While other crop associations have powerful lobbies, alfalfa interests have not coalesced to wield the same influence. This initiative is an attempt to begin collaboration within the industry to promote alfalfa research.

Jaynes lynn
Emeritus Editor
Lynn Jaynes retired as an editor in 2023.

(See the NAFA press release click here to read.)

Progressive Forage asked a few of the individuals who worked on the initiative or who work in alfalfa research to dive a little deeper into the nuts and bolts of the checkoff.

Robin Newell
VP North America Sales, S&W
Seed Company, Sacramento, CA

Ron Cornish
National Alfalfa & Forage Alliance Chairman
(Alforex Seeds)

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Brent Johnson
National Alfalfa & Forage Alliance Seed Marketers Chair
(Forage Genetics International)

Q. How will alfalfa checkoff dollars be different from the Alfalfa Forage Research Program that USDA’s NIFA (National Institute of Food and Agriculture) administers?

NEWELL: Grants through NIFA require three collaborating universities, and NIFA grants typically pay university overhead costs over and above the actual cost of the research. In a way, NIFA grants help pay the “fixed costs” of universities.

In the case of our Alfalfa Checkoff Program, proposals that seek only actual research costs while conducting research within a pre-existing program or department will have a natural advantage in dollar-for-dollar research efficiency.

Furthermore, the Alfalfa Checkoff Program can be nimble enough to fund individual proposals without the requirement for three or more collaborating institutions. This should allow for a high degree of flexibility to fund research proposals of interest, including some smaller proposals that have strong merit.

NAFA will appoint a rotating subcommittee of board members, including farmers, to help decide which proposals will be selected for funding and determine how the checkoff dollars will be allocated.

Q. If 100 percent of the checkoff funds collected go to research, who decides which researchers get the funding, and how are these individuals chosen?

CORNISH: NAFA will appoint committee members from the board and our membership, including individual farmers that have NAFA membership through state or regional affiliates.

The committee will be appointed each award cycle, giving more NAFA members an opportunity to have a seat at the table. A notice will be sent seeking nominations for committee members. If someone has an interest, they will simply submit their names for consideration by the NAFA board.

Q. All other considerations being equal, if two research projects were presented – i.e., salinity resistance as a Western issue and specific pest or disease resistance as a Midwest or Eastern issue – how would the decision be based? On affected alfalfa acreage? On location of the number of seed companies committed to the voluntary collection?

CORNISH: NAFA will solicit research priorities from our membership and public scientists. The priorities will be reviewed annually to be sure we are addressing research needs deemed most critical.

An initial call for priorities will be sent in May, providing ample time to build a priority list with broad membership support.

Proposals will be reviewed and selected by the NAFA-appointed committee mentioned previously. Criteria for determining which projects will be funded may include, but are not limited to:

Industry need

  • Correlation to established research priorities
  • Number of farms able to apply the techniques or technology proposed
  • Scientific merit, implementation and method for objectively measuring results
  • Ability to accomplish project goals

Cost-effectiveness

  • Direct or indirect savings or benefit to farmers
  • Profitability of the technique for the farm
  • Feasibility of proposed budget and timeline

Other factors, such as partnerships and geographic representation, may also be incorporated into the review criteria. The NAFA board will be establishing these specific criteria prior to release of the first request for proposals, estimated to be around the first of the year (2017).

Q. Many checkoff programs within the agricultural industry are embroiled in controversy. How will this checkoff be different?

CORNISH: Much of the controversy in existing checkoffs comes from the industry not being aligned or united with the goals or approved expenditures of various checkoff programs (i.e., promotional projects, administrative costs, return on investment).

NAFA has been very careful to implement this first-ever alfalfa checkoff program with the sole goal being public research.

Additionally, NAFA has a sustainable budget and views the U.S. Alfalfa Farmer Research Initiative as an investment in the future of the industry. As such, NAFA will absorb the administrative costs associated with the checkoff program so that 100 percent of the farmer checkoff funding can support public research projects.

Q. Will the research recipients all be third-party entities or would private companies be eligible to receive funding?

JOHNSON: The checkoff will be awarded to research projects submitted by public researchers (i.e., university, ARS).

Q. Can farmers refuse to pay the additional $1? If it’s voluntary for the seed company, is it mandatory for a farmer who buys from a company who has committed support?

JOHNSON: The U.S. Alfalfa Farmer Research Initiative (aka Alfalfa Checkoff Program) is voluntary by alfalfa seed brand.

If a company agrees to participate, they will collect checkoff on all U.S. sales of alfalfa products in their portfolio including VNS and forage mixtures containing greater than 80 percent alfalfa. The farmer has a choice of what brand he purchases from.  end mark

Lynn Jaynes