Posts Tagged: funding

Federal definition of 'rural' prevents California from getting adequate ag research funding

USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue held a town hall at World Ag Expo in Tulare on Feb. 13 to listen to suggestions for the upcoming Farm Bill. VP Glenda Humiston was among those present for the discussion.

Todd Fitchette of Western Farm Press wrote: “While trade, labor and regulatory issues may top the list of agricultural policy issues Perdue  faces in Washington D.C., Glenda Humiston, Vice President of the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Division of the state's Land Grant university, stressed the importance of adequate research funding and federal definitions of rural versus urban, which she said is having detrimental impacts across California on important program funding.

“Humiston said that while UCANR has a ‘proud tradition of research in California,' the university is plagued by reduced budgets at the same time the state is plagued by a new invasive pest every several weeks. She said for the university to stay ahead of these issues and to help growers in these and many other areas, additional funding is vital.

“The United States is losing the battle over agricultural research with China, which spends more in that sector, Humiston says. She continues to trumpet the idea of greater broadband access to rural areas of the state as new agriculture will demand internet upgrades for technology like sensors and driverless spray rigs.”

In private communication, Fitchette mentioned that widespread applause broke out across the audience in response to Humiston's comments.

“If a county has one town that has 50,000 population in it, the entire county is labeled metropolitan for purposes of allocating funding,” Humiston said, wrote Chelsea Shannon of the Hanford Sentinel.

Matthew Sarr of the Porterville Recorder also covered the event.

Sonny Perdue hears from California growers at World Ag Expo (Western Farm Press)

Sec. Sonny Perdue visits World Ag Expo (Hanford Sentinel)

World Ag Expo: Secretary Perdue takes pulse of agriculture community (Porterville Recorder)

Cal Poly announces collabortions with UC ANR

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, issued a news release last week that said four professors in its Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences Department are part of nine teams of researchers and educators to receive funding intended to foster collaboration among California’s colleges and universities.

Funding for the nine projects, the release said, "is provided by the University of California’s Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources and totals $79,000."

The campuses involved include UC Davis, UC Berkeley, UC Riverside, and CSU campuses at Chico, Fresno, Humboldt, Pomona and San Luis Obispo. Deans and department chairs from those campuses developed the competitive grants program at a joint workshop in 2009.

The news release, written by Stacia Momburg, detailed the projects that involve Cal Poly researchers:

• "Coast Redwood Forest Science Symposium”  - The project team - involving scientists at Cal Poly, SLO, UC Berkeley and Humboldt State - will meet in winter 2011 to assess current knowledge of California’s coast redwood forest ecosystem and sustainable management practices.
  
  
• A Cal Poly professor is working with a UC Davis professor to determine whether obesity is associated with compromised vitamin D status and the effectiveness of a vitamin D supplement.
  
  
• Head of the Cal Poly science department will work with a researcher at UC Davis to analyze genetic marker data to improve cattle breeding efficiency and producer return on investment.
  
  
• A Cal Poly dairy science professor will study nutritional-endocrine interactions that regulate bovine epithelial cell function with the help of a UC Davis professor. The project seeks to better understand bovine mammary gland function to improve milk production.

UC labs get $1 million to study exotic pests

USDA announced last week that UC Davis and UC Berkeley are among 13 research universities across the country that will receive funds to develop ecologically and economically rational strategies for management, control or elimination of weedy or invasive species.

Nearly $500,000 will go to the Davis laboratory and $500,000 to a UC Berkeley laboratory. The 13 university recipients are sharing $4.6 million in all.

"Invasive plants and animals are a major threat to food and fiber production, costing U.S. producers between $7 billion and $27 billion per year, but by doing research on controlling and managing weedy and invasive species we help protect the productivity of America's farmers and ranchers," a USDA news release quotes agriculture secretary Kathleen Merrigan.

The other grant recipients are:

• Auburn University, Auburn, Ala., $494,000
• University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska, $494,000
• University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska, $149,911
• Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo., $124,962
• Idaho State University, Moscow, Idaho, $199,704
• University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minn., $493,000
• University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minn., $491,000
• Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., $454,000
• Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, $494,000
• Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, $91,423
• Oregon State University, Corvallis, Ore., $125,000

Light brown apple moth is an invasive species in California.

USDA to give California $16 million for specialty crops

USDA announced yesterday that it is awarding $49 million for 745 projects to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops; $16 million will go to California. The agency's news release said the USDA defines specialty crops as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture and nursery crops, including floriculture.

United States Congressman Dennis Cardoza (D-Merced), chair of the Agriculture Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture, also issued a release about the award yesterday, saying grants will provide funding for a host of partnerships with UC Davis and UC Merced.

The Cardoza release said California's $16.3 million will fund projects to address such issues as food safety, production research, programs to advance exports, water recharge and pest control.

"This is a great day for California agriculture," the release quoted the congressman. "I could not be more pleased to see the many long hours we spent working on this legislation in Washington producing direct tangible results for California farmers."

US Congressman Dennis Cardoza

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