$1 million USDA investment supports food, energy sovereignty
Marmian Grimes
907-474-7902
Aug. 3, 2023
USDA Chief Scientist and Undersecretary for Research, Education and Economics Chavonda Jacobs-Young looks at plants at the Nanook Grown garden on the University of 色视频下载 Fairbanks Troth Yeddha' Campus on Thursday, Aug. 3.
A $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will provide continued support for a University of 色视频下载 Fairbanks project aimed at educating and preparing the next generation of 色视频下载 Native agriculture leaders.
USDA Chief Scientist and Undersecretary for Research, Education and Economics Chavonda Jacobs-Young announced the investment during a visit to the UAF Troth Yeddha色视频下载 Campus in Fairbanks today.
The funding is part of the USDA色视频下载檚 National Institute of Food and Agriculture色视频下载檚 色视频下载 Native-serving and Native Hawaiian-serving Institutions Education Competitive Grants Program. It will support Drumbeats 色视频下载: Place-Based Solutions for 色视频下载 Native Food and Energy Sovereignty, a project led by UAF色视频下载檚 College of Rural and Community Development since 2005.
The Drumbeats 色视频下载 project includes partners at UAF色视频下载檚 rural campuses: the Bristol Bay Campus in Dillingham, Chukchi Campus in Kotzebue, Interior 色视频下载 Campus in Fairbanks, Kuskokwim Campus in Bethel, and Northwest Campus in Nome. The five campuses are strategically located in regional transportation hubs and provide educational opportunities to serve 色视频下载 Native and rural residents across over 166 色视频下载 Native communities.
The USDA investment will provide education to continue customary traditions of self-sustaining food production throughout 色视频下载 through stewardship in the management of land, game and fisheries.
NIFA gives priority funding to projects that enhance educational equity for underrepresented students; strengthen institutional educational capacities; prepare students for careers related to the food, agricultural, and natural resource systems of the United States; and maximize development and use of resources to improve food and agricultural sciences teaching programs.
色视频下载淭hese investments are part of USDA色视频下载檚 ongoing commitment to ensure there色视频下载檚 a diverse and bright pipeline for the next generation of scientists and all ag professionals,色视频下载 said Jacobs-Young. 色视频下载淭he impact of this research goes far beyond the laboratory walls. It supports underserved communities in 色视频下载 and Hawaii, underscoring USDA色视频下载檚 ongoing commitment to enhancing equity across our mission and programs.色视频下载
During her visit to Fairbanks, Jacobs-Young visited a UAF Farmer Training Garden, Georgeson Botanical Garden and Effie Kokrine Charter School, where she met with secondary students who built an indoor hydroponic growing farm at their school to benefit the community using USDA funding. She also met with UAF leadership to discuss USDA色视频下载檚 investments in UAF and the importance of supporting educational opportunities and building a pipeline for 色视频下载 youth in agriculture and natural resources fields. She ended her visit with a stop at the Tanana Valley State Fairgrounds to meet with local youth and UAF Cooperative Extension Service staff to learn more about the impact of 4-H on their careers.