NCR-SARE is pleased to announce Dale Mutch of Portage, Michigan is being honored as
a 2014 “NCR-SARE Hero.”
Coordinated by the NCR-SARE Alumni Organization, this recognition honors the leadership, vision, contributions, and impact that these heroes have made in the field of sustainable agriculture in the north central region. The NCR-SARE Hero Award recognizes individuals who 1) have provided service to NCR-SARE, sustainability, and/or national SARE, 2) have shown leadership in sustainable agriculture locally and regionally, and 3) have made lasting impacts to sustainability in the North Central region.
Dr. Dale Robert Mutch is a retired Michigan State University Extension (MSUE) Senior Extension Educator and Adjunct Professor in the Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences Department—applying practical, research-based information to meet the needs of Michigan residents. He spent more than three decades as an IPM vegetable scout, agricultural agent, district and state field crop integrated pest management coordinator, senior district Extension educator specialist, and coordinator, consultant, and professor for the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences. As a founding member of the Midwest Cover Crops Council, Dale championed the promotion and demonstration of cover crops to improve soil health and create more sustainable agricultural practices throughout the region and nationally.
Dale has been an avid and enthusiastic leader in the NCR-SARE organization since 1997 when he received his first Research and Education grant. He served on the Administrative Council from 2000- 2004, as the Michigan SARE state coordinator from 2007– 2013,. During his tenure as the Michigan State Coordinator, Michigan was awarded 75 SARE grants, and he distributed over 130 travel/mini grants to advance educator training in sustainable farming practices. He provided leadership for a number of important regional SARE initiatives.
Learn more about Dale, other award recipients, and this award on the NCR-SARE website.
Nominations for the NCR-SARE Hero Award may be submitted by anyone. An official nomination form is available on the NCR-SARE website and must be included with a nomination. The NCR-SARE Alumni Heroes Committee will review and recommend candidates to the NCR-SARE Administrative Council. Applications received will be maintained on file NCR-SARE and maintained for consideration in additional years.
NCR-SARE is one of four regional offices that run the SARE program, a nationwide grants and education program to advance sustainable innovation to American agriculture. Since 1988, NCR-SARE has helped advance farming systems that are profitable, environmentally sound and good for communities through a nationwide research and education grants program. The program, part of USDA’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture, funds projects and conducts outreach designed to improve agricultural systems.
For more information contact: North Central Region – Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (NCR-SARE)
612-626-3113
ncrsare@umn.edu