Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources
Strategic Direction

2002-2006

Mission:

The Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources (CSANR) works to create sustainable agriculture and natural resource systems that provide a high quality of life for the people of Washington. The CSANR leads in developing and implementing interdisciplinary systems-oriented research and education programs at WSU.

CSANR

• Encourages and facilitates WSU faculty to work towards sustainable systems.
• Provides information through educational activities and publications.
• Provides funding for professional development to faculty for sustainable agriculture related activities.
• Encourages the use of sustainable agriculture practices at WSU Research and Extension Centers.
• Coordinates research and education grant proposals.
• Sponsors capacity building programs in the areas of consensus building, conflict resolution, collaborative decision-making, leadership, and rural economic development
  

Vision

The CSANR is widely recognized for its credibility, quality work, and dedication to its mission. It serves as a catalyst for positive change. It brings together diverse stakeholders to help WSU identify and respond to citizens’ needs. The CSANR works to integrate sustainability concepts and values into WSU's teaching curriculum, research, and extension programs. It is well known for its educational efforts dealing with complex subjects in agriculture and natural resource management.

The CSANR directs significant resources, both human and financial, toward WSU projects in a timely and efficient manner. It manages its own grant program to support research and education, as envisioned in the enabling legislation. There is a landbase connected to the CSANR for teaching, research and demonstration purposes. It has partnerships with a diverse set of farm organizations, citizens' groups, Indian Tribes, and state/federal agencies in Washington State. The CSANR Leadership Team plans, organizes and implements CSANR programs through its broad working relationships with the faculty and staff of the university.

Values

The CSANR works toward agricultural and natural resource systems that:

• Provide sufficient profits to support farm families and their communities while providing food that fosters people's health.
• Enhance the quality of life for Washington's citizens including maintaining or improving soil, water and air quality.
• Retain the capacity for self-renewal following human and environmental disturbances, resulting in the long-term stability of productive capability.
• Strengthen rural families and their communities, and provide farming opportunities for new and future generations.
• Balance the need to provide food and fiber to increasing populations with our responsibility to protect resources for future generations.

Consistent with its values, the CSANR will lead, facilitate and promote research, extension and educational programs that:

• Integrate economic, environmental and social aspects of a diverse set of farming systems.
• Attract involvement of faculty across disciplines.
• Develop new partnerships and collaborations in a participatory research and education model.
• Build connections between producers and consumers.
• Emphasize the use of biological processes and renewable resources.
• Encourage management solutions that address root causes of problems, not symptoms.
• Provide a source of funding.
• Provide for personal creativity, innovation, and fulfillment.

Program Priorities and Direction

The following broad program areas have been identified for developing priority plans of work:

1. Sustainable Farming Systems
1. Organic Farming Systems
   Organic food sales are increasing 20-30% per year and many Washington State growers are entering organic production. Lessons learned from organic farming systems are also used to modify non-organic farming systems. Organic dairy systems can provide increased income and marketing opportunities for producers while resolving some of the environmental problems of non-organic systems. Organic tree fruit, small fruit and vegetable production are well established in the state, but growers need substantial research and education on weed control options, fertility management and critical insect, disease and virus/vector management issues to remain economically viable. Additional options are also needed for fruit thinning and manure management.
2. Alternative Crops
   Diversification of crops and the ability to reach niche markets are two ways farmers can become more economically and biologically sustainable. Farmers and researchers affiliated with the CSANR will evaluate crops such as edamame, bamboo, and dry beans as new alternative crops for Western Washington. In Eastern Washington, corn, millet, mustard, canola and flax crops are being evaluated. Production, health and nutritional benefits, and marketing will be investigated for these alternative crops to facilitate their sales and consumption.
3. Alternative Farming Systems
   CSANR faculty are actively involved in exploring innovative farming systems that meet sustainability goals. These include: (1) understory management of perennial crops for weed control, plant nutrition, water conservation and soil quality, (2) irrigated cropping systems that include more complex rotations and the strategic use of cover crops to break pest cycles, build organic matter, improve soil health, and protect the soil from erosion, (3) dryland cropping systems that reduce tillage for soil conservation and diversification for market opportunities, time and resource management, and pest suppression, (4) livestock grazing systems that reduce input costs and waste management problems while increasing the nutritional quality of the food products, and (5) integrated manure and compost use in fruit and vegetable production systems.
2. Agriculture and Community Food Systems
   The CSANR will work to develop food production and distribution systems that maximize benefits to farmers, consumers, and communities. Connecting farmers more directly with consumers at a community level offers the potential for enhanced farm profits, better community nutrition, improved environmental stewardship, and stronger regional economies. CSANR will focus its efforts in the following areas:
1. Research and education to enhance the viability of small and family scale farms.
2. Expanding direct and local marketing strategies and infrastructure.
3. Linking marketing and pricing with production practices through eco-labeling and consumer education about the benefits of environmentally sound farming systems.
4. Building community capacity to address food security and land use issues.
3. Building Capacity in People and Communities
   The CSANR sponsors capacity building programs in the areas of consensus building, conflict resolution, collaborative decision-making, leadership and rural economic development. These programs are designed to deal with the complex issues that face society by addressing the way people work together, their underlying perceptions of reality, levels of trust and relationships and how they make decisions. Recognizing that each situation is unique, approaches are customized accordingly. One of the basic premises is that learning takes place most effectively by applying principles and processes while working with real conflicts and issues.
4. Assessment of Trends in Sustainable Agriculture
   The CSANR will help the citizens of Washington engage in public policy development in order to clarify the roles of technology, economics, and justice in the development of a more sustainable agriculture. The CSANR will provide assessments to the university community and the people of the state on public policy concerns such as:
1. The sustainability of Washington's agriculture.
2. Biotechnology in agriculture and public policy education.
3. Assessment of technology and the impact of genetic engineering on organic farming.
5. Agriculture and Energy
   WSU is uniquely positioned to address two important issues in Washington State that have not been previously linked. These issues are renewable energy and economic development in the agricultural sector. Agricultural producers can take advantage of the need to provide increased energy supplies to the state, particularly from sources that are renewable and climate neutral. These include wind, bio-gas from animal and food processing wastes, bio-fuels (i.e., ethanol and bio-diesel) and solar. WSU, in concert with the State government and utilities, can set a goal for a certain percentage of the state's energy needs to come from the agricultural sector by a given date and then mobilize the research and educational resources of the university to achieve the goal. Markets for renewable liquid fuels such as ethanol are likely to expand in the region, providing new uses for currently grown crops and opportunities for new fuel crops. CSANR can assist in developing strategies for renewable energy at both the farm level and the regional level.

October 30, 2001