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The 2008 Farmer Rancher Call for Proposals is now available.
Want to learn more about completing a Farmer Rancher NCR-SARE grant proposal? Click here to watch a video, "The Basics of a Solid SARE Grant Application" presented by Jim Peterson, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Educator and Wyatt Fraas, Center of Rural Affairs. You must install RealPlayer in order to view this video. Click here for a free download of RealPlayer. 2007 Farmer Rancher Grant Proposal Evaluation Form The 2007 NCR-SARE Farmer Rancher Grant Proposal Evaluation Form is now available online for grant reviewers.
Farmer Rancher Program General Fact Sheet and Tips Sheet 2007 Farmer Rancher Grant Projects Recommended For Funding State by State Information about All Funded Farmer Rancher Projects In 1992, the North Central Region (NCR) Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program began a competitive grants program exclusively to fund farmers and ranchers striving for agricultural sustainability. The NCR has funded more than 680 farmer rancher grants worth more than $4,300,000 since the inception of this program. Search the national SARE database to review funded Farmer Rancher grants from the North Central and other regions.
Annual Grant-Making Timeline
Supporting Farmer Rancher Ideas Farmers and ranchers know best when it comes to improving their systems. Whether they need to limit off-farm inputs, reduce erosion, create more time for family or community activities, learn marketing skills, or find other ways to enhance their livelihoods, farmers and ranchers can turn to SARE for a financial boost to achieve their goals. "Implementing a project like this requires innovation and the willingness to put some of your land ‘at risk’ for experimentation," said farmer rancher grant recipient Dave Birong, of Minnesota. "A person never knows what can ultimately happen, even though everything is well-planned. The advantage is that a new practice can be developed with SARE helping, thereby reducing the risk for the farmer."In the Flint Hills of Kansas, rancher Pete Ferrell used SARE funds to enhance his fencing and rotation scheduling in a management-intensive grazing system for beef cattle. The grant money allowed Ferrell to search for the most profitable and environmentally sound way to graze his animals.Ferrell said, "This grant allowed me to take a risk I might have not otherwise taken." Farming and ranching are businesses that support a way of life. In order to sustain their way of life, farmers and ranchers need to have financially viable enterprises. NCR-SARE supports farmers and ranchers who are searching for ways to boost their bottom lines while supporting communities and conserving natural resources.In 1995, Ohio farmer Rich Bennett found economic success in a cover crop system with the help of a SARE grant. On his 600-acre diversified farm, Bennett seeded hairy vetch into wheat stubble and followed the vetch with corn. He found he can save $2.60 per acre growing hairy vetch to provide nutrients for corn rather than exclusively using purchased nitrogen."With no significant yield difference, the comparison shows an economic advantage with hairy vetch," Bennett said. "And the benefits of reduced soil erosion and improved soil quality from the vetch were not even accounted for. We consider this cover crop system a success."Myron and Marcie Herek of Wisconsin received a SARE grant to help transition their dairy farm to a management-intensive grazing system. They eliminated former practices of raising crops, harvesting grain, feeding cows and disposing of manure and replaced that with a grazing system in which they seed pastures and let cows graze for their own feed, relying less on off-farm inputs. Their enterprise also provides enjoyable work and saves dollars."Grazing is definitely a less labor-intensive and capital-intensive way to farm," Marcie said. As creative marketing becomes more of a key component of financial success, NCR-SARE assists farmers and ranchers who are examining alternative ways of selling their products. In 1995, the NCR Administrative Council created a special call for more research and education on marketing farm products.With the help of a 1994 producer grant, Indiana grower Brian Churchill not only cut insecticide costs by two-thirds on his sweet corn crop, but he also developed a shrewd marketing plan. After using Integrated Pest Management strategies, he invited chefs from top restaurants to tour his operation."We showed restaurants we can produce volumes they need in as good or better quality as they can get anywhere," said Churchill, who grows a variety of horticultural crops on his direct marketing farm.In 1996, he doubled his restaurant sales, selling $20,000 worth of produce, partly because two chefs now advertise his business on their menus. Churchill’s other marketing strategies include a customer newsletter, farm tours for school groups and talks at regional conferences.Wisconsin farmer Richard Wittgreve wanted to downsize his traditional crop and livestock farm to reduce risk and investment and to have more control over marketing. He turned to sweet sorghum and SARE to help find appropriate plant varieties and cultural practices in an on-farm processing venture.To focus on marketing his sweet sorghum syrup directly to consumers, Wittgreve cut his operation to 12 acres of sorghum and other alternative crops."I try to make most of my profits on direct syrup sales and tourism," he said, preferring marketing challenges to "worrying about the [commodity] prices when I can’t do anything about that." Project coordinators in the past have explored sustainable agriculture under the following topics: composting, waste management, crop production, equipment testing, livestock production, marketing, water quality, natural resource conservation, networking/education, organic farming/gardening, pest management, and weed control. Many farmers and ranchers are not only eager to share results of their projects with other farmers, ranchers, and agricultural groups, but they also want to gain knowledge by attending farm tours and conferences. NCR-SARE project coordinators can use some grant funds to hold field days, publicize results and travel to meetings."The grant provided money to utilize field days to show other people what we are doing," said Illinois farmer Larry Kennel. "This is a very expensive part of the project, and we could not have spent our own money to do this. Because of this grant many more people are talking about, and some trying, sustainable agriculture ideas of their own."Kennel received SARE funds in 1994 and 1995 to experiment with strip cropping on his organic farm of alfalfa, corn, soybeans and wheat. SARE helped sponsor a farmer meeting where Kennel shared his results. Various newspapers and magazines featured stories on his project.In 1994, Iowa farmer Tom Frantzen received a SARE grant to collect data on raising pastured hogs and present his results to a variety of groups. Frantzen traveled to nine states to talk about his project to groups such as the Michigan Agricultural Stewardship Association, the Practical Farmers of Iowa and several Cooperative Extension gatherings. A unique aspect of NCR-SARE is our personal contact with farmers and ranchers involved in the program. Joan Benjamin is our new Farmer Rancher Grant Program Coordinator. She will attend to our farmers and ranchers by visiting project farms, communicating with farmers and ranchers about reports and applications, representing interests of farmers and ranchers at NCR-SARE Administrative Council meetings and disseminating sustainable agriculture information. Feel free to contact Joan at 402-472-0809 or to email her at jbenjamin2@unl.edu. The first step in exploring sustainable agriculture
on-farm is to identify a research or education goal. Then contact local agricultural groups,
extension educators, NRCS personnel or others, share ideas and invite participation. After developing an idea, contact
the NCR-SARE office to receive the farmer
rancher grant application, farmer rancher or research reports,
lists of funded projects, or other sustainable agriculture information.
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2008 Farmer Rancher CFP (Word document)