Our Nation’s Commitment to Rural Quality of Life Began with a Seminal Idea – USDA.gov (press release) (blog)

Posted by Sonny Ramaswamy, Director, National Institute of Food and Agriculture in Research and Science

Jun 29, 2017

We have schools to teach the art of manslaying Shall we not have schools to teach men the way to feed, clothe, and enlighten the brotherhood of man? - Justin Smith Morrill, April 20, 1858

By 1862, in the midst of the Civil War, Justin Smith Morrill, the representative from Vermont, with little formal education beyond 8th grade level, had accomplished his vision of having schools teach the way to feed, clothe, and enlighten.

The Morrill Act to create land-grant colleges was signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln as a way to bring scientific and classical studies, along with liberal and practical education in the agriculture and mechanic arts and military tactics and leadership education to the children of the working class. Americas Land-Grant University (LGU) System celebrates its 155th anniversary July 2. The LGUs are now strong and stable pillars in scientific research, education, and extension needed to support our nations food and agricultural systems.

Americas LGUs are educating our nations workforce and undertaking cutting edge science that is inspired by the end users, and the knowledge generated is translated and delivered to the end users through extension, thus, transforming lives. USDAs National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is vested with the responsibility to support LGUs and others efforts in support of our nations food and agricultural systems. Some recent examples of transformative NIFA-funded projects include:

As our nation prepares to celebrate its 241st birthday, join me in celebrating the birthday on July 2 of our nations great land-grant universities.

NIFA invests in and advances agricultural research, education and extension and seeks to make transformative discoveries that solve societal challenges.

View original post here:

Our Nation's Commitment to Rural Quality of Life Began with a Seminal Idea - USDA.gov (press release) (blog)