Abbey Wick, assistant professor in the NDSU School of Natural Resource Sciences, recently was recommended to receive a $29,488 grant from the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program for the project, "Adoption of Cover Crops to Build Soil Health in the Northern Plains."
"This project builds on a previously established SARE Partnership grant research/demonstration project. It will allow for evaluation of cover crops for reducing soil erosion, assessment of effective soil health measurements for the region, and continued building farmer interest in cover crops," said Wick.
The grant was awarded as part of NCR-SARE's Partnership Grant Program. The Partnership Grant Program is intended to foster cooperation between agriculture professionals and small groups of farmers and ranchers to catalyze on-farm research, demonstration, and education activities related to sustainable agriculture.
The focus for each of the NCR-SARE grant programs is on research and education. Funding considerations are based on how well the applicant presents the problem being addressed, the project's relevance to sustainable agriculture in the 12-state North Central region and how well it aligns with NCR-SARE's goals, among other factors specific to each grant program.
NCR-SARE's Administrative Council decides which projects will receive funds. The council includes farm and non-farm citizens, representing a diverse mix of agricultural stakeholders in the region. Council members are from regional farms and ranches, the Cooperative Extension Service, universities, federal agencies and nonprofit organizations.
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