Apply now for SARE Partnership Grants and SARE Professional Development grants
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EmailTwo grant programs support farm educators and agriculture professionals to address sustainable agriculture issues through collaboration with farmers or train-the-trainer projects.
Are you passionate about advancing sustainable agriculture in your community? Whether you're an educator, researcher, farmer or agricultural professional, SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) offers a variety of grant opportunities to support your work. From collaborative research to professional development and youth education, SARE grants provide funding and resources to help you make a lasting impact. Below, you'll find key details about current funding opportunities, deadlines and support available to help you submit a competitive proposal.
SARE Partnership Grants
Farm educators and agriculture professionals can team up with three or more farmers to apply for SARE Partnership Grants up to $50,000. These grants support on-farm research, demonstration, and education activities related to sustainable agriculture. Proposals should address all three aspects of sustainability, including:
- Farmers’ economic viability
- Natural resources
- Quality of life of farmers and their communities
Each proposal should clearly outline project outcomes, evaluation methods and anticipated impacts. If your project involves climate or bioenergy, be sure to detail both direct and indirect impacts on farmers.
Farmer collaborators must be substantially involved in both the development and implementation of the project. Importantly, they must represent three separate farms—two farmers from the same farm count as one. Farmers should be compensated at a minimum of $25/hour for their time.
To prepare a strong proposal, carefully review the Request for Proposals (Word or PDF), especially:
- Budget requirements (p. 5)
- Selection Criteria (pp. 6–7)
- Proposal section descriptions (pp. 9–13)
- USDA-NIFA priorities (p. 15)
Join the webinar on October 9 at 1 p.m. that will offer insights into applying for the Partnership grant and will allow for Q & A with SARE grant program coordinators. The North Central SARE Grant How-To Video Series is another excellent resource to prepare you for writing a competitive grant proposal.
Deadline: November 20 at 5 p.m. Eastern (4 p.m. Central)
Project Start Date: April 1, 2026
Funding Rate: In 2025, 30% of proposals were funded; the 5-year average is 46%—a strong success rate for this type of grant.
SARE Professional Development Grants
SARE Professional Development Grants support training for agricultural educators, with a focus on using farmers as educators and addressing emerging issues in the farming community. Grants of up to $120,000 for projects lasting up to three years are available.
Eligible applicants include Extension, NRCS, private and non-profit farm educators working in one or more states in the North Central SARE region. Projects that involve farmers in developing and delivering training are strongly encouraged. Farmer compensation should be at least $25/hour and clearly outlined in the budget.
The primary goal is to provide train-the-trainer education that enhances the viability of existing farmers and ranchers. Proposals should emphasize:
- Farm profitability
- Environmental stewardship
- Quality of life
Be sure to address all questions in the Selection Criteria (p. 6 of the RFP).
Review the Request for Proposals (Word or PDF) carefully, paying close attention to:
- Allowed and unallowed expenses (pp. 4–5)
- Selection Criteria (p. 6)
- Proposal section descriptions (pp. 8–12)
- USDA-NIFA priorities (last page)
Register for the webinar on October 8 at 3 p.m. to learn more. The North Central SARE Grant How-To Video Series is another excellent resource to prepare you for writing a competitive grant that is more likely to be funded.
Deadline: November 5 at 5 p.m. Eastern (4 p.m. Central)
Notification: January 2026
Project Start Date: February 1, 2026
Funding Rate: In 2024, 54% of proposals were funded; typical success rates range from 30–40%.
Grant Assistance from Michigan SARE
State SARE coordinator Sarah Zeiler, Tribal SARE coordinator Emily Proctor and MSU Extension Educator Katie Brandt are happy to help you brainstorm and review your SARE proposal.
If you need further assistance for SARE Partnership Grants, you can reach out to Betsy Wieland at eliza003@umn.edu. For additional assistance with the SARE Professional Development Grant, you can reach out to the Michigan SARE staff listed above or to Rob Myers at myersrob@missouri.edu .
SARE: Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
SARE supports sustainable farming innovations through offering resources, grants, mini-grants and travel scholarships through many programs listed below. Farmers, ranchers, educators, farm advocacy organizations, MSU Extension staff, researchers and agriculture professionals will each find programs below to support their important work:
- Professional Development Grants – Up to $120,000 for training agricultural educators, using farmers as educators and addressing emerging issues in the farm community. (Due November 5, 2025)
- Partnership Grants – Up to $50,000 for farm educators and agriculture professionals who partner with three or more farmers to research, demonstrate, educate or collaborate on issues important to sustainable farming. (Due November 20)
- Youth Educator Grants – Up to $6,000 for projects that teach youth about sustainable agriculture and careers in sustainable agriculture. (due date not released)
- Farmer Rancher Grants – Up to $15,000 for one farm or $30,000 for two+ farms to design and lead research, demonstration and education projects in sustainable farm practices. (due date not released)
- Research & Education Grants – $10,000 to $250,000 for on-farm research, farmer education and other projects that explore and promote environmentally sound, profitable and socially responsible food and/or fiber systems. (due date not released)
- Graduate Student Grants – Up to $20,000 for masters’ and PhD students at accredited colleges and universities to address sustainable agriculture issues in the North Central region.
- Michigan SARE Mini-Grant – Up to $1,500 to organize a conference or workshop addressing environmental, social and financial sustainability for Michigan or regional farmers and educators.
- Michigan SARE Travel scholarship – Up to $500 for agriculture professionals and sustainable farmers to attend a conference, workshop or event to gain sustainable agricultural skills or knowledge.
- Michigan SARE Farmer Forum – $6,000 to host and record an event featuring SARE grantees.
- SARE Tribal Mini-Grants for Michigan and Wisconsin – Up to $5,000 for Tribal agencies and Tribal farmers to organize 1) food sovereignty field days, farm tours, workshops or 2) on-farm research trials or demonstration plots with an outreach plan to share the project with the community.
- Tribal SARE Travel Grants – Up to $500 for Michigan and Wisconsin Tribal farm educators, agriculture professional and tribal farmers to travel for professional development.
This video series by SARE can also help you to write better grants for SARE programs and beyond.
SARE has distributed $11.6 million to fund 342 grant projects in Michigan since 1988. The program supports an inclusive mix of farmers and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program or political beliefs.
