BURLINGTON, Vt. — The Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program has released the call for applications for 2020 Farmer Grant projects. Proposals are due online by Tuesday, December 3, 2019 at 5 p.m. E.T. Funded projects will be announced and may begin in late February 2020.
Farmer Grants provide research funds for commercial farms to explore new ideas in almost any aspect of production, marketing and other topics that influence successful farming in the 12 Northeast states and D.C. Reviewers look for innovation, potential for improved sustainability and results that will be useful to other farmers.
Application materials, including detailed instructions and supporting documents, are posted on the Northeast SARE website at www.northeastsare.org/FarmerGrant. Questions about the grant program should be directed to carol.delaney@uvm.edu.
Northeast SARE hosted a Farmer Grant webinar on Oct. 23 that is currently online for viewing. Carol Delaney, grant program coordinator, provided information on program eligibility, how to apply, types of projects SARE funds, allowable expenses and more. She was joined by Farmer Grant recipient Jordan Kramer of Winnegance Oyster Farm in Portland, Maine who shared his experiences with the program.
Farmer Grant projects must be conducted in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia or Washington, D.C. Awards are capped at $15,000 and projects may address the wide range of issues that affect farming in the Northeast. To search topics that SARE has previously funded, please access the national database of projects at projects.sare.org/search-projects.
Applicants must work with a technical advisor—typically a Cooperative Extension educator, Natural Resources Conservation Service staff, nonprofit organization employee, private crop consultant, veterinarian or other service provider—who provides support and advice to the farmer applicant.
Northeast SARE, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, offers competitive grants and sustainable agriculture education. The program is housed at the University of Vermont Extension.
–Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program