View allAll Photos Tagged NIFA
A pair of H4s take BNSFs NIFA job by Aurora’s COVID testing facility. This portion of the line features a street running bit, which the GPs crawled through.
The Y-EOL103 had to make a run out to the entrance of the NIFA branch to pull a cut of sand hoppers blocking the spur. The consist for the local job was BNSF 2284 and 2922. It was a real treat seeing and hearing these geeps work around the curve pulling a nice healthy cut of cars. Especially with the 2284 leading. The 2284 has a neat history, as it was built for the Frisco Railroad back in 1974.
RCHI452 is seen making its way down the NIFA branch, doing a little bit of street running, after spotting Barry's Plastics on the furthest part of the line.
YEOL102 cutting through the parking lot of some businesses on the BNSF Nifa Branch. This branch was built in 1871 by the Ottawa, Oswego & Fox River Valley Railroad, which eventually got bought by the CBQ.
YEOL102 returning to Eola after going to serve Poly USA on the Nifa Branch in Aurora with "The Pill."
Back in 2017, BNSF 3121 (GP50) and an orange geep bring one car of grain down the NIFA branch in Aurora, IL.
I remember driving across the tracks at this particular shot and seeing the green motor. Only if I had the motivation to follow this back to Eola.
Niagara Falls is made up of 3 named falls: viewing from left to right: American Falls (940 ft [287 m] wide), Bridal Veil Falls (45 ft [14 m] wide, adjacent to American Falls) & the massive Horseshoe Falls (in the background, 2,700 ft [823 m] wide). Located on the Niagara River, the falls drain Lake Erie into Lake Ontario.
This image is from October, taken from the American side (New York State), looking across to the Canadian side (Province of Ontario).
Sony a6300. Sigma 16mm F1.4. F6.3, 1/320 sec, ISO 100. Thanks for viewing.
After working Poly in Aurora, the BNSF NIFA local heads back towards Eola doing some street running with a BN painted GP39E leading for power.
BNSF GP60 167 still sporting the ATSF “Bluebonnet” paint scheme pulls up to the end of the line on the BNSF’s Nifa branch for headroom while switching a customer.
From almost a year ago, the BNSF NIFA local passes an inflatable reindeer in Aurora, IL with a BNSF GP39E wearing Burlington Northern paint.
A GP38-2/GP39-3 duo lead Y-EOL102 (the NIFA turn) south through the backstreets of Aurora as they head back to Eola Yard. NIFA is short for Northern Illinois Fair Association which is where this industrial spur gets its name from. The line once passed through a large fair ground and was a major source of passenger traffic. The only customer left on the 4 mile branch is Berry Plastics.
This train is returning with empties from Berry Plastics. On the right is Dart Container which used to get rail service from a spur that has since been removed.
After many attempts over the years I finally caught this BNSF job working the NIFA branch on the west side of the Fox River. At one time it reached all the way up to the west side of Batavia but was cut back in stages and now ends at I-88.
The heritage of this line is former CB&Q and the name NIFA comes from the Northern Illinois Fair Association. The line once passed through the fairgrounds in this area which was a major source of passenger traffic (thanks to Evan Johnson for this information). Today BNSF Y-EOL 105 services Berry Plastics at the northern end and Poly USA in the middle once once or twice a week.
The southern end is full of interesting, old factories and spurs that serviced them that are no longer in use.
BNSF's NIFA local runs through a parking lot with an empty hopper from Berry Plastics in Aurora, IL on the return trip to Eola yard.
HLCX GP38-2 3886 leads the NIFA through the west side of Aurora, IL. This is not far from where the deadly shooting took place in a workplace a few weeks ago.
The Laughing Wolf Arts Week is an exciting three-day weekend of music, dance, fashion, hair, makeup, theatre and more. Stimulate your eyes, ears, and mind with some of the metroplex’s creative artists.
Here is the Schedule:
Friday, DEC 1st - The Art of Sounds, Words, and Music
Saturday, DEC 2nd - The Art of Fashion, Hair, and Makeup
Sunday, DEC 3rd - The Art of Theatre and The Performance Arts
I will be participating as a visual artist only on Sunday, December 3rd.
The schedule for Sunday:
The Human Zoo by The Fashion Opera
Mykel Rose and Nifa Bell for The Mykel Rose Experience
music by
Rebecca Southern
Trey Roach
visual Art by
Volta - ColorSnack
Celebrity Stylist Andrea S. / Andrea S Entertainments
Shannon Rose
Sherrie Thomas
Ribs Street Art
Chelsea Wong
Cody Kisselburgh
Marquiez
Antonio Wingfield
Cory Domio
GwenB / Twizted Project Beauty Bar
Learn more about the event here:
BNSF industry switch job heads back towards Eola, passing through a little section of street/parking lot running. This is along BNSF's NIFA Branch and glad to see this class 1 still utilizing it. BNSF had 10 of these blue/white units, my understanding this is the last one left. Power 2042,552.
BNSF 2016 leads the NIFA local over the Fox River in Aurora, IL. This would become a target for later.
Between the two industrial areas at each end of the NIFA Branch lies a densely-wooded neighborhood.
Y EOL102G
BNSF 1528 GP28M-2
BNSF 2919 GP39E
Huerta del Valle (HdV) provides a service for local businesses when HdV employee Nicolas Reza picks up organic waste such as nectarine and cut cabbage from a food distributor for the compost area of the 4-Acre organic Community Supported Garden and Farm in the middle of a low-income urban community, where U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Redlands District Conservationist Tomas Aguilar-Campos works closely with Co-Founder and Executive Director Maria Alonso as she continues to improve the farm operation in Ontario, California, on Nov. 13, 2018.
USDA NRCS has helped with hoop houses to extend the growing season, low-emission tractor replacement to efficiently move bulk materials and a needed micro-irrigation system for this San Bernardino County location that is in a severe drought condition (drought.gov). Huerta del Valle is also a recipient of a 4-year USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Community Food Projects (CFP) grant and a USDA funded California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). She and her staff grow nearly 150 crops, including papayas and cactus. CSA customers pick up their produce on site, where they can see where their food grows. To pay, they can use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards. The price of a produce box is based on the customerâs income.
Alonsoâs inspiration came from her desire to provide affordable organic food for her child. This lead to collaborators that included students and staff from Pitzer College's âPitzer in Ontario Programâ and the Claremont Colleges, who implemented a project plan and started a community garden at a public school. Shortly after that, the City of Ontario was granted $1M from the Kaiser Permanente Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Zone initiative. Huerta del Valle was granted $68,000 from that grant for a three-year project to increase the scale of operation. The city of Ontario supported the project above and beyond the grant by providing a vacant piece of land next to a residential park and community center. Alonso says that this spot, nestled near an international airport, two major interstate highways, suburban homes, and warehouses, is a âgreen space to breathe freely.â
She far exceeded Kaiser's expectations by creating 60 10â X 20â plots that are in full use by the nearby residents. Because of the demand, there is a constant waiting list for plots that become available.
As the organization grew, it learned about the NRCS through an advertisement for the high-tunnel season extension cost-sharing program. The ad put them in touch with the former district manager Kim Lary who helped Huerta del Valle become federal grant ready with their Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) and System for Award Management (SAM) registrations and connected the young organization to NRCS as well as the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District (IERCD.) Since then, Alonso has worked closely with them sharing her knowledge with a broader community including local colleges such as the Claremont Colleges and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona).
Cal Poly Pomona is an example where education institutions help the community. Cal Poly Pomona Plant Science Nursery Manager Monica Salembier has produced plant seedlings (plant trays) for transplant at HdV for many years. Aaron Fox and Eileen Cullen in the Plant Science department have hosted HdV in their classes and brought many groups on tours of the farm to learn about sustainable urban growing practices.
The shaded picnic tables in the center of the garden have been the site of three USDA NRCS workshops for regional farmers, students, and visitors. The site also serves as a showcase for students and other producers who may need help with obtaining low-emission tractors, micro-irrigation, and high tunnel âhoop houses.â
Alonso says, âevery day is a good day, but especially at the monthly community meetings where I learn from my community.â
For more information, please see www.usda.gov and www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/community-supported-agriculture
Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) is the Departmentâs focal point for the nationâs farmers and ranchers and other stewards of private agricultural lands and non-industrial private forest lands. FPAC agencies implement programs designed to mitigate the significant risks of farming through crop insurance services, conservation programs, and technical assistance, and commodity, lending, and disaster programs.
The agencies and service supporting FPAC are Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Risk Management Agency (RMA).
Natural Resources Conservation Service has a proud history of supporting Americaâs farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners. For more than 80 years, we have helped people make investments in their operations and local communities to keep working lands working, boost rural economies, increase the competitiveness of American agriculture, and improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and habitat.
As the USDAâs primary private lands conservation agency, we generate, manage, and share the data, technology, and standards that enable partners and policymakers to make decisions informed by objective, reliable science.
And through one-on-one, personalized advice, we work voluntarily with producers and communities to find the best solutions to meet their unique conservation and business goals. By doing so, we help ensure the health of our natural resources and the long-term sustainability of American agriculture.
For more information, please see www.usda.gov.
USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) helped Huerta del Valle (HdV) Co-Founder and Executive Director Maria Alonso obtain high tunnel hoop houses to extend their growing season and help nurture tropical trees such as the papaya to grow new roots into the soil wrapped around the branches; here, she checks for roots, the branch will later be cut to become independent trees at the 4-Acre organic Community Supported Garden and Farm in the middle of a low-income urban community, where USDA NRCS Redlands District Conservationist Tomas Aguilar-Campos works closely with her as she continues to improve the farm operation in Ontario, California, on Nov. 13, 2018.
USDA NRCS has helped with hoop houses to extend the growing season, low-emission tractor replacement to efficiently move bulk materials and a needed micro-irrigation system for this San Bernardino County location that is in a severe drought condition (drought.gov). Huerta del Valle is also a recipient of a 4-year USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Community Food Projects (CFP) grant and a USDA funded California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). She and her staff grow nearly 150 crops, including papayas and cactus. CSA customers pick up their produce on site, where they can see where their food grows. To pay, they can use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards. The price of a produce box is based on the customer’s income.
Alonso’s inspiration came from her desire to provide affordable organic food for her child. This lead to collaborators that included students and staff from Pitzer College's “Pitzer in Ontario Program” and the Claremont Colleges, who implemented a project plan and started a community garden at a public school. Shortly after that, the City of Ontario was granted $1M from the Kaiser Permanente Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Zone initiative. Huerta del Valle was granted $68,000 from that grant for a three-year project to increase the scale of operation. The city of Ontario supported the project above and beyond the grant by providing a vacant piece of land next to a residential park and community center. Alonso says that this spot, nestled near an international airport, two major interstate highways, suburban homes, and warehouses, is a “green space to breathe freely.”
She far exceeded Kaiser's expectations by creating 60 10’ X 20’ plots that are in full use by the nearby residents. Because of the demand, there is a constant waiting list for plots that become available.
As the organization grew, it learned about the NRCS through an advertisement for the high-tunnel season extension cost-sharing program. The ad put them in touch with the former district manager Kim Lary who helped Huerta del Valle become federal grant ready with their Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) and System for Award Management (SAM) registrations and connected the young organization to NRCS as well as the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District (IERCD.) Since then, Alonso has worked closely with them sharing her knowledge with a broader community including local colleges such as the Claremont Colleges and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona).
Cal Poly Pomona is an example where education institutions help the community. Cal Poly Pomona Plant Science Nursery Manager Monica Salembier has produced plant seedlings (plant trays) for transplant at HdV for many years. Aaron Fox and Eileen Cullen in the Plant Science department have hosted HdV in their classes and brought many groups on tours of the farm to learn about sustainable urban growing practices.
The shaded picnic tables in the center of the garden have been the site of three USDA NRCS workshops for regional farmers, students, and visitors. The site also serves as a showcase for students and other producers who may need help with obtaining low-emission tractors, micro-irrigation, and high tunnel “hoop houses.”
Alonso says, “every day is a good day, but especially at the monthly community meetings where I learn from my community.”
For more information, please see www.usda.gov and www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/community-supported-agriculture
Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) is the Department’s focal point for the nation’s farmers and ranchers and other stewards of private agricultural lands and non-industrial private forest lands. FPAC agencies implement programs designed to mitigate the significant risks of farming through crop insurance services, conservation programs, and technical assistance, and commodity, lending, and disaster programs.
The agencies and service supporting FPAC are Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Risk Management Agency (RMA).
Natural Resources Conservation Service has a proud history of supporting America’s farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners. For more than 80 years, we have helped people make investments in their operations and local communities to keep working lands working, boost rural economies, increase the competitiveness of American agriculture, and improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and habitat.
As the USDA’s primary private lands conservation agency, we generate, manage, and share the data, technology, and standards that enable partners and policymakers to make decisions informed by objective, reliable science.
And through one-on-one, personalized advice, we work voluntarily with producers and communities to find the best solutions to meet their unique conservation and business goals. By doing so, we help ensure the health of our natural resources and the long-term sustainability of American agriculture.
For more information, please see www.usda.gov.
USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
4th USA Science & Engineering Festival at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, in Washington D.C, on Friday, April 15, 2016. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is a sponsor of and exhibitor at USASEF. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service (FS) Conservation Education Specialist Tamberly Conway, Ph.D. and Woodsy Owl are featured during the USDA stage presentation and builds on his original message of, "Give a hoot; don't pollute!" by inviting children to reduce, reuse, recycle and rot (compost). Woodsy’s current motto "Lend a hand - care for the land!" encourages everyone to make a positive difference in their world by composting and using reusable water containers, and keeping fit with exercise during the 4th USA Science & Engineering Festival at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, in Washington D.C, on Sunday, April 17, 2016.Multiple USDA agencies including National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Forest Service (FS), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS), Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) will be participating in this event. The USA Science & Engineering Festival is a national grassroots effort to advance STEM education and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. For more information, visit www.usasciencefestival.org, www.usda.gov, nifa.usda.gov/, www.fs.fed.us/, www.ars.usda.gov/, www.fsis.usda.gov/, www.nrcs.usda.gov/, www.fns.usda.gov/, www.aphis.usda.gov/, www.ams.usda.gov/, www.gipsa.usda.gov. #SciFest @USAScienceFest @USDA_NIFA @USDA_REE @scienceatusda @USDA_ ARS @USDA_FSIS @USDA_NRCS @USDA_FNS @USDA_APHIS @USDA_GIPSA @USDA_FS USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
From right, University of Nebraska (Lincoln) Computer Science College of Arts and Science Graduate Students Najeeb Najeeb and Nishant Sharma talk with children about how drones are used to gather water samples from bodies of water, demonstrate wireless energy transfer, and allow visitors to control the flight altitude of a micro drone at the 4th USA Science & Engineering Festival at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, in Washington D.C, on Saturday, April 16, 2016. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is a sponsor of and exhibitor at USASEF. Multiple USDA agencies including National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Forest Service (FS), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS), Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) will be participating in this event. The USA Science & Engineering Festival is a national grassroots effort to advance STEM education and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. For more information, visit www.usasciencefestival.org, www.usda.gov, nifa.usda.gov/, www.fs.fed.us/, www.ars.usda.gov/, www.fsis.usda.gov/, www.nrcs.usda.gov/, www.fns.usda.gov/, www.aphis.usda.gov/, www.ams.usda.gov/, www.gipsa.usda.gov. #SciFest @USAScienceFest @USDA_NIFA @USDA_REE @scienceatusda @USDA_ ARS @USDA_FSIS @USDA_NRCS @USDA_FNS @USDA_APHIS @USDA_GIPSA @USDA_FS USDA Video by Lance Cheung.
A BNSF industry local has a neat pair of units, 552 and 2042. This local crew was busy switching out a large plastic plant on the end of this industry branch line, AKA Nifa Branch. This B40-8W is one of a few left and is 33 years old.
A variety of fruits and vegetables are included in a typical Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) produce box from Huerta del Valle (HdV), this one
held by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Redlands District Conservationist Tomas Aguilar-Campos, and prepared by HdV Co-Founder and Executive Director Maria Alonso at the 4-Acre organic Community Supported Garden and Farm in the middle of a low-income urban community, where they work closely with her as she continues to improve the farm operation in Ontario, California, on Nov. 13, 2018.
USDA NRCS has helped with hoop houses to extend the growing season, low-emission tractor replacement to efficiently move bulk materials and a needed micro-irrigation system for this San Bernardino County location that is in a severe drought condition (drought.gov). Huerta del Valle is also a recipient of a 4-year USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Community Food Projects (CFP) grant and a USDA funded California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). She and her staff grow nearly 150 crops, including papayas and cactus. CSA customers pick up their produce on site, where they can see where their food grows. To pay, they can use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards. The price of a produce box is based on the customer’s income.
Alonso’s inspiration came from her desire to provide affordable organic food for her child. This lead to collaborators that included students and staff from Pitzer College's “Pitzer in Ontario Program” and the Claremont Colleges, who implemented a project plan and started a community garden at a public school. Shortly after that, the City of Ontario was granted $1M from the Kaiser Permanente Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Zone initiative. Huerta del Valle was granted $68,000 from that grant for a three-year project to increase the scale of operation. The city of Ontario supported the project above and beyond the grant by providing a vacant piece of land next to a residential park and community center. Alonso says that this spot, nestled near an international airport, two major interstate highways, suburban homes, and warehouses, is a “green space to breathe freely.”
She far exceeded Kaiser's expectations by creating 60 10’ X 20’ plots that are in full use by the nearby residents. Because of the demand, there is a constant waiting list for plots that become available.
As the organization grew, it learned about the NRCS through an advertisement for the high-tunnel season extension cost-sharing program. The ad put them in touch with the former district manager Kim Lary who helped Huerta del Valle become federal grant ready with their Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) and System for Award Management (SAM) registrations and connected the young organization to NRCS as well as the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District (IERCD.) Since then, Alonso has worked closely with them sharing her knowledge with a broader community including local colleges such as the Claremont Colleges and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona).
Cal Poly Pomona is an example where education institutions help the community. Cal Poly Pomona Plant Science Nursery Manager Monica Salembier has produced plant seedlings (plant trays) for transplant at HdV for many years. Aaron Fox and Eileen Cullen in the Plant Science department have hosted HdV in their classes and brought many groups on tours of the farm to learn about sustainable urban growing practices.
The shaded picnic tables in the center of the garden have been the site of three USDA NRCS workshops for regional farmers, students, and visitors. The site also serves as a showcase for students and other producers who may need help with obtaining low-emission tractors, micro-irrigation, and high tunnel “hoop houses.”
Alonso says, “every day is a good day, but especially at the monthly community meetings where I learn from my community.”
For more information, please see www.usda.gov and www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/community-supported-agriculture
Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) is the Department’s focal point for the nation’s farmers and ranchers and other stewards of private agricultural lands and non-industrial private forest lands. FPAC agencies implement programs designed to mitigate the significant risks of farming through crop insurance services, conservation programs, and technical assistance, and commodity, lending, and disaster programs.
The agencies and service supporting FPAC are Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Risk Management Agency (RMA).
Natural Resources Conservation Service has a proud history of supporting America’s farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners. For more than 80 years, we have helped people make investments in their operations and local communities to keep working lands working, boost rural economies, increase the competitiveness of American agriculture, and improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and habitat.
As the USDA’s primary private lands conservation agency, we generate, manage, and share the data, technology, and standards that enable partners and policymakers to make decisions informed by objective, reliable science.
And through one-on-one, personalized advice, we work voluntarily with producers and communities to find the best solutions to meet their unique conservation and business goals. By doing so, we help ensure the health of our natural resources and the long-term sustainability of American agriculture.
For more information, please see www.usda.gov.
USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
A variety of fruits and vegetables are included in a typical Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) produce box from Huerta del Valle (HdV), this one
held by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Redlands District Conservationist Tomas Aguilar-Campos, and prepared by HdV Co-Founder and Executive Director Maria Alonso at the 4-Acre organic Community Supported Garden and Farm in the middle of a low-income urban community, where they work closely with her as she continues to improve the farm operation in Ontario, California, on Nov. 13, 2018.
USDA NRCS has helped with hoop houses to extend the growing season, low-emission tractor replacement to efficiently move bulk materials and a needed micro-irrigation system for this San Bernardino County location that is in a severe drought condition (drought.gov). Huerta del Valle is also a recipient of a 4-year USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Community Food Projects (CFP) grant and a USDA funded California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). She and her staff grow nearly 150 crops, including papayas and cactus. CSA customers pick up their produce on site, where they can see where their food grows. To pay, they can use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards. The price of a produce box is based on the customerâs income.
Alonsoâs inspiration came from her desire to provide affordable organic food for her child. This lead to collaborators that included students and staff from Pitzer College's âPitzer in Ontario Programâ and the Claremont Colleges, who implemented a project plan and started a community garden at a public school. Shortly after that, the City of Ontario was granted $1M from the Kaiser Permanente Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Zone initiative. Huerta del Valle was granted $68,000 from that grant for a three-year project to increase the scale of operation. The city of Ontario supported the project above and beyond the grant by providing a vacant piece of land next to a residential park and community center. Alonso says that this spot, nestled near an international airport, two major interstate highways, suburban homes, and warehouses, is a âgreen space to breathe freely.â
She far exceeded Kaiser's expectations by creating 60 10â X 20â plots that are in full use by the nearby residents. Because of the demand, there is a constant waiting list for plots that become available.
As the organization grew, it learned about the NRCS through an advertisement for the high-tunnel season extension cost-sharing program. The ad put them in touch with the former district manager Kim Lary who helped Huerta del Valle become federal grant ready with their Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) and System for Award Management (SAM) registrations and connected the young organization to NRCS as well as the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District (IERCD.) Since then, Alonso has worked closely with them sharing her knowledge with a broader community including local colleges such as the Claremont Colleges and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona).
Cal Poly Pomona is an example where education institutions help the community. Cal Poly Pomona Plant Science Nursery Manager Monica Salembier has produced plant seedlings (plant trays) for transplant at HdV for many years. Aaron Fox and Eileen Cullen in the Plant Science department have hosted HdV in their classes and brought many groups on tours of the farm to learn about sustainable urban growing practices.
The shaded picnic tables in the center of the garden have been the site of three USDA NRCS workshops for regional farmers, students, and visitors. The site also serves as a showcase for students and other producers who may need help with obtaining low-emission tractors, micro-irrigation, and high tunnel âhoop houses.â
Alonso says, âevery day is a good day, but especially at the monthly community meetings where I learn from my community.â
For more information, please see www.usda.gov and www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/community-supported-agriculture
Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) is the Departmentâs focal point for the nationâs farmers and ranchers and other stewards of private agricultural lands and non-industrial private forest lands. FPAC agencies implement programs designed to mitigate the significant risks of farming through crop insurance services, conservation programs, and technical assistance, and commodity, lending, and disaster programs.
The agencies and service supporting FPAC are Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Risk Management Agency (RMA).
Natural Resources Conservation Service has a proud history of supporting Americaâs farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners. For more than 80 years, we have helped people make investments in their operations and local communities to keep working lands working, boost rural economies, increase the competitiveness of American agriculture, and improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and habitat.
As the USDAâs primary private lands conservation agency, we generate, manage, and share the data, technology, and standards that enable partners and policymakers to make decisions informed by objective, reliable science.
And through one-on-one, personalized advice, we work voluntarily with producers and communities to find the best solutions to meet their unique conservation and business goals. By doing so, we help ensure the health of our natural resources and the long-term sustainability of American agriculture.
For more information, please see www.usda.gov.
USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
Forever Grateful Ranch is in Chowchilla, CA, 150 miles east-southeast of San Francisco, where owner Jim Chew
is still smiling because he says "a good day is when harvest trucks leave with loads of his pistachios" and that is just what happened recently, and part of that sucess is due to a little help from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources and Conservation Service (NRCS), in the form of micro-sprinklers, a moisture meter, and a nutrient management plan, using ground cover plants and compost, on Nov 19, 2018.
Mr. Chew grew up 20 miles north in Stevenson, CA where his father raised beef-cows. He then attended Modesto Junior College. After receiving an associate degree, he joined the Peace Corps who sent him to Africa. While there Chew developed a 4-H program in Lobatse, Botswana, where he taught and supervised modern swineherd management, and sustenance family farming plots. In the suburbs, about 90 miles northwest of Johannesburg, he operated a feeding program that provided meals and soap for those in need.
He returned to California and Fresno State University to study plant and animal sciences. But, before long he headed to Richmond, CA to be with his future wife, Maryam. While there he began studies in engineering and graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering. For the next 15-years, he was an engineer for the cities of San Francisco and then Pinole. Throughout that time he was a single foster parent to 15 children. Saving money from his civil service employment allowed him to move back to the Merced County area and purchase this home and orchard.
Now disabled with a prosthetic leg, he receives some help from USDA Agribility.
Work on the pistachio farm varies through the seasons, this week he used an NRCS provided moisture meter to measure the water pressure of the soil before his son applies compost (at a rate of 10 tons per acre) to hold in moisture and deliver nutrients to the trees over the winter.
However, first, he and his son Sonny will prepare his tractor for the task of pulling a large blower that will remove fallen leaves from the orchard. These tasks and just getting around the farm are his greatest challenges.
Jim’s grandfather, a Texas farmer, started the tradition of farming that Sonny hopes to carry on. For now, he works long hours to learn all he can from his father, and his realtor mother Maryam who handles the accounting.
Chew’s advice to would-be farmers is to “get up in the morning and get going; work for it; expect long hard hours of work; read up on the latest farming technologies and ways the government can help you, and you can help the country.”
He works closely with his local NRCS soil conservationist Priscilla Baker for his conservation plan that includes the cover crop of bromegrass between the rows of trees.
Mr. Chew says a good day is when harvest trucks leave with loads of his pistachios.
Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) is the Department’s focal point for the nation’s farmers and ranchers and other stewards of private agricultural lands and non-industrial private forest lands. FPAC agencies implement programs designed to mitigate the significant risks of farming through crop insurance services, conservation programs, and technical assistance, and commodity, lending, and disaster programs.
The agencies and service supporting FPAC are Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Risk Management Agency (RMA).
Natural Resources Conservation Service has a proud history of supporting America’s farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners for more than 80 years. USDA helps people make investments in their operations and local communities to keep working lands working, boost rural economies, increase the competitiveness of American agriculture, and improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and habitat.
USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
For more information, please see www.usda.gov.
For more information about AgrAbility, please see
www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/PA_NRCSConsumption/download?cid...e..., and nifa.usda.gov/program/agrability
Navajo Technical University (NTU) was awarded $220,000 for 24 months, in 2018, under the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Tribal College Research Grant Program, for the Fabrication and Education of Multi-Purpose Nano Electrochemical Sensor to Detect Endocrine Disruptors (Bisphenol Compounds) and Glucose in Navajo Nation project, that is led by NTU Chemistry Associate Professor Dr. Thiagarajan Soundappan, in Crownpoint, NM, on Sept. 9, 2019. Bisphenol also known as BPA can be found items such as receipts from thermal printers, and certain plastic bottles and containers. The research funding provides equipment and staff for the Electrochemical Research wet-laboratory in this one-year old facility.
SEEN, Robinson Tom (Navajo) and Michael Nelwood are making BPA bio sensors that detect both BPA and glucose without the use of a needle or blood sample. The higher number of diabetes and high use of plastic containers in the Navajo Nation is a clear need for this type of sensor. The lack of nutritional and varied food sources on the reservation (food desert) lowers the communityâs immune defense, making them vulnerable to diseases caused attributed to BPA contact and high glucose.
Tom also has experience with radon detection research for USDA, and DoD research developing more efficient battlefield batteries for U.S. servicemen. On a personal side, he has family members who are dealing with diabetes, so his motivation to develop the BPA/glucose sensors are close to him. Nellwood will take over research operations when Tom graduates next semester. Not only will the research be turned over, the will carry on with the in-demand community awareness sessions that teach the tribal community about the health concerns.
Both are U.S. Army veterans.
NTU was initially established in 1979 as the Navajo Skill Center and is the Navajo Nationâs first university. A highly respected land-grant institution, NTU offers technical, vocational, and academic degrees, as well as community education, in a student-oriented, hands-on learning environment with state-of-the-art classroom equipment.
In 1994, 29 tribal colleges received land-grant university (LGU) status, giving them access to federal government resources that would improve the lives of Native students through higher education and help propel American Indians toward self-sufficiency. These resources also support innovative research, education, and extension programs that positively impact agriculture and food production. The 1994 Land-Grants often serve as the primary institution of scientific inquiry, knowledge and learning for reservation communities.
USDA Photo by Lance Cheung, with permission from NTU.
For more information, please see:
nifa.usda.gov/program/tribal-college-research-grant-program
nifa.usda.gov/resource/first-20-years-1994-land-grant-institutions
Rows of young strawberry plants at Huerta del Valle (HdV) a 4-Acre organic Community Supported Garden and Farm in the middle of a low-income urban community, where Co-Founder and Executive Director Maria Alonso and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Redlands District Conservationist Tomas Aguilar-Campos work closely as she continues to improve the farm operation in Ontario, California, on Nov. 13, 2018.
USDA NRCS has helped with hoop houses to extend the growing season, low-emission tractor replacement to efficiently move bulk materials and a needed micro-irrigation system for this San Bernardino County location that is in a severe drought condition (drought.gov). Huerta del Valle is also a recipient of a 4-year USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Community Food Projects (CFP) grant and a USDA funded California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). She and her staff grow nearly 150 crops, including papayas and cactus. CSA customers pick up their produce on site, where they can see where their food grows. To pay, they can use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards. The price of a produce box is based on the customerâs income.
Alonsoâs inspiration came from her desire to provide affordable organic food for her child. This lead to collaborators that included students and staff from Pitzer College's âPitzer in Ontario Programâ and the Claremont Colleges, who implemented a project plan and started a community garden at a public school. Shortly after that, the City of Ontario was granted $1M from the Kaiser Permanente Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Zone initiative. Huerta del Valle was granted $68,000 from that grant for a three-year project to increase the scale of operation. The city of Ontario supported the project above and beyond the grant by providing a vacant piece of land next to a residential park and community center. Alonso says that this spot, nestled near an international airport, two major interstate highways, suburban homes, and warehouses, is a âgreen space to breathe freely.â
She far exceeded Kaiser's expectations by creating 60 10â X 20â plots that are in full use by the nearby residents. Because of the demand, there is a constant waiting list for plots that become available.
As the organization grew, it learned about the NRCS through an advertisement for the high-tunnel season extension cost-sharing program. The ad put them in touch with the former district manager Kim Lary who helped Huerta del Valle become federal grant ready with their Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) and System for Award Management (SAM) registrations and connected the young organization to NRCS as well as the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District (IERCD.) Since then, Alonso has worked closely with them sharing her knowledge with a broader community including local colleges such as the Claremont Colleges and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona).
Cal Poly Pomona is an example where education institutions help the community. Cal Poly Pomona Plant Science Nursery Manager Monica Salembier has produced plant seedlings (plant trays) for transplant at HdV for many years. Aaron Fox and Eileen Cullen in the Plant Science department have hosted HdV in their classes and brought many groups on tours of the farm to learn about sustainable urban growing practices.
The shaded picnic tables in the center of the garden have been the site of three USDA NRCS workshops for regional farmers, students, and visitors. The site also serves as a showcase for students and other producers who may need help with obtaining low-emission tractors, micro-irrigation, and high tunnel âhoop houses.â
Alonso says, âevery day is a good day, but especially at the monthly community meetings where I learn from my community.â
For more information, please see www.usda.gov and www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/community-supported-agriculture
Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) is the Departmentâs focal point for the nationâs farmers and ranchers and other stewards of private agricultural lands and non-industrial private forest lands. FPAC agencies implement programs designed to mitigate the significant risks of farming through crop insurance services, conservation programs, and technical assistance, and commodity, lending, and disaster programs.
The agencies and service supporting FPAC are Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Risk Management Agency (RMA).
Natural Resources Conservation Service has a proud history of supporting Americaâs farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners. For more than 80 years, we have helped people make investments in their operations and local communities to keep working lands working, boost rural economies, increase the competitiveness of American agriculture, and improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and habitat.
As the USDAâs primary private lands conservation agency, we generate, manage, and share the data, technology, and standards that enable partners and policymakers to make decisions informed by objective, reliable science.
And through one-on-one, personalized advice, we work voluntarily with producers and communities to find the best solutions to meet their unique conservation and business goals. By doing so, we help ensure the health of our natural resources and the long-term sustainability of American agriculture.
For more information, please see www.usda.gov.
USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
Mosquito larvae happily go through their lifecycle in this mailbox bucket. Topping off the bucket with sand removed the habitat and, thus, the mosquito issue. For more information on managing mosquitoes, visit www.nysipm.cornell.edu/publications/mosquitobro/files/mos.... - Joellen Lampman
Navajo Technical University (NTU) was awarded $220,000 for 24 months, in 2018, under the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Tribal College Research Grant Program, for the Fabrication and Education of Multi-Purpose Nano Electrochemical Sensor to Detect Endocrine Disruptors (Bisphenol Compounds) and Glucose in Navajo Nation project, that is led by NTU Chemistry Associate Professor Dr. Thiagarajan Soundappan, in Crownpoint, NM, on Sept. 9, 2019. Bisphenol also known as BPA can be found items such as receipts from thermal printers, and certain plastic bottles and containers. The research funding provides equipment and staff for the Electrochemical Research wet-laboratory in this one-year old facility.
Robinson Tom (Navajo) (SEEN) and Michael Nelwood are making BPA bio sensors that detect both BPA and glucose without the use of a needle or blood sample. The higher number of diabetes and high use of plastic containers in the Navajo Nation is a clear need for this type of sensor. The lack of nutritional and varied food sources on the reservation (food desert) lowers the community’s immune defense, making them vulnerable to diseases caused attributed to BPA contact and high glucose.
Tom also has experience with radon detection research for USDA, and DoD research developing more efficient battlefield batteries for U.S. servicemen. On a personal side, he has family members who are dealing with diabetes, so his motivation to develop the BPA/glucose sensors are close to him. Nellwood will take over research operations when Tom graduates next semester. Not only will the research be turned over, the will carry on with the in-demand community awareness sessions that teach the tribal community about the health concerns.
Both are U.S. Army veterans.
NTU was initially established in 1979 as the Navajo Skill Center and is the Navajo Nation’s first university. A highly respected land-grant institution, NTU offers technical, vocational, and academic degrees, as well as community education, in a student-oriented, hands-on learning environment with state-of-the-art classroom equipment.
In 1994, 29 tribal colleges received land-grant university (LGU) status, giving them access to federal government resources that would improve the lives of Native students through higher education and help propel American Indians toward self-sufficiency. These resources also support innovative research, education, and extension programs that positively impact agriculture and food production. The 1994 Land-Grants often serve as the primary institution of scientific inquiry, knowledge and learning for reservation communities.
USDA Photo by Lance Cheung, with permission from NTU.
For more information, please see:
nifa.usda.gov/program/tribal-college-research-grant-program
nifa.usda.gov/resource/first-20-years-1994-land-grant-institutions
This image is excerpted from a U.S. GAO report:
www.gao.gov/products/GAO-16-14
WOMEN IN STEM RESEARCH: Better Data and Information Sharing Could Improve Oversight of Federal Grant-making and Title IX Compliance
Notes: In this figure, degrees include less than bachelor's, bachelor's, post-bachelor's certificates, master's, and doctorate/professional. Percentages for each discipline may not add to 100 percent due to rounding.