SARE 2005/2006 Farmer Grant Deadlines Approaching 
 

Kansas rancher Jane Koger is trying an ambitious new strategy known as “patch burning” to better manage her cattle on 4,000 acres of tallgrass prairie.  And in California, MaryAnn Vasconcellos, a

San Luis Obispo Buy Fresh Buy Local label, developed in cooperation with California Alliance for Family Farmers, is central to the marketing & consumer awareness campaign launched by MaryAnn Vasconcellos and Jeff Rodriguez

small-scale farmer, who was feeling the pressure of growing urbanization and competition from foreign markets, teamed up with the Central Coast Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council to spearhead a “buy-local” campaign.

In both cases, NRCS staff worked closely with these farmers, both of whom received Producer Grants from the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program.

SARE’s competitive grants program is run through its four regions – North Central, Northeast, South, and West – under the direction of councils that include farmers and ranchers along with representatives from universities, government (including NRCS), agribusiness, and nonprofit organizations.

SARE Producer Grants allow producers to apply for grants that typically run between $1,000 and $15,000 to conduct research, marketing, and demonstration projects and share the results with other farmers and ranchers. NRCS conservationists and other field staff often act as technical advisers on these grants.  In many instances, farmers who are participating in NRCS programs seek SARE grants to help offset the cost of trying out new production methods as they implement NRCS cost-share programs.

Ray Meismer wanted ideas and assistance to convert to management-intensive grazing for his cow/calf herd, but in a way that would be sensitive to his steep slopes and protect a vigorous natural spring

For example, when Ray Meismer sought to improve profits and lessen the impact of his 300-acre central Illinois crop and livestock farm on the Illinois River watershed, he sought help from his local NRCS field office. Meismer wanted ideas and assistance to help him convert to management-intensive grazing for his cow/calf herd, but in a way that would be sensitive to his steep slopes and protect a vigorous natural spring. Soil conservation technician Jim McQuilkin of the Henry field office suggested applying for a producer grant from SARE as the first step.

Meismer’s SARE grant application was approved in 2000. With help from McQuilkin and Extension specialist Jay Solomon, Meismer designed a new system providing nutritious forages for his cattle and a unique watering system that uses a “ram” pump to power water to his pasture. The project became a three-way partnership, with Solomon mapping out pastures and a fencing scheme and McQuilkin tackling ways to manage – and protect – a natural spring on Meismer’s hillside that discharges 10 to 15 gallons a minute.

“A lot of farmers would love to have that spring,” McQuilkin said, “but the cattle coming to drink were trampling it.” He helped Meismer build a containment dam, install a tank to collect water and filter sediment, and lay pipes to carry water from the ram pump. The water-powered pump was strong enough to force water uphill. Meismer now moves a storage tank on a wagon among three steep sites, then, using gravity, moves water to another tank he rotates among paddocks as he shifts his herd.

Since 1988, SARE has funded more than 3,000 projects, many of which have involved NRCS staff as coordinators, cooperators, or participants.

2005/2006 SARE Farmer/Producer Grant Deadlines:
South:  November 15
North Central:  December 1
Northeast:  December 6
West:  December 12