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Christina Gish Hill, associate professor in the Department of World Languages and Cultures, was recently selected to receive a $200,000 grant from the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (NCR-SARE) for the project, “Reuniting the Three Sisters: Native American Intercropping and Soil Health.”

“This project explores three sisters intercropping (3SI) in Native American communities, collaborating with stakeholders to create 3SI demonstration plots for education and research with the goal of supporting efforts to sustainably reinvigorate the practice,” said Gish Hill.

This grant was awarded as part of NCR-SARE’s Research and Education Program which is a competitive grant program for researchers and educators involved in projects that explore and promote environmentally sound, profitable, and socially responsible food and/or fiber systems. Research and Education projects include a strong outreach component and significant farmer/rancher or other end user involvement from inception of the idea through implementation of the project. NCR-SARE administers each of its grant programs, each with specific priorities, audiences, and timelines. The focus for each of the NCR-SARE grant programs is on research and education.

Funding considerations are made based on how well the applicant articulates the nature of the research and education components of their sustainable agriculture grant proposals.

NCR-SARE’s Administrative Council (AC) members decide which projects will receive SARE funds. A collection of farm and non-farm citizens, the AC includes a diverse mix of agricultural stakeholders in the region. Council members hail from regional farms and ranches, the Cooperative Extension Service, universities, federal agencies, and nonprofit organizations.