What is Northeast SARE?

SARE stands for Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, and is a USDA competitive grants program.

Four regional programs

There are four regional programs--Northeast, North Central, South, and West--and each region has its own programs and leadership.

The Northeast region is made up of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, West Virginia, Vermont, and Washington, D.C.

SARE supports research and education that helps build the future economic viability of agriculture in the United States and is authorized under Subtitle B of Title XVI of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990.

Northeast SARE outcome statement

An outcome statement, like a mission statement, expresses a long-term vision of the results we are working to achieve. The Northeast SARE outcome statement is:

Agriculture in the Northeast will be diversified and profitable, providing healthful products to its customers; it will be conducted by farmers who manage resources wisely, who are satisfied with their lifestyles, and have a positive influence on their communities and the environment.

This outcome statement bears directly on what kinds of projects we fund, how we set priorities, and what grants are offered.

Grant offerings

Northeast SARE offers two different tiers of grant funding.

Projects with smaller budgets

One tier is for projects with smaller budgets (from $2,000 to $10,000) that normally run a year or two, currently includes Farmer, Partnership, and Sustainable Community grants. (For 2008, we will offer Sustainable Community Grants of up to $25,000, with no assurance this level of funding will continue.)

These smaller grants normally run one year, and the application is straightforward.

Each grant and all the necessary information about it, can be found in
Get a Grant.

Projects with larger budgets

The other tier is for large projects with larger budgets, often in the $35,000 to $175,000 range, depending on the complexity, duration, and performance targets of the project.

These projects are awarded using an outcome-based approach and focus on developing and delivering training in sustainable agriculture, conducting research, and working cooperatively with farmers to test new sustainable techniques.

These larger grants normally run two to four years, and the application process involves submitting a preproposal.