Strengthening the ability of the land grant university system to execute its rural development mission

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Collaborative Proposal Development for Connecting Farm and Community

PI: Conley, D. (Univ. of Nebraska-Lincoln)

Co-PI: Francis, C. (Univ. of Nebraska-Lincoln), Wells, B. (Iowa State Univ.)

Project Abstract

Teams from the neighboring states of Nebraska and Iowa propose to come together in face-to-face meetings and by conference calls between July 2010 and June 30, 2011 for the purpose of developing a funding proposal which builds on our complementary strengths in applied research and Extension programming connecting small and medium sized farms to community. The proposal we develop, to be submitted to the Agricultural Prosperity for Small and Medium-sized Farms competition of the USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative will fund work that bridges the social and biophysical sciences and engages staff with Extension, research and teaching appointments. We will convene in late summer 2010 at the Creighton University Retreat Center for a two-day meeting that will include field trips to sites in the geographic area of focus for our proposal: the Omaha-Council Bluffs urban area and surrounding rural counties. This meeting will also provide time to become better acquainted and to generate a detailed plan of work for proposal development. Funds requested will provide for travel and student assistance in proposal development over the following months. Our work and subsequent proposal will support rural development in the North Central Region by strengthening the economic, ecological and social foundations for rural development in the food and agricultural sector.