COLUMBIA, Mo. –Farmers and ranchers in 12 north-central states can now compete for federal grants to fund projects in sustainable agriculture.
Funding comes from the USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program.
“These grants allow farmers and ranchers an opportunity to test new sustainable agriculture techniques and demonstrate how they can be used over a wider area,” said Debi Kelly, Missouri SARE co-coordinator.
The SARE program invites farmers or ranchers operating in SARE’s North Central Region, which includes Missouri, to submit proposals for projects that test and evaluate adaptable sustainable agricultural practices for their operations. Competitive grants up to $6,000 for individuals or $18,000 for groups of three or more from separate operations are available.
Applications are due by Dec. 1, 2008. Eligible states include Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
Missouri leads the region in number of grants won, with 85 since the program started in 1992.
Kelly said she would review any grant applications, offering suggestions to increase chances of success.
The grants are for sustainable agriculture research and education projects and not for everyday farming expenses.
During the past 16 years, these grants have funded a wide array of projects in livestock- and crop-production systems, waste management, weed and pest control, organic farming, marketing, water quality and soil conservation.
The grant application can be downloaded at http://www.sare.org/ncrsare/prod.htm.
For more information, contact MO SARE co-coordinator Debi Kelly at 573-882-1905 or kellyd@missouri.edu.
MO SARE co-coordinator K.B. Paul at Lincoln University can be reached at 573-681-5584 or paulk@lincolnu.edu.
More information about Missouri SARE is online at http://extension.missouri.edu/sare/.
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