Not listed THROUGH THE DOUBLE UP FOOD BUCKS COLORADO (DOUBLE UP): DEEPENING REACH AND EXPANDING ACCESS PROJECT, NOURISH COLORADO (NOURISH CO) PROPOSES TO CONTINUE TO EXPAND ACCESS TO FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES AND SUPPORT COMMUNITIES STATEWIDE BY: 1) SUSTAINING AVAILABLE INCENTIVES FOR SNAP SHOPPERS TO PURCHASE FRESH COLORADO-GROWN PRODUCE, 2) INCREASING FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONSUMPTION AND LONG-TERM HEALTHY EATING AMONG SNAP SHOPPERS, 3) DEEPENING REACH TO MORE SNAP SHOPPERS AND INCREASE PROGRAM PARTICIPATION THROUGH INNOVATIVE OUTREACH AND PROMOTION THAT IS GEOGRAPHICALLY, LINGUISTICALLY, AND CULTURALLY RELEVANT AND ACCESSIBLE, 4) INCREASING COLORADO-GROWN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES IN RETAIL SITES OFFERING DOUBLE UP SO LOCAL FARMERS ARE ABLE TO SELL THEIR PRODUCE TO MORE CUSTOMERS AND INCREASE THEIR INCOME, AND 5) EXPANDING RETAIL PARTNERSHIPS TO INCLUDE A SECOND LARGE GROCERY CHAIN AND BEING PRESENT IN AT LEAST HALF OF COLORADO'S COUNTIES. NEEDS AND CHALLENGES. FOOD COSTS CONTINUE TO INCREASE WITH INFLATION AND PRICES HAVE A SIGNIFICANT INFLUENCE ON DIETS AND CONTRIBUTE TO MANY OF THE SOCIAL INEQUITIES OF HEALTH (DARMON & DRENOWSKI, 2015). OVER 90% OF UNDER-RESOURCED COLORADANS DO NOT EAT THE RECOMMENDED SERVINGS OF PRODUCE (CDPHE, 2017). TODAY, 33% OF COLORADANS REPORT FOOD INSECURITY, WITH 43% OF NON-WHITE AND LATINX COLORADANS REPORTING THAT THEY STRUGGLE TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE (HUNGER FREE COLORADO, 2021). FEDERAL FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, LIKE THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP), HELP TO ADDRESS FOOD INSECURITY, BUT DO NOT PROVIDE ENOUGH ASSISTANCE FOR FAMILIES TO PURCHASE THE HEALTHY FOOD THEY NEED: MOST SNAP SHOPPERS DO NOT RECEIVE ENOUGH MONEY TO BUY FOOD FOR AN ENTIRE MONTH (CARLSON ET AL, 2021).1 ADDITIONALLY, GROCERY BILLS HAVE INCREASED BY NEARLY 11% IN THE PAST YEAR (WILLIAMS, 2022). THE COST TO EAT THE USDA RECOMMENDED SERVINGS OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES PER DAY IS $2-2.50, WHICH TOTALS NEARLY $70/MONTH (STUART, 2017). OUR CURRENT STRUCTURES AND SYSTEMS DO NOT SUPPORT THE MOST VULNERABLE IN ACHIEVING THE BENEFITS OF A HEALTHY DIET--NOR LOCAL FOOD SYSTEMS AND SMALL UNDER-REPRESENTED GROWERS AND FARMERS, WHOSE BUSINESSES SUPPORT RESILIENT FOOD SYSTEMS AND RECIRCULATE DOLLARS IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES (GALLO, 2019). DOUBLE UP HAS BEEN AN IMPORTANT POINT OF INCREASED ACCESS TO COLORADO-GROWN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES SINCE 2016. IN A 2021 SURVEY, 80% OF SNAP SHOPPERS REPORTED EATING MORE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES BECAUSE OF DOUBLE UP. CUSTOMERS HAVE SHARED, A DIRECT, PERSONAL CONNECTION WITH FARMERS AND LOCAL FOOD SYSTEMS POSITIVELY IMPACTED MY MENTAL WELLBEING AND CONNECTION TO COMMUNITY (COLORADO BLUEPRINT TO END HUNGER, 2023). THE PROGRAM HAS DOCUMENTED HOW CRITICAL THESE DOLLARS ARE FOR SUPPORTING THE SUSTAINABILITY OF DIRECT MARKETS AND SMALL AND BEGINNING FARMERS IN COLORADO. WITH SHARP INCREASES IN FOOD INSECURITY, SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES, AND INFLATION, A STRONGER AND DEEPER DOUBLE UP PROGRAM IS NEEDED NOW MORE THAN EVER. CAPABILITI,ES AND ASSETS. DOUBLE UP INCLUDES NEARLY 77 PARTNERS AT OVER 90 DOUBLE UP SITES AND OVER 300 PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS HAVE HELPED REACH AND ENGAGE THESE PARTICIPANTS. NOURISH CO HAS BUILT AND STRENGTHENED SIGNIFICANT PROGRAM ASSETS, INCLUDING PROGRAM OUTREACH AND COORDINATION THROUGH A STRONG NETWORK OF PARTNERS THROUGHOUT THE STATE, WHICH ASSISTS US IN PLANNING, DEVELOPING, AND IMPLEMENTING A PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES PRODUCE INCENTIVES IN LOCALLY TAILORED, PARTICIPANT-DRIVEN WAYS. AS THE PROGRAM HAS MATURED, WE CONTINUE TO ENGAGE PARTICIPANTS AND PARTNERS THROUGH THE NOURISH ADVISORY BOARD (NAB) AND ANNUAL REGIONALCONVERSATIONS WITH SHOPPERS, PARTNERS, AND FARMERS. THESE STRUCTURED CONVERSATIONS SHIFT MARKETING, IMPACT PROGRAM EXPANSION GOALS, AND INFORM RESOURCES. DOUBLE UP ALSO PROVIDES NEW SALES FOR SMALL FARMERS AND KEEPS FOOD DOLLARS CIRCULATING IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES. IN SIX YEARS, DOUBLE UP PARTICIPANTS HAVE SPENT OVER $8 MILLION AT PARTICIPATING MARKETS AND RETAILERS IN SNAP AND DOUBLE UP DOLLARS. DOUBLE UP HAS SUPPORTED SMALL, BEGINNING FRUIT AND VEGETABLE FARMER VIABILITY THROUGH INCREASED REVENUE FROM PRODUCE SALES (PARTICIPATING FARMERS HAVE REPORTED AN INCREASE IN REVENUE BY AN AVERAGE OF NEARLY 70% OVER SIX YEARS). THE NETWORK OF FARMERS SUPPORTED BY DOUBLE UP, THROUGH STRONG LOCALLY TAILORED SUPPORT AND PROGRAM PROMOTION, OFFERS NOURISH CO THE OPPORTUNITY TO FURTHER SCALE AND SUPPORT FARM REVENUE IN THE STATE. ADDRESSING NEEDS AND BUILDING UPON ASSETS. BECAUSE OF THE STRENGTH OF OUR RELATIONSHIPS AND OUR COMMITMENT TO BRING SNAP SHOPPERS, GROWERS, MARKET MANAGERS, COUNTY AGENCIES, AND STATE PARTNERS TOGETHER, THE DOUBLE UP PROGRAM IS ADEPT AT IDENTIFYING NEW CHALLENGES AND ADDRESSING THEM WITH LOCAL SOLUTIONS. THE ACTIVITIES PROPOSED IN THIS PROJECT WILL ALLOW DOUBLE UP TO DEEPEN AND EXPAND THE PROGRAM TO BRING IT TO MORE SNAP SHOPPERS WHILE INCREASING FARMER AND MARKET VIABILITY THROUGHOUT THE STATE. $0 8/12/26 Not listed OUR GOAL IS TO INCREASE ACCESS TO FRESH, WHOLESOME, FOOD FOR ALL GEORGIANS WHILE CONTRIBUTING TO THE LOCAL FOOD ECONOMY. THROUGH OUR GEORGIA FRESH FOR LESS PROGRAM, WE MATCH EACH FEDERAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE DOLLARS SPENT AT OUR PARTNER FARMERS MARKETS AND FARMS WITH AN ADDITIONAL DOLLAR TO SPEND ON FRUITS AND VEGETABLES, LEVERAGING EXISTING GOVERNMENT FOOD NUTRITION PROGRAMS TO ENCOURAGE SHOPPING AT LOCAL FOOD OUTLETS AND IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF PARTICIPATING SNAP RECIPIENTS. IN SHORT, GF4L DIRECTLY ALIGNS WITH THE GUSNIPGOAL TO INCREASE THE PURCHASE OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES AMONG LOW-INCOME CONSUMERS PARTICIPATING IN THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP) BY PROVIDING INCENTIVES AT THE POINT OF PURCHASE. $0 8/6/26 Not listed THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL IMPROVE FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE CAPABILITIES OF STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY FO PUERTO RICO AT UTUADO. THE UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO AT UTUADO (UPRU) IS A 2-YEAR AND 4-YEAR UNDERGRADUATE INSTITUTION LOCATED IN THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN REGION OF PUERTO RICO. CHEMISTRY KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS ARE OF FOUNDATIONAL IMPORTANCE TO FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES EDUCATION. THE PROPOSED PROJECT GOAL IS TO IMPROVE STUDENT MOTIVATION AND CRITICAL SKILLS IN CHEMISTRY THROUGH THE STUDY OF MEDICINAL PLANTS OF CULTURAL IMPORTANCE. THE PROJECT'S OBJECTIVES ARE TO: 1) TRAIN TWO UPRU FACULTY IN HORTICULTURE AND HUMAN HEALTH (HHH) TOPICS; 2) DEVELOP THREE NEW COURSES ABOUT MEDICINAL PLANT CHEMISTRY AND HHH; 3) ORGANIZE A MEDICINAL PLANT WORKSHOP SERIES; 4) ESTABLISH A MEDICINAL PLANT ACCESSIBLE GARDEN AT UPRU; AND 5) EVALUATE CHANGES IN STUDENT MOTIVATION AND CHEMISTRY SKILLS IN UPRU STUDENTS.THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL TARGET THE FOLLOWING EDUCATIONAL NEED AREAS: 1) CURRICULA DESIGN, MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT, AND LIBRARY RESOURCES; 2) FACULTY PREPARATION AND ENHANCEMENT FOR TEACHING; AND 3) SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTATION FOR TEACHING AND RESEARCH. THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL BE OF VALUE LOCALLY, BUT ALSO NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY, AS IT WILL SERVE AS AN EXAMPLE TO OTHER FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS. ? $0 8/5/26 Not listed THE U.S. CITRUS INDUSTRY IS FACING UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES FROM THE SPREAD OF HUANGLONGBING DISEASE (HLB) IN CITRUS-GROWING STATES LIKE FLORIDA, TEXAS AND CALIFORNIA. WHILE TRADITIONAL BREEDING APPROACHES USING WILD RELATIVES ARE ONE WAY OF INTRODUCING DISEASE TOLERANCE INTO COMMERCIAL CITRUS CULTIVARS, THESE APPROACHES OFTEN RESULT IN THE LOSS OF THE CAREFULLY SELECTED ATTRIBUTES OF THOSE COMMERCIAL VARIETIES. THUS, ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES TO RAPIDLY GENERATE NEW CULTIVARS THAT ARE RESISTANT TO HLB AND YET MAINTAIN THEIR QUALITIES WOULD BE EXTREMELY VALUABLE. THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL DEVELOP A POPULATION OF CRISPR/CAS9 GENE-EDITED PLANTS, IN WHICH ~1200 HLB SUSCEPTIBILITY GENES WILL BE TARGETED FOR MUTATION. WE WILL THEN TEST THESE LINES FOR RESISTANCE TO XCC (THE CAUSATIVE BACTERIA FOR CITRUS CANKER) AND CLAS (THE CAUSATIVE BACTERIA FOR HLB) SINCE BROAD-SPECTRUM RESISTANCE TO BACTERIAL DISEASES CAN BE INDUCED BY MUTATING SUSCEPTIBILITY GENES. BY TARGETING DISEASE SUSCEPTIBILITY GENES IN THIS WAY, WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO UNCOVER THOSE GENETIC VARIANTS THAT CONFER RESISTANCE TO HLB. PART OF THIS PROJECT ALSO AIMS TO DEVELOP THE GENETIC RESOURCES NECESSARY TO CARRY OUT THIS PROJECT, INCLUDING GENERATING A HIGH-QUALITY REFERENCE GENOME FOR CARRIZO CITRANGE, AND DEVELOPING LOW COST APPROACHES TO GENOTYPE PLANTS USING SEQUENCING. THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE A SUSTAINABLE RESOURCE FOR THE CITRUS COMMUNITY THAT CAN BE SCREENED FOR RESISTANCE TO OTHER DISEASES AND OTHERVALUE-ADDED TRAITS IN THE FUTURE, AND THUS ACCELERATE DISCOVERIES THAT WOULD BENEFIT THE U.S. CITRUS INDUSTRY FOR MANY YEARS. THIS COLLECTION OF CITRUS MUTANTS WILL ALSO HELP TO IDENTIFY INTERVENTION GENE TARGETS MOST WORTHY OF ADVANCED TESTING AND COMMERCIALIZATION. WE WILL ALSO STUDY THE SOCIETAL IMPACT OF USING CRISPR/CAS9 TECHNOLOGIES, WITH A FOCUS ON INCREASING CONSUMER ACCEPTANCE OF GENE-EDITED CITRUS. $0 8/3/26