South Carolina State University 1890 Research & Extension, Mixon Seed Service, and the South Carolina Black Farmer Coalition are partnering for climate-smart initiatives.
This partnership – funded by a $4.5 million U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service grant – entails the education and training of South Carolina’s small and minority farmers and producers about climate-smart practices.
“The project will use SC State 1890 Extension agents to recruit small-scale, limited resource and underserved farmers in South Carolina who are interested in adopting and implementing best management practices to grow climate-smart commodities, such as leafy greens and cover crops,” said Dr. Frederick Evans, SC State provost and vice president for academic affairs. “The recruited farmers will receive incentives for adopting climate-smart and conservation agriculture practices.”
The grant was announced last week.
“A key advantage of having the private sector partner in public service is that it allows universities to concentrate on intellectual ideas and in problem solving as well as planning, policy and regulation,” said Dr. Louis Whitesides, vice president for public service and agriculture and executive director of 1890 Research & Extension said. “The private sector, in turn, is empowered to do what it does best and improve the efficiency and quality of service.”
