Funding Opportunities: Warner Grants for Sustainable Agriculture
Paul C. and Edna H. Warner Grants for Sustainable Agriculture
"Nature provides a free lunch, but only if we control our appetites" - William Ruckelshaus
The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) Sustainable Agriculture Team and Agroecosystems Management Program (AMP) offer interdisciplinary grants to promote on-farm research in sustainable agriculture. This program, the Warner Grants for Sustainable Agriculture, is made available through the Paul C. and Edna H. Warner Endowment Fund. The fund was established specifically for on-farm research in sustainable agriculture related to crop (agronomic and horticultural) and animal production systems that are ultimately intended for human consumption.
Sustainable agriculture is characterized by a state of balance between:
• Practices and values that promote environmental stewardship and conservation of resources
• Long-term economic viability of farms and rural communities, and
• Preservation of the quality of life for farm families and support for rural communities.
Research is intended to identify and publicize sustainable agricultural practices and systems that are profitable, socially responsible, energy-efficient and improve water quality and other environmental concerns relevant to Ohio farmers.
The RFP is typically released in late January with a deadline in early March.
The following projects were selected for funding in 2022:
PI: Timothy McDermott, (Agriculture and Natural Resources, OSU) Farmers: Michelle Nowak and Teddy Brown (Franklinton Farms, Columbus, OH)
To evaluate cost-effective ways of mitigating the impact of heat stress on small-scale production of salad greens in central Ohio.
PI: Matt Kleinhenz (Horticulture and Crop Science, OSU) Farmers: Vincent Owens (Fulfillment Microfarms Ltd., Mansfield, OH), Tim Hicks (Happy Mouth Microfarm, LLC, Mansfield, OH), Marqua Myers (Glennhaven Farm, LLC, Fredericktown, OH), Matthew & Amanda Stanfield (GrowFourth Urban Farm, Mansfield, OH), Judith Wheeler (Gro-Naked Farm, LLC, Lexington, OH), Shayne Marhofer (Willow Springs Farm, Mansfield, OH), Justin Ocheltree (NECIC, Mansfield, OH) and Walt Bonham (The Food Lab, LLC, Mansfield, OH)
Seed mat technology has the potential to help growers of micro-/baby leafy vegetables meet soil health and farm productivity goals. Farmers lack the input required to utilize seed mats most effectively. This project will help optimize seed mat design and usage, especially among SD, LR, and B limited resource farmers.
PI: Melanie Lewis Ivey and Mitchel Ross (Plant Pathology, OSU) Farmer: Greg Miller (Route 9 Cooperative)
Chestnut production is a burgeoning sector of U.S. sustainable agriculture, supporting both fresh market and value-added industries (Hunt et al. 2012). Commercial nurseries in the U.S. estimate that 200-400 new acres of chestnuts are planted every year, with most growers in Ohio planting Chinese chestnut (Castanea mollissima) or Chinese chestnut hybrids (Revord et al. 2022). Chestnuts are a perennial food crop that promote soil stability, carbon sequestration, and wildlife biodiversity.
The objective is to test commercially available biological control and plant health booster products for their impact on graft success including plant growth promotion and alteration of endophytic communities.