From the March 19, 2025 NIFA Update
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced earlier this week that USDA will deliver any assistance it can for communities and agricultural producers affected by the weekend storms that cut a path of devastation through the South and Midwest.
Cooperative Extension, based at Land-grant Universities, serves as a vital conduit for resources and expertise related to preparedness, recovery and mitigation for many types of disasters.
Extension efforts are bolstered by the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN). Supported by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, EDEN is a collaborative national effort by Extension services across the country to improve the delivery of services to people affected by disasters. EDEN’s mission is to reduce the impact of disasters through research-based Extension education. Additionally, EDEN ensures that Extension can respond to local, state, regional and national education needs during a crisis.
EDEN’s website provides Extension professionals with access to resources on disaster preparedness, recovery, and mitigation to enhance their programming efforts. EDEN also maintains a shared database of disaster-related resources that are available from member states. While it was designed for use by Extension agents and educators, anyone can access these resources.
