SFL18-001

Future of Sustainable Agriculture in Florida Webinar Series:

The target audience for this webinar series consists of county Extension faculty and other local service providers. The purpose of this IST is to expose participants to the research programming conducted in Florida that relates to new projects and technologies supporting sustainable agriculture. The intent of this series is to explore the most current research related to issues in sustainable agriculture from a wide variety of disciplines so participants are able to collaborate to provide relevant and timely sustainable agricultural programming. This training will be offered as a webinar series to increase participation.  In 2018-19, the webinar series will focus on cover crops and their applications and benefits in Florida. This will contribute to the further development of the Southern Cover Crops Council and enhance impact of the Council in Florida.  After completing this training, participants will be able to:

1. Advise farmer clientele on the latest research taking place in the state addressing key topics and barriers identified in the statewide survey conducted in Florida under the SARE-funded planning grant that led to the establishment of the Council, such as timing of cover crop planting, selection of cover crop species, timing of termination, costs, and effects on yield.

Extension and Outreach of Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation in the Southeast

The Florida SARE program is partnered with USDA-ARS to provide strong Extension programming and evaluate the barriers and opportunities for expanding research and use of anaerobic soil disinfestation in Florida agriculture. Once used extensively as a pesticide, methyl bromide is now banned for use as a soil fumigant. There has been considerable research into broad-spectrum chemical alternatives in the U.S., but the results show inconsistent pest control. In conjunction with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), researchers at the University of Florida are investigating a new option: anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD). This is a biointensive method of integrated pest management that involves the pre-plant soil incorporation of a labile carbon source and adequate water to saturate the soil. Florida SARE is responsible for coordinating participatory action research assessments with service providers and growers to evaluate the potential usefulness of anaerobic soil disinfestation and possible barriers to adoption. The technology of anaerobic soil disinfestation is extended through field days, research assessments, conferences, and educational videos.

Southern Region Cover Crops Council

We are a member of Strategy Team 4.  The objective of Strategy Team 4 is to foster basic, applied and participatory cover crop research in the Southern Region, and establish a multi-state research project by Dec. 2019.

Cover Crop Diversity through Evaluation and Increase from Breeder Stocks and Germplasm Repositories

This Southern SARE funded grant is a collaboration among three faculty members at the University of Florida working to develop cover crops for use during the summer in the Southeastern region, specifically Florida.  The existing cover crops primarily used throughout the US were bred for cool-season use and do not work in Florida during the summer season.  We primarily use cover crops during the summer season because our production season typically occurs from August to May.  Our role on the project includes coordinating participatory action research assessments with service providers and growers to evaluate the potential usefulness of our research and possible barriers to adoption.  We are also responsible for hosting field days, presenting at conferences, and developing a virtual research assessment.

Sustainable Organic Strawberry (SOS) Cropping Systems For The Southeast

This OREI-NIFA funded project seeks to promote the expansion of organic strawberry production in the Southeast by working to develop organic strawberry cropping systems that are more environmentally and economically sustainable and resilient to weed, pest, and disease pressure. The project is a collaborative effort of the University and Florida, North Carolina A&T State University, Florida A&M University and Florida Certified Organic Growers and Consumers, Inc. (FOG). The project has three major components: biological research, consumer and economic research, and evaluation and outreach. The main experiment examines the effects of three cover crop treatments and a weedy control on soil health, nematode suppression, arthropod pests, beneficials, and the performance of four strawberry cultivars in open-field production. Four supporting or satellite experiments examine specific aspects of nutrient management incorporating nitrogen contribution from cover crops and supplemental fertilization, efficacy of OMRI-approved materials for management of spotted wing drosophila (SWD) and twospotted spider mite (TSSM), and spot treatment with predatory mites for TSSM, and performance of cultivars in high and low tunnels for cold protection outside sub-tropical Florida. The evaluation and extension components are integrated. We use an Industrial Liaison Panel and research assessments with service providers and growers to evaluate the potential usefulness of our research and possible barriers to adoption. Extension activities include field days, trainings, workshops, and conference presentations.

The Greening of Strawberry Plasticulture

Research and extension activities in this FDACS funded project propose to address the unsustainable practice of using an extended period of overhead irrigation to limit heat stress during the establishment of bare-root strawberry transplants on black plastic mulch. We anticipate that the combination of low-volume sprinklers and living mulch in row middles will increase the sustainability of strawberry production by decreasing water use during bare-root transplant establishment, promoting infiltration at the expense of runoff, increasing the diversity of the cropping system, and improving cropping system resilience to weeds and to the sting nematode (Belonolaimus longicaudatus). On-farm and on-station field experiments have been conducted to compare (1) conventional high-volume sprinkler irrigation, (2) low-volume sprinkler irrigation, (3) high-volume sprinkler irrigation + living mulch, and (4) low-volume sprinkler irrigation + living mulch. During strawberry establishment, irrigation infiltration and runoff was assessed. Data was collected on strawberry stand establishment, growth, and fruit yield. Living mulch suppression of weeds and sting nematodes was also assessed.  Our role on the project includes presenting at conferences and developing a virtual research assessment for service providers and growers to evaluate the potential usefulness of our field research and identify possible barriers to adoption.

Adapting and Expanding High Tunnel Organic Vegetable Production for the Southeast

The long-term goal of this OREI-NIFA funded project is to develop sustainable high tunnel systems to promote the growth and expansion of organic vegetable production in the Southeast. The project is a collaborative effort of the University and Florida, Florida A&M University, USDA-ARS, University of Georgia, Georgia Organics, and Florida Certified Organic Growers and Consumers, Inc. (FOG). This integrated project will systematically address the major challenges and key issues with organic high tunnel production and management identified through an initial planning project. By building a strong partnership with organic producers and other stakeholders, this project will target long-term environmental and economic sustainability. The outreach component is focused on the following objectives: (1) An expanded network of farmers, farmer organizations and stakeholders that can share and access information about high tunnel organic vegetable production; (2) continuing farmer and stakeholder participation in research and extension about high tunnel organic vegetable production; (3) increased understanding of farmer and stakeholder decision making; and (4) adoption of the management options generated by this research. Our role on the project includes coordinating participatory action research assessments with service providers and growers to evaluate the potential usefulness of our research and possible barriers to adoption.  We are also responsible for coordinating the advisory council activities, hosting field days, conducting interviews with the farmers engaging in our on-farm research, presenting at conferences, and developing a virtual research assessment.

Graduate Student Grant Writing Workshops

2019GradStudentGrantWritingWorkshopFlyer

This two part hands-on workshop was open to any University of Florida graduate student interested in improving their grant proposal writing skills. Dr. Mickie Swisher discussed the keys to writing a successful grant proposal. Students had the opportunity to work on their own proposals at the workshop, as well. Each session of the workshop covered different aspects of proposal writing – from literature reviews to budgeting, so students needed to attend both sessions, if possible. Students from any department were encouraged to attend.  At the end of the training, the participants were able to: (1) Explain why proposals are rejected; (2) Identify the key elements of a call for proposal.Craft their own proposal.

Enhancing Seed Production of Regionally Adapted Crops in the Southeastern Farmer Seed System

Seeds represent the fundamental basis of agricultural productivity and secure food systems. Farmers depend on an array of seed producers to provide the planting materials necessary for meeting the food, fuel, fiber, natural resource conservation and plant-based aesthetics demands of the United States. However, seed production in the US occurs predominantly outside of the southeastern region. Seed availability is often limited to protected varieties displaying broad adaptability and national or global acceptance. These varieties often require substantial inputs to maintain long-term productivity. Alternatively, a sustainable agricultural system seeks to provide affordable, high-quality, regionally-appropriate seeds from diverse crops. This Southern SARE funded project addresses principal barriers to entry into seed production markets: (1) producing and maintaining high quality seeds in hot, humid environments and (2) decision-making factors that determine whether farmers are likely to adopt novel yet established practices and technologies. We expect our project will enhance southeastern farmer seed systems by: enabling small- and medium-sized farmers to control and improve seed production and storage, identifying potential barriers that limit adoption of new seed production technology and practices, improving potential profitability through seed production, educating limited-resource farmers throughout the region on new seed production methods, and contributing to ongoing efforts to establish a southeastern seed network.

IRB-02 (Behavioral/Non-medical) Training for Extension Programming

The target audience for this training consists of UF state and county Extension faculty and staff.  Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) review all research involving human subjects to ensure that their welfare and rights are protected as mandated by federal regulations. Faculty, staff, and students at UF may not conduct any human research without prior IRB approval. Effective sustainable agriculture program evaluation and outreach relies on human subject feedback, namely farmers and service providers. The objective of this IST is to provide participants with an understanding of how the IRB-02 submission process works, when it is needed, and how to submit an IRB successfully. After completing this training, participants will be able to:

1. Identify when IRB-02 approval is needed to complete their plan of work.
2. Register, access, and navigate the myIRB site.
3. Complete the required CITI training needed to submit to IRB-02.
4. Successfully submit an IRB-02 research protocol.
5. Make changes to the study as requested by the IRB
6. Identify when a protocol revision is needed and successfully submit a revision.

Beyond Individual Behavior Change: Programming for Community-Level Impacts

The target audience for this training is county Extension faculty and other local service providers. County Extension faculty are under increasing demand to demonstrate that their programs create community-level change. Donors and government agencies want Extension faculty to effectively address complex issues that involve both individual attitudes and behaviors and structural barriers. Extension faculty must be more strategic in their programming which requires a theory of change (TOC) - a path of related events that must occur at multiple scales and with multiple actors for change to occur. This training gives participants an opportunity to develop their own strategic theory of change to access a complex problem critical to their work. After completing this training, participants will be able to:

1. Use a TOC to develop a strategy to improve outcomes of community systems.
2. Establish objectives for a community-based program to achieve change in performance of community systems.
3. Identify community partners needed to achieve the objectives of their program.
4. Select community-level indicators they can use to monitor and evaluate their program impacts.

Advanced Individualized Training

The target audience consists of county Extension faculty who are members of a Florida Extension Professional Association. Scholarships are available to support travel to a professional development program in which the faculty person will receive training in topics relevant to sustainable agriculture. The objectives of this scholarship program are to:

1. Increase participation in trainings related to sustainable agriculture that are associated with the SSARE Program.
2. Increase participation in relevant national and regional trainings offered by other programs and organizations.
3. Enhance the ability of the participant to develop and deliver local extension programming relevant to the goals of the Florida SARE program.
4. Expand the current Extension responsibilities of the participant to include programming related to sustainable agriculture and food systems.

Grant Proposal Mentoring

We reach out to faculty members in the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, especially those with significant Extension responsibilities, to offer assistance in pre-proposal research and proposal development on topics related to sustainable agriculture.  These are one-on-one or small group mentoring sessions.

Advancing Local Food Systems Webinar

The target audience consists of county Extension faculty, state Extension specialists, Regional Specialized Agents, and nonprofit organizations whom specialize in advancing local food system networks.  We will host a webinar exploring how food retail cooperatives can leverage Federal, State and local funds, as well as private capital, to finance food businesses in efforts to advance local food system development.  The objectives of this webinar are to:

1. Promote the recently published report, Harvest Opportunity: The Power of Regional Food System Investments to Transform Communities.
2. Highlight food systems investment opportunities across Florida.
3. Enhance the ability of the participant to develop and deliver local extension programming relevant to the goals of the Florida SARE program.

Successful Grant Writing for Extension Programming

The target audience for this training consists of county Extension faculty, service providers, community-based organizations, and producer organizations.  The funding opportunities for community-based and producer organizations provide important resources to foster community and farm development. Successful proposal development is a learned skill. While the specific requirements for each proposal will vary depending on the goals of the donor, objectives, and proposal requirements, there are commonalities to most proposals. The objective of this program is to provide participants with an understanding of key factors that donors commonly use to evaluate proposals and how to respond to these factors.  After completing this training, participants will be able to:

1. Write a problem statement that is responsive to the priorities of the donor.
2. Develop goals, objectives, and outcomes to address the problem statement.
3. Develop and describe objective-based activities.
4. Construct an appropriate evaluation strategy.
5. Develop an objective-based budget.

Working Food Collaboration