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Introduction
The USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program was authorized in the 1985 Farm Bill and provided the first explicit funding for research and education for sustainable agriculture. Research/education projects began in 1998 and professional development and farmer/rancher grants were added several years later. A Brief History of the SARE program can be found at this site.
The SARE program has been a very important source of funds for sustainable agriculture research and education. Numerous projects have been awarded to Washington State investigators, many in cooperation with other states. A call for proposals is announced once each year, and proposals are awarded on a competitive basis after extensive review. SARE is run on a regional basis (Northeast, Southeast, North Central, Western), and Western SARE is hosted at Utah State University.
The Western Region SARE includes Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Micronesia, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, N. Mariana Islands, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. Each regional SARE program has its own regional administrative council that is broad and diverse in membership, and includes farmers, ranchers, agribusiness, and representatives of non-profit, private, government, and academic organizations.
The Professional Development Program (PDP) first received funding from the U.S. Congress in 1994. The SARE PDP is designed to help Extension, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and other agricultural professionals increase their ability to respond to the needs of farmers, ranchers, and the public regarding sustainable agriculture concepts and systems. At Washington State University, SARE PDP funds are disseminated through the CSANR.
In past years, the CSANR has provided SARE PDP funding to Extension faculty and staff through mini-grants to host or attend a conference, workshop, or training program related to sustainable agriculture. Currently, funds are used for targeted training of new Extension faculty and staff in sustainable agriculture. View the current Washington State SARE PDP Report to learn about how faculty and staff have benefited from SARE PDP funding.
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Updated
September 26, 2006
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