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Farmer Rancher Grant Program is a competitive grant from the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NCR-SARE) program that funds on-farm research and education projects by farmers and ranchers pursuing sustainable agriculture practices.
Established in 1992, the program supports producers seeking to reduce off-farm inputs, limit erosion, improve marketing, strengthen livelihoods, and develop sustainable farming systems. Projects are led by farmers and ranchers who possess critical on-the-ground knowledge of their operations. Eligible applicants are farmers and ranchers in the North Central region of the United States.
The program is offered on a competitive basis with periodic application windows.
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Farmer Rancher Grant - SARE North Central NC North Central Sustainable Agriculture What is Sustainable Agriculture?
What is North Central Region SARE NCR-SARE Leadership and Policies NCR-SARE Materials and Resources SARE Nationwide: An Overview SARE Outreach Publications Professional Development Program (PDP) Overview 1994 Tribal College Coordinator Resources for SARE State Coordinators Home » NCR-SARE Grants » Apply for a Grant » Farmer Rancher Grant There is no open call at this time. There is no open call at this time.
Watch a recorded webinar about the Farmer Rancher program. Each grant program has its own timeline. Check to see which programs are open at this time.
NCR-SARE's Grant Programs NCR-SARE's Grant How-To Video Series This NCR-SARE Grant How-To Video Series aims to help more people feel equipped to apply for a SARE grant. About the Farmer Rancher Grant Program Farmers and ranchers have critical insight 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 the North Central Region SARE (NCR-SARE) Program for grant opportunities and information.
In 1992, NCR-SARE began a competitive Farmer Rancher Grant Program exclusively to fund farmers and ranchers striving for agricultural sustainability. NCR-SARE’s Farmer Rancher Grant Program is a competitive grants program for farmers and ranchers who want to explore sustainable solutions to problems through on-farm research, demonstration, and education projects.
Details and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Farmer Rancher grants are for ideas initiated by farmers and ranchers and are offered as individual grants ($15,000 maximum) or team grants for two or more farmers/ranchers who are working together ($30,000 maximum). Projects may last up to 23 months. About 40 projects are funded each year.
Grants support producers who are protecting natural resources, enhancing communities, and boosting economic viability. Outreach and networking multiply farmer and rancher project results. NCR-SARE uses an online grant application system for this program.
More information is available in the call for proposals. The NCR-SARE Administrative Council makes grant-making decisions. A sample call for proposals is available throughout the year, but you should always consult the current call for proposals when applying.
Grant applications are reviewed and awarded on an annual timeline. Take a look at grants that have been previously funded at https://projects. sare.
org/search-projects/ . Review the projects funded in the last grant cycle . View a map of Farmer Rancher grants that have been funded in the North Central region.
Check out these Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the Farmer Rancher Grant program for more information. This NCR-SARE Grant How-To Video Series aims to help more people feel equipped to apply for a SARE grant. This eligibility quiz will help you decide if this program is a good fit for your idea.
Farmer Rancher grants have funded various topics, including pest/disease management, crop, and livestock production, food sovereignty, education/outreach, networking, quality of life issues, marketing, soil quality, energy, and more. NCR-SARE’s regional Administrative Council makes funding decisions after receiving feedback from a review committee.
The Administrative Council is a collection of farmers, ranchers, university representatives, nonprofit representatives, Extension and NRCS people, other government employees, and agribusiness representatives. This group sets grant program priorities and recommends projects for funding. Before writing a grant proposal, determine a clear project goal and explore previous research.
It often helps to contact NCR-SARE, local agriculture groups, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and/or Extension educators to share ideas and invite participation. NCR-SARE can provide grant applications, reports from other projects, lists of funded projects, or other sustainable agriculture information. Current calls will be posted in the "Open Grant Programs" box on the upper right side of this page.
Contact the NCR-SARE office to learn more about the NCR-SARE Farmer Rancher Grant Program proposal process and timeline. This grant program's timeline has changed for the 2025-2026 funding cycle. See the Call for Proposals for details, or contact NCR-SARE at ncrsare@umn.
edu . NCR-SARE prepared this Farmer Rancher Grant Program presentation. This presentation explains the Farmer Rancher grant program and the process for applying for this grant.
Download a presentation about applying for a Farmer Rancher grant. PDF Watch a recorded Farmer Rancher grant writing webinar. A unique aspect of NCR-SARE is our personal contact with grantees involved in the program.
If you have any questions about this program, feel free to contact Liz Brownlee. Farmer Rancher and Youth Educator Grant Program Coordinator Click on the links below to access lists of funded project information. You can also view lists of projects that have been funded in your state .
List of 2024 Professional Development Program Projects Research and Education List of 2024 Research and Education Projects Youth Educator List of 2025 Youth Educator Projects Graduate Student List of 2025 Graduate Student Projects Farmer Rancher List of 2024 Farmer Rancher Projects Partnership List of 2025 Partnership Projects North Central SARE Farmer/Rancher Grants projects funded since 1988 Totals reflect available data.
Complete information may not be available for all grant programs prior to 2016. Take a look at this map to see the Farmer Rancher Grant projects that have been funded in the North Central region. Zoom in and use the project number to learn more about our Farmer Rancher grants.
SARE Projects Application and Reporting 120 BAE, University of Minnesota St. Paul, MN 55108 612-626-3113 US Department of Agriculture This work is supported by the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program under a cooperative agreement with the University of Maryland , project award no. 2024-38640-42986, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture .
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy. North Central SARE is hosted by the University of Minnesota and the North Central SARE PDP program is hosted by the University of Missouri . © 2026 Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Individual farmers/ranchers or teams of producers. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows $15,000 - $30,000. Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
The published deadline was December 4, 2025, which has passed. Check the official notice for any future application windows before investing time in a proposal.
Farmer Rancher Grant Program is funded by Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE). Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
Applications go through the funder's official portal — the Apply Now link on this page goes there directly.
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