Farmers Invited to Submit Proposals for SARE Grants

The North Central Region of the Sustainable Agricultural Research and Education (NCR SARE) program has issued its 2014 call for proposals for Farmer/Rancher Grants. NCR-SARE expects to fund about 45 projects in the twelve-state North Central Region with approximately $400,000 to be awarded overall.

Farmers and ranchers submit grant proposals to explore sustainable agriculture solutions to problems on the farm or ranch.  Proposals should show how farmers and ranchers plan to use their own innovative ideas to explore sustainable agriculture options and how they will share project results. The deadline for grant proposals is November 14.

 

As a single farm, you can apply up to $7,500; 2 farms together up to $15,000 and 3 or more farms applying together up to $22,500.

Debi Kelly, the Missouri State SARE co-coordinator, says Missouri leads the NRC in the total number of awards since 1988 and usually receives on average 10 grants per year.

Kelly will be conducting workshops throughout the state to help producers with grant-writing basics, choosing a project, what to expect, and the keys to having a successful application. For the first time this year grant proposals can be submitted entirely online.

“I’m going to work with participants on using the new online submission,” says Debi Kelly, Missouri State SARE co-coordinator. “We’ll also look at previous grants in the SARE database and explore ways to make stronger proposals.”

The workshops are listed below with time, location and contact information for registration.

September 9 – Webinar – 7-8:30 pm
Log onto univmissouri.adobeconnect.com/debikelly and sign in as a guest with your name

September 12 – Lincoln University’s Carver Farm, Jefferson City – 4-9 pm

Contact to register – BohnertC@LincolnU.edu

September 17 – Warren County Extension Center, Warrenton – 10 am to 3 pm

Contact to register – Janet Hurst, 660-216-1749

September 19 – Ray County Senior Center, Richmond – 7-9 pm

Contact to register – Susan Jaster, 816-589-4725

October 2 – Sikeston – 4-9 pm

Contact to register – Catherine Bohnert, 573-681-5174

October 25 – Southwest Research Center, Mt. Vernon – 4-9 pm

Contact to register Shon Bishop, (417) 846-3948

Interested applicants can find the call for proposals online as well as useful information for completing a proposal at http://www.northcentralsare.org/Grants/Types-of-Grants/Farmer-Rancher-Grant-Program. You can find more information about sustainable agriculture at http://www.sare.org/ .