USDA Programs to Advance the Aquaponics Industry: Research, Extension, and Education Overview

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1 United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture USDA Programs to Advance the Aquaponics Industry: Research, Extension, and Education Overview Jeffrey J. Steiner Division Director, Plant Production

2 United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture Gene Kim, Ph.D. National Program Leader for Aquaculture Division of Animal Production Systems (202)

3 United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture TRENDS FOR NUMBER OF FUNDED AQUAPONICS PROJECTS * * * Incomplete accounting

4 United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture FY 2017 Consolidated Appropriations

5 United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture AGRICULTURE AND FOOD RESEARCH INITIATIVE (AFRI) $375-million Foundational Programs (up to $500,000 per each) Plant Health and Production and Plant Products Agricultural Production Systems Plant Breeding for Agricultural Production Animal Health and Production and Animal Products Animal Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics Aquaculture Food Safety, Nutrition, and Health Agriculture economics and rural communities Agricultural Systems and Technology Agricultural Engineering Critical Agricultural Research and Extension ($300,000 per each) Challenge Areas (greater than $1,000,000 per each)

6 United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture OTHER DISCRETIONARY FUNDING Other Research Aquaculture Centers $4-million Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education $27-million Special Research Grants Aquaculture Research $1.2-million Farm Bill Mandatory and Endowment Funding Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Program - $20-million Specialty Crop Research Initiative $51-million Capacity Programs Hatch Act, for Land Grant Universities $244-million Evans-Allen, 1890s LGU $100-million Smith-Lever, LGU (Extension) $300-million USDA Agricultural Education Programs USDA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) USDA-AMS Federal State Marketing Improvement Program

7 AGRICULTURE AND FOOD RESEARCH INITIATIVE (AFRI) FOUNDATIONAL GRANTS Mostly fundamental and single focus research Grant size: $500,000 maximum, up to four years Individual investigators or small teams 2017 Nitrogen transformations in aquaponic systems (University of Hawaii) 2014 Rural agriculture training for entrepreneurship (RATE) for the Pacific (University of Hawaii) 2013 Systems modeling of nitrogen recycling in multi-trophic aquaculture production (Auburn University)

8 SPECIAL RESEARCH GRANTS PROGRAM AQUACULTURE RESEARCH Applied aquaculture research projects Awards up to $300,000, up to 2 years Directly address major constraints to the U.S. aquaculture industry Focus on Program Area Priorities: Genetic, Disease, Production Systems, and Economics 2016 Improving aquaculture`s value through enhanced nutrient management (Auburn University)

9 BEGINNING FARMER AND RANCHER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Standard Projects - to provide local and regional training, education, outreach and technical assistance Up to $200,000 per year for up to 3 years Up to $100,000 per year for up to 3 years (note change from 2016) Educational Enhancement Teams to improve beginning farmer and rancher education in the U.S. Up to $200,000 per year for up to 3 years Windy City Harvest: Training beginner farmers for Chicago`s urban agriculture community Aquaculture Boot Camp 2: Enhancing the sustainability of new and limited resource aquaculture / aquaponic farmers with innovative training

10 SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION (SARE) PROGRAM Research and extension projects designed to: enhance soil quality and productivity; conserve natural resources; enhance water quality; protect people in food and farm system; promote animal well-being and increase employment opportunities Rushing waters aquaponics feasibility study (Wisconsin) 2013 Integrating traditional foods with aquaponics in the Desert Southwest (Arizona) 2010 Using aquaponics with renewable energy resources to create sustainable food systems while reducing nutrient, energy, and water costs (Idaho)

11 USDA S REGIONAL AQUACULTURE CENTERS Hosted at institutions in five regions Stakeholder-driven issues Rapid technology transfer to industry Projects are multi-state, multi-institutional, and multi-investigator 2016 Metagenomic analysis of microbial populations in aquaponics systems (Wisconsin) 2011 Economic analyses of aquaponic systems in Hawaii and Guam (Hawaii) 2010 Aquaponics for Hawaii and the U.S. Pacific Islands: Technology refinement and transfer to the commercial aquaculture sector (Hawaii)

12 1862 AND 1890 LAND GRANT UNIVERSITY CAPACITY FUNDS Hatch / Hatch Multistate Projects (1862 institutions) 2017 Applying engineering principles to the design of recirculating aquaponic systems (University of New Hampshire) 2017 Development of aquaponic systems for the production of lettuce and strawberries (Cornell University) Evans-Allen Projects (1890 institutions) 2015 Food safety of aquaponic products (Alabama A&M) 2014 Alternative aquaculture species and production systems for Kentucky (Kentucky State University)

13 NIFA AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge Grants Program Agricultural projects that enable innovative curriculum development and teacher training at K-12 levels and community colleges Higher Education Challenge (HEC) Grants Program Projects that develop non-traditional agricultural education methodologies at colleges and universities 2011 The Milwaukee Aquaponics Expertise Development Initiative (Milwaukee Teacher Education Center) 2012 Chicago South Side Urban Agriculture Initiative (Chicago State University) 2015 The Ready To Grow Project (Florida State College at Jacksonville)

14 USDA SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) Awards based on scientific and technical merit, investigator and company qualifications, and commercial potential Ideas are small business investigator-initiated Phase I Grants = 8 Months / $100,000 Phase II Grants = 2 Years / $600, Innovative manufactured aquaponic raft for commercial farms (Hawaii) 2014 Renewable energy aquaculture aeration for small and mid-size farms (Hawaii)

15 FEDERAL-STATE MARKETING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM Administered by USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Grants support projects that foster work between the states, academia, farmers, and other stakeholders Provides matching funds to state agencies and universities to explore new market opportunities for U.S. food and agricultural products 2013 Hooked on aquaponics (Hawaii)

16 USDA PROGRAMS TO ADVANCE THE AQUAPONICS INDUSTRY AFRI Plant Health and Production and Plant Products Specialty Crop Research Initiative Production Aquaculture Research Harvest & Transport SARE Process AFRI Agricultural Systems and Technology AFRI Animal Health and Production and Animal Products AFRI Agriculture Economics and Rural Communities AFRI Food Safety, Nutrition, and Health Distribute, Package, & Handle Wholesale & Retail USDA Small Business Innovation Research Grants AFRI Critical Agricultural Research and Extension Federal-State Market Improvement Program

17 ADVANCING AGRICULTURE THROUGH THE MID-21ST CENTURY USD A YEARS MORRILL ACT BICENTENNIAL SESQUICENTENNIAL On Land Indoors On Water In Space NIFA INVESTS IN AND ADVANCES AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND EXTENSION TO SOLVE SOCIETAL CHALLENGES

18 United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture Jeffrey Steiner, Ph.D