AGRICULTURE PROJECTS FUNDED IN
MISSISSIPPI
by USDA's
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program
1988-2025
MISSISSIPPI
by USDA's
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program
1988-2025
Mississippi has been awarded $3,921,413 grants to support 74 projects, including but not limited to, 11 research and/or education projects, 15 professional development projects and 11 producer-led projects. Mississippi has also received additional SARE support through multi-state projects.
Some grant programs may have been started or ended, or both, within the selected date range. Complete information may not be available for all grant programs prior to 2016.
| RESEARCH AND EDUCATION GRANTS | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project # | Project Title | SARE support | Project Leaders | |
| LS24-393 | Northern Mississippi FoodRx | $399,969 | Dr.Meagen Rosenthal University of Mississippi Dr.Casandra Banks Creative Minds Academy Robbie Pollard Happy Foods Project | |
| LS24-396 | Allelopathic Cover Crops, Roller Crimping, and Soil Steaming as an Integrated Non-chemical Weed Management Strategy in Tomato | $399,956 | Dr.Te Ming Tseng Mississippi State University Bharat Acharya Rodale Institute Southeast Organic Center Dr.Shaun Broderick Mississippi State University Dr.Nilda Burgos University of Arkansas Dr.Shankar Shanmugam Mississippi State University | |
| LS09-215 | Developing low-cost sustainable sweet potato production strategies to facilitate adoption in the mid-south | $185,000 | Dr.Ramon Arancibia University of Missouri Extension | |
| LS05-171 | Certified Forests: preparing private landowners for the future | $102,000 | Glenn Hughes Mississippi State University Extension Service | |
| LS02-135 | Values, Attitudes and Perceptions of Forestry Constituency Groups Relative to Sustainable Forestry in the South | $17,969 | Stephen Grado Mississippi State University | |
| LS01-125 | Sustainable Vegetable Production in Rural Mississippi | $133,187 | Dr.Franklin Chukwuma Alcorn State University | |
| LS01-129 | Developing Strategies for Education of Underserved Forest Landowners | $169,875 | Glenn Hughes Mississippi State University Extension Service | |
| LS96-073 | Soil Conservation and Pest Management Impacts of Grass Hedges | $137,352 | Seth M. Dabney USDA-ARS National Sedimentation Laboratory | |
| LS93-055 | Cover Crop Integration Into Conservation Production Systems For Cotton and Sorghum | $135,540 | Seth M. Dabney USDA-ARS National Sedimentation Laboratory | |
| LS91-041 | Uniform Spray Deposits for Reduced Pesticide Use in Weed and Insect Control Operations | $43,500 | David R. Shaw Mississippi State University | |
| LS89-012 | Enhancing Farmer Adoption and Refining of a Low-input Soybean-Wheat System | $120,000 | Normie W. Buehring Mississippi State University | |
| EDUCATION ONLY GRANTS | ||||
| Project # | Project Title | SARE support | Project Leaders | |
| EDS22-35 | Small Farm IPM Training Workshop For Underserved Communities | $22,838 | Dr.Daniel Collins Alcorn State University Dr.Tahir Rashid Alcorn State Universit | |
| EDS21-31 | Training MS Farmers and Producers with Alternative Farming Practices Including Intercropping | $50,000 | Tom Collins Mileston Cooperative Association Tom Collins West Holmes Community Development Organization (WHCDO) | |
| EDS20-18 | Scaling Up Production and Local Marketing for Minority and Limited Resource Farmers | $49,777 | Felicia Bell NCAT Gulf States, Jackson | |
| PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM GRANTS | ||||
| Project # | Project Title | SARE support | Project Leaders | |
| SPDP25-033 | Developing a Hydroponic Training Program for Southeastern Extension Agents and Mentor Farmers | $80,000 | Dr.Qianwen Zhang Mississippi State University Ibukun Ayankojo Mississippi State University - North Mississippi Research and Extension Center Dr.Shaun Broderick Mississippi State University Keith Benson Alliance of Sustainable Farms | |
| SPDP22-16 | Training Agriculture Professionals and Educators to Support Diversified Vegetable Farmers with Cost Analysis | $75,000 | Tanya Murray Oregon Tilth | |
| SPDP21-07 | Profitability, Viability, and Sustainability of Pasture-Based Dairy Farms: The Southern Dairy Sustainability Network | $79,737 | Dr.Jamie Larson Mississippi State University | |
| ES20-153 | Improving Conservation Practices and Soil Health in Sweet Potato through Cover-It-Up | $65,220 | Dr.Bill Burdine Mississippi State University Extension | |
| ES20-156 | Meat Chemistry and Cuisine: Using a proven method to train extension agents and other professionals serving small-scale and limited resource producers | $80,805 | Dr.Derris Burnett Mississippi State University | |
| ES18-138 | Growing Your Local Food System and Its Brands | $79,999 | Dr.James Barnes Mississippi State University | |
| ES17-132 | Cover It Up: Train-the-trainer program to expand knowledge and utilization of cover crops in Mississippi | $65,222 | Dr.Bill Burdine Mississippi State University Extension | |
| ES17-131 | Transition to Sustainability in Small-Scale Vegetable Production: Hands-on training for agriculture professionals and educators | $79,520 | Keith Benson Alliance of Sustainable Farms | |
| ES16-127 | Reducing Water Usage and Energy Costs Through Improved Irrigation Management | $76,656 | Dr.R. Curt Lacy Mississippi State University | |
| ES16-126 | Grass-Fed Beef in the Southeast: from Seed to Plate | $83,185 | Dr.Brandi Karisch Mississippi State University | |
| ES16-125 | Sustainability Training in Agricultural Resources Systems (STARS): A Train-the-Trainer Model for Agriculture and Natural Resources Professionals | $78,269 | Leslie Burger Mississippi State University | |
| ES12-113 | Building the Capacity of Educators to Help Women Farmers and Ranchers in Southern States Improve Agricultural Sustainability Using ANNIES Methodologies | $79,100 | Dr.Bobbie Shaffett Mississippi State University | |
| ES09-098 | Strengthening the Goat Industry: A National Goat Conference | $80,000 | Angela McKenzie-Jakes Florida A&M University | |
| ES04-073 | Train the Trainer: a holistic approach to Integrated Resource Management and Grassland Revitalization | $93,908 | Charles Flowers Mississippi State University Extension Service Jane Parish Mississippi State University Extension Service | |
| ES98-041 | Training in Sustainable Systems Approach to Production, Harvesting, Processing and Marketing of Value Added Syrup Crops in MS and Surrounding States | $99,912 | William Patton Alcorn Cooperative Extension Program | |
| FARMER/RANCHER GRANTS | ||||
| Project # | Project Title | SARE support | Project Leaders | |
| FS21-329 | Enhancing Strawberry Production by Integrating Rabbit Production to Decrease Fertilizer Use, increase Sustainability and Profit | $14,909 | Stephen Wyatt SLEWZ LLC | |
| FS13-269 | From the Ground to Town | $14,965 | Joe Barnes Indian Springs Farmers Association | |
| FS11-256 | Comparing Native Grass Species to Bahiagrass as a Forage Hay Crop | $9,982 | Tulon McKee, Jr. McKee Farm | |
| FS10-242 | Late Summer Crop Development Project | $8,350 | Rickey Cole | |
| FS09-236 | Building a Market for Local Produce in the Foodservice Industry | $14,965 | Andre Mathews Family Farmers Cooperative | |
| FS05-191 | Silvopasture for forage, cattle and trees | $9,995 | John Keeler | |
| FS01-134 | Soil nutrient and organic matter improvement and maintenance in a crop rotation system | $6,422 | Hilbert W. Gramelspacher | |
| FS00-113 | Developing IPM Practices for Sweet Potatoes in Mississippi | $10,000 | Allen Crostwait | |
| FS00-118 | Developing Marketing Strategies For Culinary and Medicinal Herbs | $15,000 | Ben Burkett Indian Springs Farmers Association | |
| FS96-041 | Grasslands Matua and Grassland Gala in the Tennessee Valley as an Alternative to Fescue and Ryegrass | $9,900 | Tulon McKee, Jr. McKee Farm | |
| FS95-023 | Demonstration of No-Till Cotton Production Using Best Management Practices | $8,295 | Charles Donald Donald Farms | |
| GRADUATE STUDENT GRANTS | ||||
| Project # | Project Title | SARE support | Project Leaders | |
| GS24-311 | Empowering African-American Farmers: Addressing Mississippi's “Black Agrarianism” Sustainability Challenges through Voice and Representation | $14,032 | Dr.Kirk Swortzel Mississippi State University Samrat Sikdar Mississippi State University | |
| GS19-214 | Factors Affecting In-field Soil Moisture Variability and Its Effect on Irrigation | $10,845 | Dr.Mary Love Tagert Mississippi State University Blade Hodges Mississippi State University | |
| GS17-166 | Investigation of a Low-external-input Sustainable Rice Production System to Identify Ecosystem Services Towards Adoption Costs and Benefits | $16,476 | Dr.Beth Baker Mississippi State University Alexandra Firth Mississippi State University | |
| GS12-116 | Evaluating Conversion of Exotic Grass Pastures to Native Warm-Season Grass: Profitability Analysis and Response of Wildlife and Imported Fire Ants | $10,467 | Dr.Sam Riffell Department of Wildlife, Fisheries & Aquaculture Adrian Monroe Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, & Aquaculture | |
| GS01-007 | Economic, agronomic, and ecological costs/benefits of field border management practices in agricultural systems of Mississippi | $9,934 | L. Wes Burger, Jr. Mississippi State University, Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries | |
| ON FARM RESEARCH/PARTNERSHIP GRANTS | ||||
| Project # | Project Title | SARE support | Project Leaders | |
| OS24-180 | Kiko Buck Test in the Southeast: Helping Farmers to Have a Sustainable Meat Goat Business | $29,999 | Dr.Leyla Rios Mississippi State Unviersity | |
| OS22-155 | Enhancing Soil Organic Carbon Storage using Cover Crops in the Mississippi Delta | $19,779 | Varun Paul Mississippi State University | |
| OS12-068 | Biological Control of Proliferative Gill Disease in Farm-Raised Catfish | $14,997 | David Wise MSU-NWAC | |
| SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY INNOVATION GRANTS | ||||
| Project # | Project Title | SARE support | Project Leaders | |
| CS15-093 | Sustaining Communities With Local Food: A Survey of Potential in Mississippi | $35,000 | Shelly Johnstone Mississippi Food Policy Council Nancy Woodruff Mississippi Food Policy Council | |
| CS09-071 | The East Hattiesburg Fresh Food on the Block Program | $10,000 | Sylvia Forster Pinebelt Association for Familes | |
| CS08-061 | Mentoring Today for Tomorrow | $9,348 | Ben Burkett Indian Springs Farmers Association | |
| CS04-026 | Four County Farmers Market | $10,000 | Cynthia Wilson Webster Co. Development Council, Inc. | |
| PDP STATE PROGRAM GRANTS | ||||
| The following are non-competitive awards that fund the activities of the SARE state coordinator(s) within each state. | ||||
| Project # | Project Title | SARE support | Project Leaders | |
| SMS25-002 | Alcorn State University Model State Program 2025 | $20,000 | Dr.Emran Ali Alcorn State University Dr.Leyla Rios Mississippi State Unviersity | |
| SMS24-002 | Alcorn State University Model State Program 2024-2025 | $20,000 | Dr.Franklin Chukwuma Alcorn State University Dr.Emran Ali Alcorn State University | |
| SMS24-001 | 2024 Southern Model State Program: Sustainable Meat Goat Production in the Southeast | $22,000 | Dr.Leyla Rios Mississippi State Unviersity Dr.Franklin Chukwuma Alcorn State University | |
| SMS24-A02 | ASU Southern Model State Program – Program Assistant 2024-25 | $32,670 | Dr.Emran Ali Alcorn State University Dr.Leyla Rios Mississippi State Unviersity | |
| SMS24-A01 | MSA - MODEL STATE PROGRAM – Mississippi State University SARE PROGRAM ASSISTANT 2024-2025 | $33,000 | Dr.Leyla Rios Mississippi State Unviersity Dr.Franklin Chukwuma Alcorn State University | |
| SMS23-002 | Alcorn State University Model State Program 2023 | $22,000 | Dr.Franklin Chukwuma Alcorn State University | |
| SMA23-001 | 2023-2024 Mississippi Sustainable Farming Training Program | $22,000 | Dr.Leyla Rios Mississippi State Unviersity | |
| SMS23-A002 | 2023 ASU Southern Model State Program – Program Assistant | $29,700 | Dr.Franklin Chukwuma Alcorn State University | |
| SMS23-A001 | MSSTATE Program Assistant for Sustainable Agriculture: Small Ruminants, Beef and 4H | $33,000 | Dr.Leyla Rios Mississippi State Unviersity | |
| SMS22-001 | Mississippi State University Training Grant- MSP22 | $11,000 | Dr.Leyla Rios Mississippi State Unviersity | |
| SMS21-001 | Mississippi State University Training Grant- MSP21 | $11,111 | Dr.Leyla Rios Mississippi State Unviersity | |
| SMS21-002 | Alcorn State University Model State Program | $11,111 | Dr.Franklin Chukwuma Alcorn State University Dr.Leyla Rios Mississippi State Unviersity | |
| SMS20-002 | 2020 Model State Program- Alcorn University | $11,111 | Dr.Franklin Chukwuma Alcorn State University | |
| SMS20-001 | 2020 Model State Program- Mississippi State University | $11,111 | Dr.Leyla Rios Mississippi State Unviersity | |
| SMS19-002 | 2019 Model State Program- Alcorn State University | $11,111 | Dr.Franklin Chukwuma Alcorn State University | |
| SMS19-001 | 2019 Model State Program- Mississippi State University | $11,111 | Dr.Leyla Rios Mississippi State Unviersity | |
| SMS18-002 | SMS18-002 | $11,111 | Dr.Franklin Chukwuma Alcorn State University Dr.H. Randall Smith Alcorn University | |
| SMS18-001 | 2018 Model State Program- MS State University | $44,444 | Dr.Leyla Rios Mississippi State Unviersity | |
| SMS17-002 | SMS17-002 Model State Program | $11,111 | Dr.Franklin Chukwuma Alcorn State University Dr.Mark Crenshaw Mississippi State University | |
| SMS17-001 | SMS17-001 Model State Program | $44,444 | Dr.John Blanton, Jr. Mississippi State University Dr.H. Randall Smith Alcorn University | |
| SMS16-002 | 2016-2017 Model State Program Alcorn State University | $10,000 | Dr.Franklin Chukwuma Alcorn State University | |
| SMS16-001 | 2016-2017 Model State Program Mississippi State University | $11,111 | Dr.John Blanton, Jr. Mississippi State University | |
For further information on projects, contact 770-412-4787 or ssare@uga.edu.
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) is funded by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).