Strengthening Families, Farms, Communities, and the Economy
NIFA supports programs to help ensure the well-being of the agricultural workforce, their families, and the communities they serve.
Impacts
Training Caregivers in Oklahoma - There are millions of family caregivers, and more than 80 percent of them feel they don’t have the information or training they need. Family & Consumer Sciences educators from Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension have developed a comprehensive health education curriculum that includes lessons in proper nutrition, aging and finances, and prevention of elder abuse and exploitation. With proper training, the caregivers may lower hospital readmission rates.
Identifying Challenges for Elderly Renters - The number of elderly renters in the United States may reach 12 million by 2030 as retirees remain in their homes, a trend that yields substantial savings but also presents challenges. North Carolina A&T State University researchers studied the obstacles that face low-income elderly renters and found that these seniors often struggle with unaffordable housing, unsupportive home environments, and a lack of formal and informal resources. This information helps local, state, and federal agencies develop practical strategies to support aging-in-place renters.
Investing in Public Education Leads to Greater Upward Mobility - A report from economists at Penn State University studied the characteristics of rural-urban mobility. Their report suggests that investing in education may help boost economic opportunities for the next generation, lower teen pregnancy rates, and provide a way to ease income inequality. Results of this study will help inform citizens and policy makers in matters of public education.
NC Cooperative Extension Creates $300 Million Economic Impact - At North Carolina State University, Cooperative Extension educators taught classes that empowered people to make better-informed decisions in communities across the state. Extension professionals and volunteers provided 13,000 educational programs to 1.9 million residents, improved the health and well-being of 115,000 North Carolinians through food and nutrition programs, prepared more than 263,000 youth through 4-H programs, and provided $300 million of economic impact to the state.
Ramping Up for Home Harvesting - North Carolina State University Extension continued its Backyard Ramp Patch Project, giving out more than 15,000 ramp bulbs to the community to establish their own resources and lessen the impact of overharvesting native stocks. Ramps are a variety of wild onion similar to scallions. Extension agents also worked with the National Park Service to establish a new rule for members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to harvest native greens in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
