• Increasing Registration of Pest Control Agents for Minor-Use Crops
  Accomplishments include the registration of a herbicide used for broadleaf weed control on cucumbers. Scientists at Washington State estimate a savings of $1 million in herbicide and labor costs on 2,500 acres of the crop grown in that State, and potential savings are much higher, when nationwide cucumber production is considered.
• Extending the Shelf-Life of Fresh-Cut Fruit
  Researchers at University of California, Davis, are carrying out a study supported by the National Research Initiative (NRI) that will determine the effects of oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations on fruit tissue browning. This knowledge will be used to improve packaging and handling of fresh-cut fruits, leading to increased availability of these products for consumers and expanded markets for producers.
• Incorporating the Impact of Rapid Manufacturing Growth on Food Imports
  Agricultural economists at Purdue University in Indiana received an NRI grant to study the relationship among different economic sectors in the balance of trade. The results showed that restricting imports of manufactured fiber products and textiles into North America had indirect impacts on NAFTA's potential level of exports. Ultimately, the research showed that imposing trade restrictions in one sector of the economy can have dire consequences in another.
• Establishing Networks To Enhance the Understanding of Risk Management Alternatives
  Extension specialists are conducting educational programs to help producers and agribusinesses meet the added responsibility of risk management they face as a result of the 1996 Farm Bill, increasingly global markets, the changing structure of agriculture, and the use of new and unproven technologies. State extension agents are communicating with USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA) personnel to determine the appropriate risk management alternatives.
• Developing and Facilitating Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) Training
  Representatives from Texas A&M University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and Kansas State University collaborated with employees of the Food and Drug Administration and USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service in developing state planning strategies for HACCP training and education. Such efforts are considered essential for supporting the President's Food Safety Initiative.
• Improving Nutrition Education Instruction
  Extension nutrition educators at the University of Massachusetts have enhanced the quality of nutrition education supported by the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP). After completing the program, EFNEP participants increased their consumption of nutritious foods, and made improvements in food purchasing and meal preparation.
• Providing Education for Environmental Project
  In Connecticut, Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials (NEMO) programs have sparked changes in local public policy and environmental stewardship. Municipal plans for conservation and development, zoning regulations, and subdivision requirements have been changed to address water resource protection. Watershed management plans have been initiated, and neighboring towns have pledged to work together through watershed conservation compacts. Development designs have been altered to better protect waterways.

Agriculture is one of the three most hazardous U.S. occupations. CSREES-supported farm safety education programs in all 50 States and Puerto Rico teach volunteer firefighters and rescue crews how to respond to farm accidents, certify training for the safe operation of tractors and other machinery, and instill in children a general awareness of farm hazards including poisons, all- terrain vehicles, and other equipment.

The CSREES Integrated Pest Management program uses a sustainable approach that manages crop pests through biological, cultural, physical, and chemical procedures to minimize economic, health, and environmental risks.

The CSREES Agricultural Telecommunications Program, established in the 1990 Farm Bill, helps universities develop agricultural telecommunications capacity by funding projects in support of formal and nonformal courses, faculty and staff education, program delivery, community-based access to education, student training in food and agricultural careers, facilitation of scientific interaction, and expansion of agricultural markets for farmers.

CSREES international programs are building democracy through agriculture in Poland, Armenia, Bulgaria, Russia, and Ukraine by providing the education and technical assistance needed to help these countries make the transition to a market economy.

The CSREES Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) helps limited-resource youth, pregnant teens, and families with young children in all 50 States and 6 territories improve their nutritional well-being and make better use of their food dollars, which decreases the number of families participating in the Food Stamp and WIC Programs.

CSREES collaborates with the Children's Nutrition Research Center, College of Medicine at Baylor University to improve the nutrition education provided from kindergarten through grade 12 and to link the medical, research, extension, and education communities.

The CSREES AgrAbility project provides on-farm assistance to over 2,000 farmers with disabilities and educates agricultural, rehabilitation, and health professionals on safely accommodating disability in agriculture.

CSREES is a leader in developing training programs for public and private pesticide applicators that combine education with new technology to minimize pesticide drift. Current pesticide applicator programs train over half a million people each year on the safe and environmentally sound use of pesticides.

CSREES promotes research and development of industrial products that are environmentally friendly, biodegradable, recyclable, and manufactured from renewable resources grown domestically.

CSREES water quality programs include Farm*A*Syst, an award-winning national water pollution prevention program which conducts surface and ground water audits, and the Blue Thumb Project, which brings water education into the community and empowers local residents to address their own water problems. {END BOX}