Heather Reynolds, associate professor of Biology, has been recommended to receive a $28,394 grant from the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (NCR-SARE) for the project, "Making the most of mulch: strategic systems for small organic tomato growers."
"The project tests strategic mulch combinations for promoting fresh-market tomato profitability, agroecosystem health, and soil carbon storage on small, organic farms in the Midwest," said Reynolds.
The grant was awarded as part of NCR-SARE's Partnership Grant Program. The Partnership Grant Program is intended to foster cooperation between agriculture professionals and small groups of farmers and ranchers to catalyze on-farm research, demonstration, and education activities related to sustainable agriculture.
The focus for each of the NCR-SARE grant programs is on research and education. Funding considerations are based on how well the applicant presents the problem being addressed, the project's relevance to sustainable agriculture in the 12-state North Central region, and how well it aligns with NCR-SARE's goals, among other factors specific to each grant program.
NCR-SARE's Administrative Council (AC) members decide which projects will receive SARE funds. As a collection of farm and non-farm citizens, the AC includes a diverse mix of agricultural stakeholders in the region. Council members hail from regional farms and ranches, the Cooperative Extension Service, universities, federal agencies, and nonprofit organizations.
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