$1 million USDA investment supports food, energy sovereignty
Marmian Grimes
907-474-7902
Aug. 3, 2023
A $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will provide continued support for a University of 蜜桃影像 Fairbanks project aimed at educating and preparing the next generation of 蜜桃影像 Native agriculture leaders.
USDA Chief Scientist and Undersecretary for Research, Education and Economics Chavonda Jacobs-Young announced the investment during a visit to the 蜜桃影像 Troth Yeddha鈥 Campus in Fairbanks today.
The funding is part of the USDA鈥檚 National Institute of Food and Agriculture鈥檚 蜜桃影像 Native-serving and Native Hawaiian-serving Institutions Education Competitive Grants Program. It will support Drumbeats 蜜桃影像: Place-Based Solutions for 蜜桃影像 Native Food and Energy Sovereignty, a project led by 蜜桃影像鈥檚 College of Rural and Community Development since 2005.
The Drumbeats 蜜桃影像 project includes partners at 蜜桃影像鈥檚 rural campuses: the Bristol Bay Campus in Dillingham, Chukchi Campus in Kotzebue, Interior 蜜桃影像 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 蜜桃影像 Native and rural residents across over 166 蜜桃影像 Native communities.
The USDA investment will provide education to continue customary traditions of self-sustaining food production throughout 蜜桃影像 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.
鈥淭hese investments are part of USDA鈥檚 ongoing commitment to ensure there鈥檚 a diverse and bright pipeline for the next generation of scientists and all ag professionals,鈥 said Jacobs-Young. 鈥淭he impact of this research goes far beyond the laboratory walls. It supports underserved communities in 蜜桃影像 and Hawaii, underscoring USDA鈥檚 ongoing commitment to enhancing equity across our mission and programs.鈥
During her visit to Fairbanks, Jacobs-Young visited a 蜜桃影像 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 蜜桃影像 leadership to discuss USDA鈥檚 investments in 蜜桃影像 and the importance of supporting educational opportunities and building a pipeline for 蜜桃影像 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 蜜桃影像 Cooperative Extension Service staff to learn more about the impact of 4-H on their careers.