USDA Announces $33million fund for agriculture projects at 19 HBCU land-grant institutions.

The United States Department of Agriculture announced a $33 million fund to support research and education projects at 19 historically Black Colleges and universities designated as land-grant institutions, including the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

The funding through USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture will support 82 projects in sustainable farming practices such as reducing use of plastics, enhancing nutritional value in vegetables and addressing shortages in sunflower seed oil.

According to the Agricultural Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small, what these universities will accomplish will have a greater impact outside their classrooms and laboratories.

“The investments will help deliver real-life applicable solutions to make our food system stronger, while at the same time inspiring a next generation of students and scientists who will help us meet tomorrow’s agricultural challenges,” Xochitl said.

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Director, Manjit K. Misra, commented saying, “The USDA looks forward to the impact that these visionary projects will have in proving the supply of affordable, safe, nutritious, and accessible food and agricultural products while fostering economic development and rural prosperity in America.

The projects focus heavily on sustainable farming methods. About 11.2% of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States are caused by agriculture, and the Biden administration has prioritized “climate smart” farming methods.

For instance, a project at North Carolina A&T State University received funding of roughly $250,000 to test biodegradable mulches on farms as a replacement for plastic mulch.

The Central State University, a different land-grant university in Wilberforce, Ohio, also received around about $500,000 to explore the use of a perennial flower — one that grows again every year as a means of enhancing honey production to promote agricultural sustainability methods.

Additionally in Nashville, a project at Tennessee State University was awarded $100,000 to evaluate climate resiliency in legume species. The projects funded at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore include studies to improve the health of pasture-raised poultry, research beneficial microbes for soil health, and develop technology to detect Listeria during harvest of leafy greens. Five projects at the campus in Princess Anne will receive a combined total of more than $2.5 million.