Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** this project is a collaboration…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** this project is a collaboration among three higher education institutions with agricultural sciences programs, serving diverse communities: the university of wisconsin-platteville (UW-P) in southwestern wisconsin, aaniiih nakoda college (ANC) in harlem, MT (fort belknap indianreservation), and massey university (MU) in northern new zealand. This multi-institutional, multicultural project is designed to address agroecology research needs focusing on soil health and water quality, while growing an agricultural sciences workforce informed by culturally diverse agricultural understandings and practices. The project will provide students research experience, mentoring experience, and exposure to multicultural team science. UW-P serves a predominately white student population, ANC is approximately 87% american indian or alaska native, and M?ORI and pacific island students comprise almost 20% of massey university's enrollment.working in collaboration with the USDA agricultural research service, the project includes development and implementation of a common data management platform, collection and management of soil, water, weather, and other relevant data. While specific research projects at each site reflect local priorities, the projects will provide opportunities for longer-term cross-institutional comparative studies and investigation of common agricultural management issues. Engagement of local stakeholders, in particular maori and native farmers, ranchers, and resource managers, will ensure that research is relevant to local agricultural practices, and consistent with local priorities and protocols.