LOW ENERGY AGRO-ECOLOGICAL FARMING (LEAF)

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: TERMINATED
• Funding Source: OTHER GRANTS
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0222315
• Grant No.: 2010-51300-21262
• Project No.: GEO-2010-01927
• Proposal No.: 2010-01927
• Program Code: 113.A
• Project Start Date: Aug 15, 2010
• Project End Date: Aug 14, 2012
• Grant Year: 2010

Project Director
SCHRAMSKI, J. R.

Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
200 D.W. BROOKS DR
ATHENS,GA 30602-5016

Performing Department
Miscellaneous

Non Technical Summary
This OREI Research and Extension Planning Proposal will develop a comprehensive OREI Integrated Project Proposal addressing energy in organic farming. Both organic farming and the global energy crises are fundamentally related to all sustainability efforts. Yet, energy (for example, required energy inputs, expected caloric outputs, policies, long-term goals, etc.) in organic farming remains a primitive area of understanding and discussion. A core group of critical stakeholders (for example, including but not limited to farmers, suppliers, processors, buyers, researchers, etc.), will be identified and assembled on University of Georgia's campus to facilitate the current state of energy as it pertains to organic farming. The salient research questions and outreach needs, as elicited from the stakeholders engaged in this workshop, will be organized by the Program Staff into an USDA OREI Integrated Project Proposal.

Animal Health Component

(N/A)

Research Effort Categories

Basic

34%

Applied

33%

Developmental

33%

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
605	6030	1010	25%
605	6030	1070	25%
605	6030	2020	25%
605	6030	3010	25%

Knowledge Area
605 - Natural Resource and Environmental Economics;

Subject Of Investigation
6030 - The farm as an enterprise;

Field Of Science
1070 - Ecology; 2020 - Engineering; 1010 - Nutrition and metabolism; 3010 - Economics;

Keywords

organic farming

energy

Goals / Objectives
The goal of this Research and Extension Planning Proposal is to develop a comprehensive OREI Integrated Project Proposal addressing energy in organic farming. A core group of critical stakeholders (for example, including but not limited to farmers, suppliers, buyers, researchers, processors, etc.), will be identified and assembled on UGA's campus to discuss the current state of energy as it pertains to organic farming. Outreach program development and research question development will be the two primary outcomes from the proposed stakeholder's workshop. In particular, with regard to outreach, what information regarding energy in organic farming is needed, by whom, and how will it be disseminated The salient research questions and outreach needs, as elicited from the stakeholders engaged in this workshop, will be organized by UGA's Program Staff into an OREI Integrated Project Proposal.

Project Methods
This Research and Extension Planning Proposal will first identify key stakeholders with regard to both organic agriculture and corresponding energy systems related operations, policies, and technologies. This process will involve but not be limited to specific governmental agencies, farmers, researchers, processors, and buyers. These stakeholders will be invited to convene a collaborative workshop on UGA's campus to formulate the outstanding issues with regard to energy use in the greater organic farming enterprise. Specific goals and objectives with regard to energy use in organic farming will be identified, synthesized, and organized into a comprehensive OREI Integrated Project Proposal by UGA's program staff. The original stakeholders engaged for the proposal development will also be engaged as an advisory panel to monitor the final OREI grant progress.

Progress 08/15/10 to 08/14/12

Outputs
OUTPUTS: 1. Dr's Schramski and Gattie organised and chaired a full day colloquium on energy in organic agriculture comprised 22 individuals from vegetable and grazing farms, nonprofits, organic suppliers, corporations, small colleges, and university researchers and extension agents. 2. The Planning Proposal funding and the energy in organic agriculture colloquium generated an OREI funding proposal (submitted 2/11) titled "Energy in Sustainable Agriculture: Modeling and Case Studies for Research and Extension" for $1,783486 that was not funded and received a Medium Recommendation for Funding. 3. The OREI proposal was revised and resubmitted 2/12 titled "Energy in Organic Agriculture: Modeling and Case Studies for Research and Extension" for $1,980,123 that was not funded and received a High Priority Recommendation for Funding. 4. The Planning Proposal funding and the energy in organic agriculture colloquium generated an USDA AFRI Food Security funding proposal (submitted 2/12) titled "Sustainability of Scale: Identify Secure Food Delivery Systems in the Southeast Through Integrated Life Cycle, Market, Land-Use, and Social Network Analysis (Integrated-FDS)" for $4,888,598 that was not funded and received a High Priority Recommendation for Funding. PARTICIPANTS: 1. Energy in Sustainable Agricutlture Colloquium Participants: Josh Egenolf (Sustainable Cattle Rancher, Illinoi), Anthony Flaccavento (Executive Director of Appalachian Sustanable Agriculture), Krista Jacobson (Hortoculture Faculty University of KY), Paul Hirsch (Environmental Policy Faculty, Syracuse University), Bill Hodge (Sustainable Cattle Rancher, Georgia), Kenneth Mulder (Farm Manager and Faculty, Green Mountain College, Vermont), Alex Rilko (Purchasing Manager Whole Foods), Alice Rolls (Executive Director Georgia Organics), Mike Smith (Business Owner, Longwood Plantation, Organic Composter), Robert Tate (Horticulturist and Farm Manager , University of Georgia) , David Gattie (Agricultural Engineering Faculty, University of Georgia, John Schramski (Environmental Engineering Faculty, University of Georgia), and Jason Mann (Owner, multiple sustainable farms and restaurants). 2. USDA OREI 2011 Proposal Partners: John Schramski (University of Georgia), David Gattie (University of Georgia), Sue Hawkins (University of Vermont), Krista Jacobsen (University of Kentucky), Caner Kazanci (University of Georgia), Ke Li (University of Georgia), Jason Mann (Full Moon Cooperative), Kenneth Mulder (Green Mountain College), Alexandra Stone (Organic State University), Mark Williams (University of Kentucky) 3. USDA OREI 2012 Proposal Partners: John Schramski (University of Georgia), David Gattie (University of Georgia), Sue Hawkins (University of Vermont), Krista Jacobsen (University of Kentucky), Caner Kazanci (University of Georgia), Ke Li (University of Georgia), Kenneth Mulder (Green Mountain College), Michael Bomford Michael (Kentucky State University), Julia Gaskin (University of Georgia), Erika Styles (Fort Valley State University) 4. USDA AFRI 2012 Proposal Partners: John Schramski (University of Georgia), David Gattie (University of Georgia), Krista Jacobsen (University of Kentucky), Caner Kazanci (University of Georgia), Ke Li (University of Georgia), Kenneth Mulder (Green Mountain College), Michael Bomford Michael (Kentucky State University), Julia Gaskin (University of Georgia), James Brown (Fort Valley State University), Faidra Papavasiliou (Georgia State University), Carrie Furman (University of Georgia), Xuanli Liu (Fort Valley State University), George Boyhan (University of Georgia) TARGET AUDIENCES: Not relevant to this project. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.

Impacts
This Proposal Planning grant generated one comprehensive colloquium covering energy in sustainable agriculture with 22 individuals from vegetable and grazing farms, nonprofits, organic suppliers, corporations, small colleges, and university researchers and extension agents. This planning effort generated 3 USDA proposals addressing energy in sustainable and organic agriculture. This is an area increasing acknowledged to be critical to the future of sustainable agriculture.

Publications

• No publications reported this period

Progress 08/15/10 to 08/14/11

Outputs
OUTPUTS: A comprehensive Integrated Project Proposal addressing energy in organic farming was created and submitted for the USDA's OREI RFP. To assure that this proposal was stakeholder inspired, a workshop was held at the University of Georgia comprised of individuals from vegetable and grazing farms, nonprofits, organic suppliers, corporations, small colleges, and university researchers and extension agents. The submitted proposal outlined an integrated response to these stakeholder conclusions through the development of educational videos, webinars, technical publications, a diverse representation of on-farm data collection programs, and a comprehensive web-based energy modeling and assessment tool for farmers, extension agents, and researchers. PARTICIPANTS: PI, John Schramski, University of Georgia, [e-mail]. Dr. Schramski organized a three day workshop of stakeholders to identify the main research objectives and associated research questions for the submitted Integrated Proposal. The workshop participants represented a wide variety of organizations with diverse concerns associated with energy in organic agriculture including but not limited to the University of Kentucky, Hodge Ranch Organics, Georgia Organic, Green Mountain College, The Appalachian Sustainable Development, Whole Foods Inc., Full Moon Cooperative, MoonShine Meats, and Syracuse University. The following Individuals were partners in the final OREI Integrated Proposal that was ultimately submitted: David Gattie, University of Georgia, [e-mail] Jason Mann, Owner Moonshine Meats and Full Moon Cooperative, [e-mail] Susan Hawkins, University of Vermont, [e-mail] Krista Jacobsen, University of Kentucky, [e-mail] Caner Kazanci, University of Georgia, [e-mail] Ke Li, University of Georgia, [e-mail] Kenneth Mulder, Green Mountain College, [e-mail] Alexandra Stone, Oregon State University, [e-mail] Mark Williams, University of Kentucky, [e-mail] TARGET AUDIENCES: Not relevant to this project. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.

Impacts
The comprehensive Integrated Project Proposal received a Medium Recommendation from the USDA OREI review panel. Guidance was provided by the reviewers as to how the proposal can be improved sufficiently for the next submittal. The Proposal's Integrated team is already working on these improvements.

Publications

• No publications reported this period