Project Grant 20237001939370

** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** WITH THE INCREASING DEMAND FOR LOCAL STRAWBERRIES, THERE IS AN EMERGING INTEREST IN USING TABLETOP HYDROPONIC SYSTEMS FOR IMPROVING STRAWBERRY PRODUCTIVITY AND QUALITY AMONG URBAN FARMS IN THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S. HOWEVER, LITTLE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ABOUT USING LOCALLY SOURCED COMPOST-BASED GROWING MEDIA FOR TABLETOP STRAWBERRY PRODUCTION, CULTIVAR ADAPTATION TO TABLETOP SYSTEMS, COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS, CONSUMER PREFERENCE, AND NEW MARKET ASSESSMENT. WITH THE GOAL OF PROVIDING EFFICIENT AND COST-EFFECTIVE TOOLS TO STRAWBERRY GROWERS IN URBAN AGRICULTURE IN THE SOUTHEAST, THIS PROJECT TARGETS THE INTEGRATION OF LOCALLY SOURCED COMPOST-BASED GROWING MEDIA AND OTHER BIOLOGICAL APPROACHES INTO TABLETOP STRAWBERRY SYSTEMS TO PROMOTE URBAN PRODUCTION OF FLAVORFUL, NUTRIENT-DENSE STRAWBERRIES AND DEVELOP INNOVATIVE PRACTICES WITH ENHANCED ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY. STRAWBERRY GENOTYPIC ADAPTATION TO COMPOST-BASED TABLETOP HYDROPONICS WILL BE SYSTEMATICALLY EVALUATED. THIS PROJECT ADDRESSES THE FY 2022 UIE PROGRAM PRIORITIES OF IDENTIFYING AND PROMOTING THE HORTICULTURAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO SUCCESSFUL URBAN PRODUCTION SYSTEMS AND DEVELOPING NEW CROP VARIETIES AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS TO CONNECT TO NEW MARKETS. PARTNERSHIP BUILDING AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT HAVE BEEN EMPHASIZED IN IDENTIFYING AND ASSESSING PRIORITY AREAS FOR RESEARCH, EXTENSION, AND TEACHING THROUGHOUT PROJECT DEVELOPMENT. IN ADDITION TO THE ACTIVE COLLABORATIONS WITH GROWERS AS WELL AS COMPOST AND PRODUCTION INPUT INDUSTRIES FOR RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT AND EXTENSION PROGRAMMING, WE WILL WORK WITH THE UNIVERSITY TEACHING FARM AND THE SCHOOL FARM TO PROVIDE EXPERIENTIAL-LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES TO GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AND CREATE NEW INITIATIVES FOR CONNECTING AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD SCIENCE TO SECONDARY EDUCATION. A DIVERSE RANGE OF METHODS AND PROGRAMS, INCLUDING A STAKEHOLDER ADVISORY PANEL, WILL BE IMPLEMENTED FOR PROJECT DISSEMINATION, OUTREACH, AND ASSESSMENT THROUGH THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS OF TEAM MEMBERS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, FLORIDA A & M UNIVERSITY, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA. THIS PROJECT WILL FILL THE KNOWLEDGE GAP FOR DEVELOPING AND INTRODUCING CLIMATE-RESILIENT TABLETOP STRAWBERRY SYSTEMS TO SERVE URBAN AGRICULTURE AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES.