Southern Region Sustainable Agriculture Training Program - Professional Development Program 2021-22 Model State Program

Project Overview

SNC21-001
Project Type: PDP State Program
Funds awarded in 2021: $22,222.00
Projected End Date: 06/30/2023
Grant Recipient: North Carolina State University
Region: Southern
State: North Carolina
State Coordinator:
Dr. Chris Reberg-Horton
North Carolina State University

Commodities

Not commodity specific

Practices

  • Animal Production: meat processing facilities
  • Crop Production: agroforestry, cover crops, crop improvement and selection, cropping systems, crop rotation, drought tolerance, irrigation, organic fertilizers
  • Education and Training: demonstration, networking, workshop
  • Farm Business Management: agricultural finance, business planning, farm succession
  • Pest Management: weed ecology
  • Production Systems: agroecosystems, organic agriculture
  • Sustainable Communities: community planning, local and regional food systems, sustainability measures

    Abstract:

    North Carolina SARE (NC SARE) is a collaborative effort from North Carolina State University (NCSU)
    and North Carolina Agriculture & Technical State University (NCA&T). NC SARE promotes sustainable
    agriculture in North Carolina and supports sustainable agriculture trainings for agriculture professionals,
    which include North Carolina Cooperative Extension (NCCE) professionals and other educators defined by
    Southern SARE. NC SARE offers sustainable agriculture trainings primarily through competitive travel
    scholarships. These travel scholarships benefit agriculture professionals at all levels, as educators may apply
    for trainings that best suit their service regions/counties’ needs and resources, as well as their own level of
    expertise. Applications for technical and educational training in any area of sustainable agriculture can be
    submitted. 

    Project objectives:

    NC SARE will consider scholarship applications for both in-state and out-state trainings. Possible
    trainings may include, but not limited to, the annual Carolina Farm Stewardship Association’s Sustainable
    Agriculture Conference (CFSA SAC), the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) Workshops,
    the NC Choices’ Carolina Meat Conference/ Women Working in the Meat Industry (CMC/WIM), and
    NCSU and NCA&T Field Days. NC SARE also offers the NC SARE Outstanding NCCE Educator award, in
    partnership with CFSA. This year, NC SARE will begin providing competitive funding to Extension
    Educators to provide a focused training to NCCE agents in a topic of sustainable agriculture. Guided by the
    Advisory Council, NC SARE has been a visible presence in NC sustainable agriculture and publicizing
    events through its website, the NC Extension portal, and providing sustainable agriculture educational
    materials, such as SARE publications, to trainers.

    Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.