Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** in the face of pressing…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** in the face of pressing agricultural challenges such as soil degradation, climate change, and food security issues, there is a growing need for innovative and sustainable farming methods. Traditional farming practices often fall short in addressing these problems, leading to inefficiencies and higher resource consumption. To combat these issues, SDI will spearhead the smart green growers project, aimed at transforming agricultural practices through innovative hydroponics technology.hydroponics, which involves growing plants without soil, offers a promising solution for farmers by significantly reducing the need for land, water, and energy while increasing crop yields. This method not only supports environmental sustainability, but also provides a cost-effective entry point for beginning farmers, making IT a viable option for those looking to start their own farming enterprises. Our smart green growers project is designed to develop a comprehensive educational curriculum to enhance SDI's capacity to train and support beginning farmers in hydroponics technology. The curriculum will be crafted with input from our smes in hydroponics, agriculture, and education, incorporating up-to-date research and best practices. Our proposed curriculum will ensure that we meet our over-arching goal of setting up smart farming communities to combat agricultural and food security issues and our associated program objectives as well as three of the fifteen bfrdp objectives as follows:program objectives:to promote green initiatives and help combat climate change.to help address food security issues such as supply chain issues in the agricultural sector and to combat inflation.to help combat the labor shortages as well as the challenges with the aging population where a significant portion of farmers nearing retirement and only 8% of farmers falling under the 35 year old group.to foster entrepreneurship among beginning farmers.bfrdp objectives:innovative farm, ranch, and private, nonindustrial forest land transfer and succession strategies (innovative farm)curriculum developmentaddress climate change with climate smart agriculture, food, and forestry solutions