SARE video series highlights farmer-led sustainable agriculture projects
Check out all 18 North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Farming Matters videos.
The Farming Matters video series highlights sustainable farming projects funded by the United Stated Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NCR-SARE) program. Many of the videos focus on farmer-led projects funded by NCR-SARE Farmer Rancher grants, but researchers, educators and other SARE grants are featured as well. Farm topics cover a diversity of farm enterprises from urban farming to cattle and from corn to chestnuts.
A recent video featured a University of Michigan Campus Farm project to raise mushrooms in unused space under transplant tables. Two University of Michigan students worked with farm manager Jeremy Moghtader to trial methods and timelines for growing mushrooms in a space that can be hotter, drier and sunnier than ideal, even for heat-tolerant mushroom strains. They created a zine to share the project results and tips for growing mushrooms in greenhouses with local farmers.
You can see the full Farming Matters video series or click on any of the video titles below:
- Soul Food Project's Urban CSA with Danielle Guerin
- MARSH Urban Farming Cooperative with Beth Neff
- Growing and Distilling Heirloom Corn with the Glazik Brothers
- No-Till Mexica Maize with Pantaleon Florez
- No-Till and Organic Vegetables with Andrew Adamski
- Growing and Selling Mushrooms with Lauren McCalister
- Industrial Hemp and the Kansas Hemp Consortium with Sarah Stephens
- Lung Scanning Cattle with Tabitha Steckler Hurst
- Forcing Belgian Endive and Treviso Radicchio in The Upper Midwest with Peter Skold
- Biochar and Agroforestry with Gavi Welbel and Marya Matlin-Wainer of Zumwalt Acres
- Increasing the Availability of Fresh, Local Foods with John Jamerson
- Breeding Honey Bees with Megan Mahoney
- Stacked Functionality Greenhouse Use for Mushroom Production with Jeremy Moghtader
- Growing and Honoring Heritage Corn with Zuleyja Prieto
- Growing Gound Cherries with Christine Williams
- Establishing a Sustainable Truffle Orchard with Mimi Kokoska
- Preserving Excess Produce with Glass Rooster Cannery
- Producing Culinary Chestnut Flour with Michelle Ajamian and Amy Miller
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)
SARE is a USDA program that shares numerous resources for farmers and agriculture educators including books, bulletins, videos and more. For more information about SARE grants and resources, visit Michigan SARE or SARE.
North Central SARE grants include Farmer Rancher Grants, Research and Education Grants, Youth Educator Grants and other grant programs. You can find them all at NCR-SARE Grants . Michigan SARE grants include the Michigan SARE Travel Scholarship and two funding opportunities for people organizing sustainable agriculture workshops and conferences.
Michigan SARE coordinator Sarah Fronczak, Tribal SARE coordinator Emily Proctor and Katie Brandt from the Michigan State University Organic Farmer Training Program are glad to advise grant applicants, review proposals and support farmers, educators and students applying for NCR-SARE grants. Grant-writing support is available free of charge for all six North Central SARE grants and for Michigan SARE mini-grants. Email froncza3@msu.edu or brandtk7@msu.edu with questions, to have a proposal reviewed or to set up a time to discuss your proposal idea. Tribal members and communities are encouraged to reach out to Emily Proctor at proctor8@msu.edu for assistance with SARE proposals.
The program aims to support an inclusive mix of farmers and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program or political beliefs.