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.
The North Central Region - Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NCR-SARE) program currently has four open grant programs to fund research and education projects that advance sustainable agricultural practices in the North Central region.
Since 1988, NCR-SARE's competitive grants have advanced agricultural innovation that promotes economic viability, stewardship of the land, air, and water, and quality of life for farmers, ranchers, and their communities.
These grant programs are for farmers, ranchers, scientists, educators, institutions, organizations, and others exploring sustainable agriculture in the 12 states in the North Central region (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin).
Learn more about these open grant programs at https://northcentral.sare.org/grants/.
NCR-SARE’s Current Open Grant Programs
- Research and Education Grant Program- a competitive grant program for researchers and educators. Preproposals for this program must be received December 4, 2025 by 4 p.m. Central.
- Partnership Grant Program- a competitive grant program for cooperative projects between agriculture professionals and small groups of farmers and ranchers. Proposals for this grant program must be received by November 20, 2025 by 4 p.m. Central.
- Professional Development Program - a competitive grant program for training agricultural educators in extension, Natural Resources Conservation Service, private, and not-for-profit sectors. Proposals are due November 5 by 4 p.m. Central.
- Farmer Rancher Grant Program- a competitive grants program for farmers and ranchers. Proposals must be received by December 4, 2025, by 4 p.m. Central.
- NCR-SARE’s Youth Educator Grant Program will open for proposals in mid-January 2026. Sign up to be notified when program details become available.
Application Assistance
- Curious about applying, but not sure where to start? This NCR-SARE Grant How-To Video Series aims to help more people feel equipped to apply for a SARE grant. The series covers a wide variety of topics. Be sure to check it out.
- Each state in SARE's North Central region has one or more Sustainable Agriculture Coordinators who can provide information and assistance to grant applicants. Interested applicants can find their State Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator online at https://northcentral.sare.org/state-programs/state-coordinators/.
About NCR-SARE
Funded by the United States Department of Agriculture's National Institute for Food and Agriculture, NCR-SARE is one of four regional offices that run the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, a nationwide grants and education program to advance sustainable innovation to American agriculture.
Funding considerations are based on how well the applicant presents the problem being addressed, its relevance to sustainable agriculture in the 12-state North Central region, and how well it aligns with NCR-SARE's goals. NCR-SARE's grant program Review Committees review proposals and make recommendations to the Administrative Council.
NCR-SARE has awarded more than $100 million worth of competitive grants to farmers and ranchers, researchers, educators, public and private institutions, nonprofit groups, and others exploring sustainable agriculture in 12 states. Project abstracts and reports can be found by searching the SARE project database.
