The Western SARE Farmer/Rancher Research & Education Grant Program focuses on advancing on-farm sustainability solutions by funding innovative producer-driven research and outreach.
Donor Name: Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
State: Selected States
County: All Counties
Territory: American Samoa, Guam, Federated States of Micronesia and Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 10/25/2023
Size of the Grant:
- Independent Farmer: $25,000
- Farmer Group: $29,900
Grant Duration: 3 years
Details:
With a Farmer/Rancher Grant, an agricultural producer serving as the main applicant and Principal Investigator (PI) works with a Technical Advisor (TA) to develop a project (1-3 years in scope) that conducts both research and outreach on a sustainable agriculture topic. With the support and guidance of the technical advisor, farmers and ranchers integrate research and education to conduct on-site experiments to address social, environmental, and economic aspects of agricultural sustainability.
The Western region includes: Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Micronesia, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.
Project Team
The project team must be a minimum of two (2) people and must include: A Producer serving as the Principal Investigator (PI) and a Technical Advisor (TA). The Technical Advisor must be independent of the Producer. Project teams may also include additional collaborators, such as researchers, extension agents, educators and outreach representatives, or other specialists.
- The role of the Principal Investigator (PI):
- An individual producer serves as the project lead and Principal Investigator (PI). This person is responsible for coordinating the project and carrying out its contractual provisions, including leading the on-farm research and submitting project reports. The PI is responsible for all expenditures and for achieving the stated research and educational objectives.
- The role of the Technical Advisor (TA):
- A technical advisor is a professional that assists the producer(s) with the technical expertise for accomplishing their research. A technical advisor is commonly someone that supports producers at the local level such as Cooperative Extension educators/agents or specialists, University faculty or researchers, USDA-NRCS field staff, agricultural consultants, nonprofit organization staff members, etc.
Funding Information
Proposals led by one (1) or two (2) producers, qualify as “Independent Farmer.” Three (3) or more producers working together or as part of a farmer/rancher-led cooperative or NGO, qualify as a “Farmer Group.”
- Independent Farmer: funding limit of $25,000
- Farmer Group: funding limit of $29,900
Project Length
Projects may be 1-3 years in length and cannot exceed 36 months. Project start and end dates are chosen by the PI with the earliest start date being April 1, 2024.
Who can apply as Principal Investigator (PI)?
- Agricultural producers in the Western region who qualify under the following USDA definition of a producer, may apply for a Farmer/Rancher grant:
- A person qualifies as a producer (farmer/rancher) if they have a for-profit operation and:
- Their primary occupation is farming or ranching and have a farm/ranch taxpayer identification number (TIN); and/or
- They are a part-time producer with at least $1,000 (or equivalent) of documented annual income from farming or ranching activities.
- A person qualifies as a producer (farmer/rancher) if they have a for-profit operation and:
For more information, visit Western SARE.
