Guidelines

Proposal review

Farmer Grant projects must have certain elements to be competitive. Reviewers need to see:

A direct link to agricultural sustainability

The conservation, prevention, and enhancement of the goals of sustainable agriculture should be clearly articulated. Innovative content and approach. Proposals should not merely verify that an existing practice really works--the purpose of SARE is to advance and explore new aspects of sustainability.

Involvement from the technical advisor

Technical advisors are typically Natural Resources Conservation Service staff, Cooperative Extension staff, certified crop advisors, or other agricultural service providers with expertise they can bring to the project. Your advisor should review your proposal for feasibility and good design.

Clear objectives

It's important to convey what you want to do, why, and how this will be of general benefit to other farmers in the Northeast.

Appropriate methods

Spend time working on the experimental design and deciding how you will collect and evaluate your data. If you have never done on-farm research before, you should consult with a technical advisor who has the expertise to help you design a valid trial.

Effective outreach

The most common outreach mechanisms are field days, demonstrations, workshops, and publications, and must target an audience that will benefit from your experience. Seek a wide audience and consult with your technical advisor or extension agent about the best approaches.

Likelihood of success

Experience is an important element in successful projects. SARE is not an appropriate source of funds for beginning or apprentice farmers, or for rural landowners starting a farm business.

Familiarity with related work

It's important to show that you've investigated the problem and can describe how your work will build upon previous efforts.