The Farmer/Rancher Program focuses on advancing on-farm sustainability solutions by funding innovative producer-driven research and outreach.
Donor Name: Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)
State: Selected States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 10/28/2026
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 3 Years
Details:
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.
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 or improve the quality of surface and ground water.
- Enhance the quality of life of farmersand ranchers and ensure the viabilityof rural communities, for example, byincreasing income and employment,such as profitable self-employmentand innovative marketingopportunities in agricultural and ruralcommunities.
- Protect the health and safety of those involved in food and farm systems by reducing, where feasible, the use of toxic materials in agricultural production, 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
Producers may apply for up to $35,000.
Grant Period
3 year
Eligible projects
- Relevance to Sustainable Agriculture, Project Value, and Benefits
- Explain why this project is necessary and how it addresses a critical need in sustainable agriculture in the Western region. Identify any limitations in the current system(s) or knowledge base and how your project will address them. Cite evidence of need, including results and recommendations from related SARE projects (sare.org/grants/about-project-reports/) and other studies or reports.
- Stakeholders Needs and Support
- Western SARE is committed to addressing the needs of agricultural stakeholders. Proposals must include evidence that identified needs of stakeholders are being addressed and that support for the project exists beyond the team collaborators. Describe and document stakeholder needs and support to demonstrate that the proposed project is relevant and timely.
- Project Team Members and Roles
- 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. They may not be a family member.
- Research Plan
- Clearly state and define the research objectives. Each objective should be a clear statement describing an intended achievement. Objectives must be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
- Education Plan
- Clearly state and define the educational objectives, emphasizing how different outreach strategies will be utilized. Each objective should be a clear statement describing an intended achievement.
- Timeline
- Provide a timeline that outlines the research and educational activities for each stage of your project. Identify the major milestones and activities that will be completed, when each of those milestones/activities will occur, and how they relate back to the objective(s). Timelines must be realistic, and outcomes should be feasible in the amount of time proposed.
- Evaluation and Producer Adoption
- Explain how the project’s research and educational objectives will be evaluated for completion and impact on agricultural communities in your region. For example, describe how changes in producers’ knowledge, awareness, attitudes, and adoption of practices will be measured (e.g., a pre-post survey).
Eligibility Criteria
- 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 of documented annual income from farming or ranching activities. An equivalent of $1,000 of agricultural production is acceptable under circumstances where food is not sold for profit, such as through cultural/indigenous farming operations.
For more information, visit SARE.
