Call for Applications are now open for the North Central Region-Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education's (NCR-SARE) Farmer Rancher Sustainable Agriculture Grants 2021.

Farmer Rancher Grants provide opportunities for farmers/ranchers to use Sustainable Agriculture practices and their own innovative ideas to solve problems on the farm or ranch, and to share their ideas with others.

Farmer/Rancher Grants are for innovative sustainable agriculture research or demonstration /education projects; they are NOT for everyday farming expenses, other than those directly related to the grant project. For example, purchasing fencing or livestock to expand your herd would not be allowed. Fencing or livestock needed as part of a research project to explore how different cover crops work in rotational grazing would be allowed, but only for the land and animals involved in the research.

• Projects that involve whole farm systems and/or a youth component are encouraged.
• Projects involving industrial hemp must comply with applicable state and USDA regulations.
• Livestock projects need to comply with reasonable animal care requirements to insure that animals are properly cared for.

Purpose

These grants are for farmers/ranchers to explore innovative sustainable agriculture solutions to production, marketing, labor, and other problems. Sustainable agriculture practices are tested through onfarm research, education, or demonstration projects and results are shared with other farmers/ranchers.

Type of Grants

There are three types of competitive grants: 

• Individual grants ($9,000 maximum)
• Team of Two grants for two farmers/ranchers from separate and distinct operations who are working together ($18,000 maximum)
• Group grants for three or more farmers/ranchers from separate and distinct operations who are working together ($27,000 maximum).

Funding Information

Approximately $720,000 is available for this program.

Timeframe

Grant recipients have 23 months to complete their projects.

Eligibility Criteria

• Any farmer/rancher or team or group of farmers/ranchers who farm or operate a ranch in the North Central region may apply.  Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) should apply for Partnership Grants for projects working with farmers and ranchers.
• Applicants may be just beginning the transition to a more sustainable operation or may already be using sustainable practices and want to implement additional changes. (Grants to applicants under 21 need to be signed by a parent or guardian.).
• Team of Two projects must have two farmer/ rancher participants from separate and distinct operations. Group projects must have at least three farmer/rancher participants from separate and distinct operations. If your situation is unique, please explain or contact NCR-SARE to discuss your options. Teams and Groups must designate a farmer/rancher project coordinator who will submit and sign the proposal, be responsible for reporting, and assume tax liability associated with the grant, if there is any. Talk with a tax consultant if you have questions.
• Grant recipients may participate in one Individual grant and one Team or Group grant annually. Previous farmer/rancher grant recipients are eligible to apply if reports from previous grant projects are up to date. Proposals from previous grant recipients will be evaluated on a competitive basis with all other proposals.
• They have a strong commitment to diversity. Proposals that involve farmers or ranchers or youth from historically-underserved populations are encouraged.

Evaluation Criteria

All proposals are reviewed by a committee that includes farmer/rancher members of the NCR-SARE Administrative Council, as well as farmers/ranchers from throughout the North Central region. Funding recommendations are based on how well proposals meet the following six criteria. The weight of each criteria is shown in parentheses.

• Project leader or Team (10%)
  • Does the project leader or team or group have the skills, background, and experience to successfully carry out the project?
• Project Design (30%)
  • Is there a well-thought-out, detailed plan to solve a problem on the farm or ranch using sustainable agriculture practices?
  • For education and demonstration projects, is there a well-thought-out, detailed plan to provide potential solutions for other farmers/ranchers through information sharing?
  • Are there clear objectives with specific and appropriate activities, materials, and methods?
  • Is there an appropriate timeline?
• Contribution to the growth of sustainable agriculture (15%)
  • Does the project build on and add to existing sustainable agriculture knowledge?
  • Does the project have the potential to help farmers and ranchers in the North Central region produce positive environmental, economic, and social impacts?
• Outreach (20%)
  • All projects must share their results with others.
  • Are there plans to share project information and results with other farmers/ranchers?
  • Are there specific plans to cooperate with other farmers/ranchers and with organizations through which information can be shared? Some options for information sharing include: workshops, field days, publications, written materials, social media, a web page, radio, television, making a video, presenting a poster or giving a talk at a conference or other event.
• Evaluation (15%)
  • Is there an effective plan to measure benefits and impacts of the project?
  • What will be measured and how will it be measured to determine if there are environmental, economic, and/or social (family/community) benefits from your project?
• Appropriate budget (10%)
  • Are grant funds used for project expenses only?
  • Do budget justifications explain how items will be used in the project?

What to Expect

If your proposal is funded and you accept the grant, you agree to the following:

• Return signed contract to the NCR-SARE office.
• During the project, you may receive an on-site visit from NCR-SARE representatives.
• Grant recipients must submit a progress report and progress report budget by January 31, 2022.
• At the end of the project, on or before January 31, 2023, grant recipients must submit:
  • final report;
  • final budget showing how funds were spent.
• Concerning the budget, grant recipients:
  • will only be reimbursed for actual expenses incurred after the initial funding date;
  • must submit a final report and a final budget documenting the project expenditures before SARE will release final payment;
  • will have a 1099 form automatically filed with the IRS with each payment for tax reporting purposes; and
  • must retain receipts for project expenditures for a period of three years.
• Funds will be disbursed as follows: Grant recipients receive 50% of the grant to start their project. They receive an additional 35?ter submitting a satisfactory progress report, and they receive the remaining 15% upon completion of the project. The final payment is a reimbursement.

For more information, visit NCR-SARE.