What is Northeast SARE?

What we do

SARE offers competitive grants to projects that explore and address key issues affecting the sustainability and future economic viability of agriculture. The program is authorized under Subtitle B of Title XVI of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990.

Where we do it

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. There are three other SARE regions--West, South, and North Central.

Grant offerings

Northeast SARE offers two different tiers of grant funding.

Projects with smaller budgets

One tier is for projects with smaller budgets (from $1,000 to $15,000) that normally run a year or two. This currently includes Farmer, Partnership, Sustainable Community, and Graduate Student grants.

Projects with larger budgets

The other tier is for large projects with larger budgets, often in the $35,000 to $250,000 range, depending on the complexity, duration, and performance targets of the project. This currently includes Research and Education, Professional Development, and Agroecosystems grants, although we aren't accepting Agroecosystems proposals right now.

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.

A description of each grant offering, and more information about applying, can be found in Get a Grant.

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.