Cooperative Agreement 58400000047

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded a $305,630 Project Grant to the University of Vermont & State Agricultural College under the Food Safety Outreach Program (CFDA 10.328). This 3-year grant builds on a successful, multi-state produce safety education and outreach program to help small and mid-size farms in the Northeast adopt practices consistent with the Food Safety Modernization Act. The key products and services to be delivered under...

The Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service awarded a $316,077 Project Grant under the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program to Pajaro Valley Community Health Trust. The grant will sustain and build the capacity of El Mercado farmer's market over three years by doubling foot traffic, agricultural producers, and average gross sales. Activities will focus on increasing foot traffic through consumer marketing and engagement and growing the number of participating...

The Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service will receive $249,962 under a Project Grant from the US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service to evaluate consumer preferences and producer benefits from marketing pecan products with varying health and taste information. The goals are to identify effective promotional materials that can increase pecan sales and provide a model for other specialty crop industries. The three-year project will first develop marketing messages in...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded a $399,504 Project Grant under the Food Safety Outreach Program (CFDA 10.328) to the RIO Grande Community Development Corporation (RIO Grande CDC) and the New Mexico Farmers' Marketing Association. This 3-year grant, running from September 2023 to August 2026, will fund the New Mexico Food Safety Strong (NMFSS) initiative. NMFSS aims to enhance food safety and quality assurance knowledge and capacities of...

This $3,500,000 Project Grant award from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture's (NIFA) Integrated Programs (CFDA 10.303) aims to develop and implement organic-compliant coatings with organic essential oils (EOs) to enhance the postharvest quality and safety of organic fresh produce. The primary goals are to: 1) formulate organic coatings with EOs to inhibit foodborne pathogens and fungi, 2) evaluate the efficacy of these coatings on organic blueberries, apricots, peppers,...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) awarded a $300,000 Food Safety Outreach Program grant to the Cal Poly Pomona Foundation Inc. to develop and implement food safety training, education, extension, outreach, and technical assistance projects targeting small to mid-sized farms, beginning farmers, socially disadvantaged farmers, small processors, and small fresh fruit and vegetable merchant wholesalers in Southern California. The project aims...

The University of Vermont will receive $400,000 under a three-year Project Grant from the US Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture's Food Safety Outreach Program to form a nationwide working group focused on produce safety in hydroponic and aquaponic operations. The University will convene representatives from these growing sectors and produce safety experts to identify key educational needs. It will then develop and deliver educational programs and resources on...

This Project Grant award of $799,997.00 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program, CFDA 10.310, aims to develop improved laboratory tests for detecting infectious viruses on produce like raspberries and lettuce. The key objectives are: 1) Improving a currently used commercial test by adding a biological step to distinguish infectious from non-infectious virus; 2) Testing whether a commercial machine can destroy viruses on produce...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) awarded a $359,748 Food Safety Outreach Program grant to Colorado State University. The 3-year project, beginning on September 1, 2024, aims to enhance the sustainability and resilience of Colorado's agricultural sector by providing education, training, and technical assistance to growers. Key components include workshops on produce safety, controlled environment agriculture (CEA) industry assessments,...

The University of Georgia Research Foundation was awarded a $725,248 Project Grant from the US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service under the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program - Farm Bill (CFDA #10.170). The grant will fund a food safety project to quantify bioaerosol risks associated with poultry and cattle production facilities to specialty crops grown in proximity in Georgia, Florida, and Alabama through March 2025. Subawards were provided to the University of Florida and...