The Producer grant program supports farmers/ranchers to conduct projects to solve challenges and problems they face, and develop information on what works and doesn’t work so that other farmers and ranchers facing those same problems can benefit from the results of the funded project.
Donor Name: Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE)
State: Selected States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant | Reimbursement
Deadline: 12/05/2025
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
Recognizing the value and importance of on-the-farm, producer experience in developing solutions to agricultural production challenges, the SSARE Producer Grant program was established in 1994 to give farmers the opportunity to conduct their own research projects. The competitive research grants program is intended to help farmers and ranchers develop sustainable production and marketing practices. The goal of the grant program is for farmers/ranchers to conduct projects to solve challenges and problems they face, and develop information on what works and doesn’t work so that other farmers and ranchers facing those same problems can benefit from the results of the funded project.
Funding Information
- Producer Grant Calls for Proposals open in September and grants are awarded February the following year. Producer Grant project maximums are $20,000 for an individual farmer or rancher, and $25,000 for a farmer organization. Project duration is for 2 years. It is difficult to extrapolate useable, practicable data from one-year projects.
- Producer Grants are paid by reimbursement of allowable project expenses.
Allowable Expenses
Producer Grant funds may be used for the following expenses:
- Costs of sampling and sample analysis. This can include in-field data collection or lab data analysis.
- Renting equipment needed for the project. The rental must not extend beyond the project’s timetable.
- Materials and supplies needed for the project. The materials and supplies must remain within the scope of the project and be a reasonable request relative to the research being conducted. An example would be the amount of seed needed relative to the size of the research plots.
- Travel needed for the project, which can include lodging, mileage and meals. The travel must relate to the project’s goals/activities.
- Hiring labor needed to effectively conduct and complete the project within the proposed timetable. This can include hiring farmer/rancher labor beyond normal farming duties. Hired labor must remain within the scope of the project and be a reasonable salary request.
- Your own labor for project activities above and beyond your normal farming duties.
- Expenses related to the project’s outreach plan. This can include holding a field day, workshop, farm tour or demonstration program; the printing of educational materials, such as fact sheets, manuals or curriculum; or the development of other resources such as apps, webinars or videos. The educational materials developed for the outreach plan must remain within the scope of the work and be a reasonable request. An example would be the amount requested for the printing of educational materials relative to the size of the audience the resource is intended to reach during the life of the project.
- Refreshments at educational events, such as workshops or field days.
Eligibility Criteria
Producer Grants are open to individual farmers/ranchers or farmer organizations. Only one proposal may be submitted per grant cycle. Primary occupation is farming or ranching or the applicant is a part-time producer. At least $1,000 of annual income from the operation must be documented. Farmer organizations should be comprised primarily of farmers/ranchers and must have a majority farmer representation on their governing board. There are no restrictions on farm size or the length of time an applicant has been farming. Producer Grants, however, are designed for farmers already established in their farming operation, and not for beginning farmers or ranchers.
For more information, visit Southern SARE.
