§7627 Coordinated Program of Research, Extension, and Education to Improve Viability of Small and Medium Size Dairy, Livestock, and Poultry Operations

Summary

The Secretary of Agriculture can set up a coordinated research, outreach, and education program to help small and medium dairy, livestock, and poultry farms become more competitive, viable, and sustainable. The program would fund research and on-farm education about low-cost facilities, better management and genetics, and, for dairy and livestock, grazing systems that can cut capital and feed costs. It would also study integrated crop-and-animal systems to save energy and reduce pollution, do economic and market studies to find new sales or cooperative and value‑added opportunities, and compare technologies so useful tools can be shared and training needs identified. The Secretary may use the staff, facilities, funds, and technical help of the Agricultural Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and other available funds, but not Commodity Credit Corporation funds, to run the program.