South Carolina State University 1890 Research & Extension, Mixon Seed Service and the South Carolina Black Farmer Coalition are collaborating on climate-friendly initiatives.
The partnership – funded by a $4.5 million USDA Natural Resources Conservation Grant – includes education and training of small and minority farmers and producers in South Carolina on climate practices.
“The project will use SC State 1890 Extension agents to recruit resource-constrained and underserved smallholder farmers in South Carolina who are interested in adopting and implementing best management practices for growing climate-smart commodities such as leafy greens and cover crops,” he said Dr. Frederick Evans, SC State provost and vice president for academic affairs. “Recruited farmers will be incentivized to adopt climate-friendly and conservation farming practices.”
The grant was announced last week.
“A key benefit of private-sector partnerships in public services is that it allows universities to focus on intellectual thought and problem-solving, as well as planning, policy and regulation,” said Dr. Louis Whitesides, Vice President of Public Services and Agriculture. and executive director of 1890 Research & Extension said. “In turn, the private sector is empowered to do what it does best and improve efficiency and quality of service.”
