United States Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Pollution
Prevention and Toxics
Washington, DC 20460
Pollution Prevention Fact Sheet
February 1990
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) have joined together to undertake a grant program called Agriculture in Concert with the Environment (ACE). The primary purpose of the grant program is to promote the adoption of sustainable agriculture practices and reduce the use of highly toxic herbicides and other pesticides.
The ACE program represents one of the first interagency cooperative grant programs in the federal government. EPA's Office of Pollution Prevention and USDA's Cooperative State Research Service are funding state-based projects involving education and training in sustainable agriculture, demonstrations of promising sustainable farming practices and systems, research on the impact of sustainable agriculture on wildlife and fish habitat, and studies of the economic implications of sustainable agriculture. Special consideration is given to projects in which farmers actively participate in the design and implementation.
In FY 1991, the first year of the program, 21 awards were made to a wide variety of cooperating institutions and individuals in three of the four USDA regions (see inside for list of awardees). Host institutions in four Regions of the country (northeast, south, north central, and west) manage the evaluation, project selection, and distribution processes for each Region. Evaluation panels in each Region include representatives from government, academic and other research institutions, the farming industry, the environmental community, and other private or public organizations. FY 1991 funding totaled $2 million, with $1 million contributed by both EPA and USDA.
| Award winners are listed by name of primary (academic) institution. Each project represents the cooperative efforts of a variety of individuals and organizations. | |
| Cornell University | Improving corn crop adaptation to alternative systems |
| Univ. of | Implementing low-input cranberry production |
| Univ. of Maryland | Use of the pasture disk meter to measure winter legume nitrogen contributions |
| Rutgers University | Extension of the pre-sidedress sod nitrate test for New Jersey field and sweet corn growers |
| Food and Farming Association | Alternative management of leafhopper Pests in integrated farming systems |
| Rodale Institute | Information dissemination to increase the utilization of soil-improving crops in Northeast Cropping systems |
| Univ. of | Use of composts and reduced applications of fertilizer and herbicides to conserve soil and ground water resources in nurseries |
| Iowa State University | Wildlife use of experimental intercropping systems |
| Ohio State University | Farmer-to-farmer mentorship and innovative on-farm research |
| University of Nebraska: | Proven sustainable practices from Nebraska farmers |
| North Dakota State University | Influence of cropping systems on contamination of a shallow aquifer in the Northern Great Plains |
| University of: | A national conference on participatory on-farm research and education |
| University of Wisconsin | Whole-farm nutrient and agrichemical budgeting for sustainable dairy farming |
| Iowa State University | Sustainable agriculture: teaching youth and teachers |
| Wisconsin University Rural Development | Sustainable agriculture training for high school agricultural instructors |
| State University | Reduced chemical input production of peaches |
| University of Alaska | Using domestic geese to control weeds in Alaska agriculture and forestry |
| University of Arizona | Integration of aquaculture into an irrigated farm |
| Montana State University | Canola, rapeseed, and spring pea as enhancers of sod nutrient availability and crop productivity |
| University of Hawaii | Biological management of under story vegetation in macadamia orchards |
| Washington State University | Soil bacteria to control jointed goat grass in integrated cropping systems. |
For More Information, Contact the Regional Representative in Your Area:
North Region: Steve Waller
Agricultural Experimental
Station
University of Nebraska 109
Agriculture Hall Lincoln NE
68583
Tel: 402-472-2046
Dialcom: AGS 1451
Fax: 402-472-2759
Northeast Region: Fred Magdoff
Dept. of Plant and Soil
Science
University of Vermont, Hills Building
Burlington, VT 05405
Tel:
802-656-0471
Dialcom: AGS 2350
Fax: 802-656-8642
Southern William H Brown
Agriculture Experiment Station
P.O. Box
25055
Baton Rouge, LA 70894-5055
Tel: 504-388-4181
Fax: 504-388-6032
Western Region David Schlegel
Div. of Agriculture and Natural
Resources
University of California
300 Lakeside Drive, 6th
floor
Oakland, CA 94612-3560
Tel: 415-987-0033
Dialcom: AGS 300
Fax:
415-987-0672
For General Information on the ACE Program Contact:
Patrick Madden, PhD.
Associate Director,
USDA Sustainable Agriculture
Research and Education Program
P.O. Box 10338
Glendale, CA 91209
G.W. Bird
Director, USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
Program
342 Aerospace Bldg.
14th & Independence Avenues
Washington,
D.C. 20250
Harry Wells
Office of Pollution Prevention
U.S. EPA (PM-222B)
401 M
Street SW
Washington, DC 20460
Last Updated: January 16, 1996