The Administrative Council of the Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program announces the Call for Proposals for Farmer/Rancher Research & Education Grants for 2023.
Donor Name: Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)
State: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico,Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming
Territory: American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam and Northern Mariana Islands
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 11/02/2022
Size of the Grant: Up to $29,900
Details:
The Western SARE Administrative Council funds grant proposals that include creative and innovative on-farm/ranch research and educational outreach to advance Western SARE goals. All Western SARE projects must contain both research and education components.
The Western SARE Farmer/Rancher Research & Education Grant Program focuses on advancing on-farm sustainability solutions by funding innovative producer-driven research and outreach. This grant program involves agricultural producers (main applicants) and technical advisor(s) implementing projects to address identified needs in sustainable agriculture.
Western SARE Goals
- Promote good stewardship of the nation’s natural resources by providing site-specific, regional and profitable sustainable farming and ranching methods that strengthen agricultural competitiveness; satisfy human food and fiber needs; maintain and enhance the quality and productivity of soil; conserve soil, water, energy, natural resources and fish and wildlife habitat; and maintain and improve the quality of surface and ground water.
- Enhance the quality of life of farmers and ranchers and ensure the viability of rural communities, for example, by increasing income and employment, especially profitable self-employment and innovative marketing opportunities in agricultural and rural communities.
- Protect the health and safety of those involved in food and farm systems by reducing, where feasible and practical, the use of toxic materials in agricultural production, and by optimizing on-farm resources and integrating, where appropriate, biological cycles and controls.
- Promote crop, livestock and enterprise diversification. Examine the regional, economic, social, and environmental implications of adopting sustainable agriculture practices and systems.
Funding Information
Up to $25,000 may be requested if one or two producers are involved. Proposals with three or more producers may request up to $29,900.
Eligibility Criteria
Western SARE requires that agricultural producers be involved from inception to finish in the planning, design, implementation, and educational outreach of any Western SARE-funded project. Each of the Western SARE-funded grant programs, has slightly different requirements for the composition of the team and eligible applicant. Assemble your project team accordingly, keeping in mind the inherent interdisciplinary nature of sustainable agriculture.
- Farmer/Rancher Grants: The project team must be a minimum of two (2) people and must include: A Producer (Principal Investigator) and a Technical Advisor. The Technical Advisor must be independent of the Producer (see page 6 for Western SAREs definition of a producer).
- Professional + Producer Grants: The project team must be a minimum of three (3) people and must include: An Agricultural Technical Advisor (Principal Investigator, PI) and at least two (2) Producers. One of the Producers must be identified as the Advisor Representative. The team may also include additional collaborators.
- Research and Education Grants: The project team must be a minimum of five (5) people and must include: A Researcher (PI or Co-PI), an Extension or Outreach Representative (PI or Co-PI), and at least three (3) Producers. One of the Producers must be identified as the Advisor Representative.
- Graduate Student Grants: The project team must be a minimum of three (3) people and must include: A Graduate Student, a Researcher (Principal Investigator and typically the student’s major professor) and at least one (1) Producer (Advisor Representative).
For more information, visit SARE.
