STORRS, Conn. -- The University of Connecticut has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to study egg safety at smaller and medium farms.
The grant is part of an $11 million federal program to improve the quality of life in farm communities.
The USDA said the grant will study “a comprehensive probiotic-based approach to promote layer performance, layer health and egg safety for small and midsize farms.”
“Few groups are as resilient and as determined as American farm families,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in a press release. “Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is committed to creating a fairer, more equitable system for farms of all sizes to compete and remain profitable.
He continued: "This investment in innovative research will give these family farms the tools they need to be more sustainable, profitable and productive as they face agricultural and economic challenges. When American farmers have a chance to compete, they have a greater chance at succeeding.”
The grant is supervised by Mary Anne Amalaradjou, Mike Darre, Nathan Fiala, Indu Upadhyaya.
According to the grant information, "Our goal in this project is to assist small and midsize farmers with improving the sustainability of their enterprise. Improving the sustainability of small and midsize layer operations involves a focus not only on bird health and welfare but also reducing costs and maximizing productivity. Thus, the study aims to provide farmers with effective, economical and user-friendly interventions that can be applied along the production pipeline to promote egg production and safety."
--
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
