Location: Plant Genetic Resources Unit (PGRU)
Project Number: 8060-21000-027-006-R
Project Type: Reimbursable Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Oct 1, 2018
End Date: Aug 31, 2023
Objective:
Develop outreach activities to distribute germplasm, provide information on performance of varieties under organic conditions, and technology transfer for best management practices in producing quality seed.
1. Extend the outreach component of the NOVICIII project to a broader community of stakeholders, as well as provide resources such as plant material and seed cleaning equipment to several outreach events each year.
2. Publicize and distribute materials developed by NOVICIII to PGRU’s stakeholders, namely, the germplasm utilization and conservation community, including farmers, government and academic scientists, scientists at private seed companies, growers serving niche markets, and non-profit organizations.
Approach:
USDA-ARS-PGRU will extend the outreach component of this project to a broader community of stakeholders, as well as provide resources such as plant material and seed cleaning equipment for a minimum of four outreach events per year. Materials developed by NOVIC will be publicized and distributed to PGRU’s stakeholders, namely, the germplasm utilization and conservation community, including farmers, government and academic scientists, and scientists at private seed companies. Additional stakeholders include customers looking for sources of rare or exotic vegetable varieties, for example, small growers serving local niche markets and non-profit organizations (e.g., Seed Savers Exchange, Experimental Farm Network, Long Island Regional Seed Consortium). PGRU will represent NOVIC at two organic community events (Common Ground Country Fair in Unity, ME, and The Northern Organic Farming Association - NOFA-NY or NOFA-VT) and two large regional farm conferences with a substantial organic component (Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association and The Great Lakes Expo). Additional opportunities for outreach will be leveraged for negligible cost such as Empire Farm Days, Seneca Falls, NY. These events will be used for increasing public awareness of organic vegetable breeding and methods and considerations in organic seed production. A mobile seed processing unit is the main NOVIC attraction at the Common Ground Country Fair. This is housed in a 7’ x 12’ trailer and includes a variety of large- and small-scale seed processing equipment. Many people arrive with seed to clean which also draws an interested audience to watch the process in action. During the previous Organic Seed Project (OSP), Public Seed Initiative (PSI), and NOVIC projects, PGRU’s outreach activities attracted thousands of people each year. Information bulletins with protocols for field operations, seed production, seed processing techniques, and additional sources of information such as eXtension will continue to be updated and provided.
