USA: University receives grant for study

University of New Hampshire researchers have received a significant grant to study UNH's organic dairy research farm (picture) as a sustainable closed agroecosystem, exploring viable strategies for becoming energy independent.

The $ 380,000 three-year grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Sustainable Agricultural Research and Education (SARE) program aims to explore whether closing energy and nutrient cycles could help small family dairy farms in the Northeast survive economic vulnerabilities. The study comes as rising energy, feed and capital investment costs shrink the narrow profit margin of dairy agriculture in the Northeast, threatening the regional sustainability of the industry.

Such an ecosystem-level approach to a commercial organic dairy production is unique in the United States, where the UNH's organic dairy farm is the first commercial-scale research organic dairy. John Aber, professor of natural resources and principal investigator of the grant, and co-investigator William McDowell, also a professor of natural resources, bring forest ecosystem experience to the project. Other co-investigators are associate professor of hydrogeology Matt Davis, Charles Schwab, professor of animal and nutritional sciences and a leader in the founding of the organic dairy, and organic dairy project director Kevin Brussell.

Family dairy farms are a vital part of the landscape and legacy of the North-eastern United States, says the UNH chief sustainability officer Tom Kelly, who conceived of this project. He continues that this research will help small farmers in this region make informed decisions in the face of an uncertain energy and economic future and contribute to a more resilient food system.

http://www.unh.edu