Ujamaa Cooperative Farmers Alliance Market Ready

Daniel Tobin

University of Vermont

$199,552

Support the Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance (UCFA), a collective of BIPOC seed growers, to enhance the market viability of culturally meaningful, regionally adapted seed in the Northeast to strengthen the cultural appropriateness and climate resilience of the food system.

Vermont Farmer Grants

Piloting a Year-round Sliding-scale CSA and Unified Online Management System to Improve Food Access

Brandon Bless

Bread and Butter Farm

$22,275

Use an efficient and convenient online system for member services, inventory management, and synced financial data as a foundation for operating a sliding scale CSA with on-farm and remote distribution sites.

Enhancing Health Benefits of Pasture Raised Lamb, Pork, and Chicken Utilizing Organic Fish Hydrolysate and Compost Supplementation

Karen Rodgers

MKVT Farm

$21,628

Improvement of nutritional value and enriched production of pork, lamb, and chicken evaluated utilizing regenerative rotational grazing of grasses with microbiome enhanced by organic fish hydrolysate and compost. Soil health and vegetative advantages will also be examined.

Evaluating Weed Suppression for Saffron Production: Manual, Flame Weeding, Tarping, and Cover Crops

Erica Walch

Hobby Hill Farm

$12,011

Evaluate the use of sileage tarps, low-growing clover (a cover crop), buckwheat (a taller cover crop and soil improver) and manual weeding to determine their costs and impacts on the production of saffron in a no-spray environment.

Research and Education Grants

The Research and Education Grant Program funds projects that result in gains in farmer knowledge, awareness, skills and attitudes that are then applied to make measurable on-farm changes leading to greater sustainability.

Projects may be submitted with or without an applied research component, but all projects must have an outcome-based education program for farmers.

District of Columbia

Women for the Land: Helping Women Farmers Advance Soil Health in Pennsylvania

Michelle Perez

American Farmland Trust

$106,847

Maryland

Implementation of Improved Intestinal Parasite Management Practices on Maryland Livestock Farms

Sarah Potts

University of Maryland

$165,354

New Hampshire

Developing Mediated Market Models to Increase Consumer Engagement and Market Access for New England Farmers

Analena Bruce

University of New Hampshire

$257,846

Education and On-farm Research to Advance Agroforestry for Climate Resilience for Northeast Farmers

Theresa Ong

Dartmouth College Agroforestry Transition Hub

$149,831

New York

Optimizing the Economic Return of Pasture-Raised Slow-growth and Conventional Broilers

Amy Barkley

Cornell University

$175,000

Regenerative Organic Dry Bean Production in the Northeast

Matthew Ryan

Cornell University

$250,000

Increasing Capacity to Produce High-Quality, Regionally Adapted Seed to Enhance Northeast Biosecurity and Diversify Markets for Vegetable Growers

Crystal Stewart-Courtens ­

Cornell Cooperative Extension

$149,749

Immigrant Urban Farmer’s Project

Brittany O'Neill

International Rescue Committee

$250,000

Pennsylvania

Improving Honeybees Through Local Queen Rearing, Selection, and Controlled Mating via Artificial Insemination

Robyn Underwood

Penn State University

$217,050

Novel Approaches Grants

The Research for Novel Approaches in Sustainable Agriculture Grant Program funds “proof of concept” projects. These projects aim to confirm the benefit and/or feasibility of experimentally viable practices and approaches with high potential for adoption by farmers.

These practices and approaches may be related to production, marketing, business management, or other topics related to sustainable agriculture. Research may be conducted through field trials, laboratory experiments and social science investigations.

Maine

Investigating Dual-use Solar for Wild Blueberry Farms in Maine

Lily Calderwood

University of Maine

$134,509

Covering Ground: Assessing Effectiveness of Interseeding Cover Crops in Late Season Vegetable Crops to Enhance Soil Health in the Northeast

Jason Lilley

University of Maine Cooperative Extension

$184,013

Development of a rapid, inexpensive assay for farm-based detection of four pathogenic Vibrio strains linked to shellfish hatchery failures

Meredith White

Mook Sea Farm

$199,989

Massachusetts

Using unoccupied aerial vehicles for application of fertilizers to cranberry bogs in Massachusetts

Brian Wick

USDA-ARS

$69,724

New Jersey

Exploring novel natural products for the development of push-pull systems to manage spotted-wing drosophila

Cesar Rodriguez-Saona

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

$199,868

Foliar Nickel fertilizer nutrition to enhance cranberry yield and decrease fungicide use

Joseph Heckman

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

$199,993

New York

The Use of Biochar in Agroforestry to Promote Soil Microbial Health, Tree Productivity, and Carbon Sequestration

David Newman

Arthur's Point Farm

$154,586

Professional Development Grants

The Northeast SARE Professional Development Grant Program funds train-the-trainer projects that develop and share knowledge across the full range of service providers who work with farmers. These service providers then use the awareness, skills and attitudes they gain in their work with farmers.

Maine

Reducing Tensions on Market Day: Training Farmers' Market Organizers and Service Providers on Conflict Resolution and De-escalation Strategies

James DeBiasi

Maine Federation of Farmers' Markets

$149,407

Massachusetts

Designing Multifunctional Buffers to Improve Farm Viability in the Berkshire-Taconic Region of MA, NY, and CT

Mark Phillips

Berkshire Agricultural Ventures

$71,474

New Jersey

The Greater Newark Sustainable Farming Practices and Local Entrepreneurship Program

Alexandra Chang

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

$135,459

New York

Northeast Pollinator Partnership – A Program to Educate Agricultural Service Providers About the Biology, Importance, and Conservation of Wild Bees

Bryan Danforth

Cornell University

$150,203

West Virginia

Sprout School: Developing a Comprehensive Farm to School Toolkit for Central Appalachia

Jennifer Totten

Future Generations University

$150,000

Farmer Grants

Farmer Grant projects address questions directly linked to improved profits, better stewardship, and stronger rural communities. Participating farmers work with a technical advisor – often an extension agent, crop consultant, or service professional – to seek knowledge other farmers can use.

Connecticut

Germination Testing to Improve the Quality of Ecotypic Native Seed in the Northeast

Dina Brewster

The Hickories, LLC

$29,299

Delaware

Automated Drainage Water Management for Improved Precision, Yield, and Water Quality

Chris Breeding

Twin Cedar Ag

$29,995

Maine

Improving Pastured Broiler Operations for Chickens and Farmers: Automating Feed Systems on Mobile Pasture Coops and Sharing the Results

Haden Gooch

Mayday Farm

$24,837

Efficient Leaf-dense Tree/Shrub Silage Production from Field Edges: Climate-resilient Winter Forage Supplement for Cattle, Sheep, and Goats

Shana Hanson

3 Streams Farm

$30,000

Get the Fish Out: Black Soldier Fly Larvae and Marine Macro-algae as Feed Ingredient Replacements for Small Land-based Aquaculture Operations

Kate Holcomb

Canopy Farms L3C

$29,484

Field Testing the Viability of 3D-printed Oyster Farm Equipment

Jordan Kramer

Winnegance Oyster Farm

$24,662

Maryland

Determining the Effect of Tree Pruning and Nutritional Inputs on a Neglected Chestnut Orchard

Jane Dennison

Morris Orchard LLC

$29,975

Improving Soil Tilth and Productivity with Mycorrhizal and Saprophytic Fungi

Matthew Harhai

Goat Plum Tree Farm, LLC

$2,268

Ground cherries: improving harvesting efficiency and defining marketing measures

Jenni Hoover

Serenity Grove Farm

$5,687

Nature’s Colors: Exploring the Production and Profitability of Natural Dyes in Baltimore

Kenya Miles

Blue Light Junction

$30,000

For the Love of Legumes: Sustainable Urban Micro-scale Grains and Dried Beans on a Demonstration Farm in Baltimore City

Denzel Mitchell

Farm Alliance of Baltimore

$29,806

Foliar Application of Kaolin Clay to Manage Pest and Diseases in Day Neutral Strawberry

Mariav Velikonja

Carniola Farms Inc

$22,247

Massachusetts

The Oysterbot: Developing a Ropeless Bottom Cage Retrieval System for Nearshore Oyster Farms

Dale Leavitt

Blue Stream Shellfish LLC

$22,996

Gracilaria Seaweed Aquaculture Farm Grow-out, Harvest, and Marketing

Dan Martino

Martino's Seafood, LLC

$27,290

Farm and Conservation Land for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Self Determination and Sovereignty in Rural Massachusetts

Carmen Mouzon

The Farm School

$29,990

Establishment and Evaluation of Founder Plots for Native Seed Production

Alexis Doshas

Native Plant Trust

$29,854

Transferred Mulch System for Organic Reduced Tillage Vegetable Production

Jeremy Plotkin

Simple Gifts Farm

$29,587

New Hampshire

Agroforestry Production of Rare Medicinal Herbs in New Hampshire

Kate Dobrowski

Green Hill Farm

$30,000

New Jersey

Grafting Heritage African Eggplants for Disease Control and Enhanced Production

Morris Gbolo

World Crops Farm

$29,950

New York

Comparison of Farm-produced and Commercial Microorganism Inoculants: Cost, Nutrients, and Biological Constituents

Matt Bedeaux

Unadilla Community Farm Education Center, Inc.

$11,852

An Illustrated Guide to Value Adding: Rules, Regulations & Good Ideas

Nichole Carangelo

Letterbox Farm Collective

$14,950

Establishing Willow and Poplar Tree Fodder Blocks for Resilient Livestock Feed and Flood Mitigation in a Silvopasture Riparian Buffer

Steve Gabriel

Wellspring Forest Farm

$14,977

Solving the Agroforestry Cash Flow Gap: Intercropping Short Term Cash Crops During Tree Crop Establishment

Nicholas Pandjiris

Whistle Down Farm

$9,492

Traditional Tortilla Maize Cultivation in New York’s Hudson Valley: Evaluating Viability of Heirloom Cultivars from Mexico and Central America

Samuel Rose

SunRunner Farm LLC

$7,689

Sustainable Microgreens Packaging

Gwen Schantz

Brooklyn Grange

$29,137

Determining the Biggest Bang for our (Time) Buck: Dealing with Fall Brassica Diseases in High Humidity Environments

Maryellen Sheehan

Hartwood Farm

$14,198

Clonal Production of Hybrid Chestnuts via Stool Bed Layering to Improve Overall Orchard Quality

Jeffrey Zarnowski

Z's Nutty Ridge LLC

$19,696

Pennsylvania

Techniques for Growing and Overwintering Japanese Fig Tree Espalier in the Northeast

Craig Boyer

Boyer Holdings LLC

$30,000

Organic and Biological Control of Colorado Potato Beetle

Robert Moynihan

Plowshare Farms

$18,741

West Virginia

Analysis of Organic Matter and Pipe Depth in a Geothermal Climate Battery High Tunnel

Tommye Rafes

T. L. Fruits and Vegetables LLC

$14,955