1,000+ Opportunities
Find the right grant
Search federal, foundation, and corporate grants with AI — or browse by agency, topic, and state.
Southern SARE Farmer/Rancher Grant is a program from the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (USDA) that funds individual farmers, ranchers, and groups of producers in the southern United States to conduct on-farm research and education projects advancing sustainable agriculture practices. Awards of up to $20,000 support producer-led experiments, demonstrations, and outreach that benefit the farming community.
Eligible applicants include individual farmers and ranchers or groups of producers across southern states, including Kentucky. Applications are submitted through the SARE Grant Management System following the annual Call for Proposals; the current deadline is December 5, 2026. Proposals are reviewed by regional administrative council committees.
Get alerted about grants like this
Save a search for “Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (USDA)” or related topics and get emailed when new opportunities appear.
Search similar grants →Extracted from the official opportunity page/RFP to help you evaluate fit faster.
Apply for a SARE Grant - SARE Southern S Southern Sustainable Agriculture 2022-24 SSARE Grant Summaries & Program Impacts Southern SARE Policy Documents Farmer/Rancher Education Sponsorships SARE Professional Development Program Travel Scholarships Sustainable Agriculture Leadership Program SARE Outreach Publications Home » Apply for a SARE Grant Southern SARE funds several different competitive grant programs, and each type of grant benefits a specific target audience.
Each year, Southern SARE invites applicants to submit proposals for the various offered grant opportunities. SARE grants are open to farmers/ranchers, researchers, educators, graduate students, government agencies, community groups, non-profit organizations, NGOs, and agribusinesses. The process for applying for a SARE grant always begins with the release of Calls for Proposals (CFP).
Call for Proposal is the same as Request for Application (RFA) or Request for Proposal (RFP). Each grant type has its own release schedule throughout the year. Once the Call for Proposal is released, potential applicants are strongly encouraged to download and read through the Call before applying for a grant.
All the rules and guidelines required to complete the application process and successfully submit your project can be found in the Call for Proposals. Applications for our grant programs are submitted through an online proposal system called the SARE Grant Management System. You do not submit SARE grants through grants.
gov. SARE’s Grant Management System helps simplify the application process, especially for those who are submitting a grant for the first time, or are not familiar with the process of applying for a government grant. The directions for submitting a grant through the SARE Grant Management System are found within the Call for Proposal.
Once the deadline to submit a grant expires, submitted proposals are reviewed by a suite of regional committees who make up the Administrative Council: Southern SARE's governing body. Those who sit on the committees make up a cross-section of the agricultural community and are considered experts in the fields of the proposal topics that they have been assigned.
Reviewers follow a set of sustainable agriculture criteria to determine whether a proposal is fundable or not fundable. The proposals are scored accordingly and then sent to the Administrative Council for discussion and selection. The Administrative Council entertains grant proposals for funding twice a year: During the Winter Administrative Council meeting and during the Summer Administrative Council meeting.
Once grant proposals are selected for funding, grant applicants are notified of their award status via email. If your proposal was not selected for funding, you are encouraged to review the comments provided by the reviewers to strengthen your proposal in the event you wish to reapply. If your proposal was selected for funding, you will receive details regarding managing your grant and reporting requirements.
Applicants can apply for multiple types of grants in any given year and you may reapply as often as you like. Those who have previously received a SARE grant are invited to consider SARE as a funding source. Southern SARE’s grant programs can be divided into two broad categories.
The “big grant” programs (Research & Education Grants and Professional Development Program Grants) require a two-step application process due to the complicated nature of the project activities. Pre-proposals are evaluated for suitability to SARE’s funding guidelines. Applicants with the highest ranked pre-proposals are invited to submit a more detailed full proposal.
The small grants (Education, Graduate Student, On-Farm Research and Producer) are awarded through a single proposal process. Which Grant is Right for You? Graduate Student Grants are for Masters and PhD students enrolled in a graduate program at accredited institutions in the Southern region.
Calls for Proposals open February each year with proposal submission deadlines in May. Funding decisions are made in August. Deadline: May 8, 2026 12:00 PM (Eastern Time) Research and Education Grants Research and Education Grants encourage a systems approach to sustainable agriculture.
They are mainly designed for teams of interdisciplinary researchers from multiple institutions. Closed: Nov 21, 2025 12:00 PM (Eastern Time) Get notified when it opens Education Grants allow applicants to conduct education and outreach activities for the benefit of the greater sustainable ag community, and promote efforts in farmer innovations, community building, business success, viable ag operations, and best management practices.
Calls for Proposals open May each year with proposal submission deadlines in August. Funding decisions are made February of the following year. Closed: Aug 2, 2024 12:00 PM (Eastern Time) Professional Development Program Grants Professional Development Program Grants further education and outreach strategies for professionals and educators who work directly with farmers and ranchers.
Closed: Nov 14, 2025 12:00 PM (Eastern Time) Get notified when it opens Producer Grants enable farmers and ranchers to test a sustainable agriculture idea using a field trial, on-farm demonstration, marketing initiative, or other technique. Closed: Dec 5, 2025 12:00 PM (Eastern Time) Get notified when it opens On-Farm Research Grants provide research opportunities for agriculture professionals working directly with farmers and ranchers.
Calls for Proposals open September each year with proposal submission deadlines in December. Funding decisions are made February of the following year.
Closed: Nov 22, 2024 12:00 PM (Eastern Time) Get notified when it opens SARE Projects Application and Reporting University of Georgia-Griffin Campus 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. The Southern region SARE program is hosted by University of Georgia , Fort Valley State University and the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture in Oklahoma. © 2026 Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education
Based on current listing details, eligibility includes: Individual farmers and ranchers or groups of producers in Kentucky and other southern states. Applicants should confirm final requirements in the official notice before submission.
Current published award information indicates Up to $20,000 Always verify allowable costs, matching requirements, and funding caps directly in the sponsor documentation.
The current target date is December 5, 2026. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, attachments, and final submission checks.
Federal grant success rates typically range from 10-30%, varying by agency and program. Build a strong proposal with clear objectives, measurable outcomes, and a well-justified budget to improve your chances.
Requirements vary by sponsor, but typically include a project narrative, budget justification, organizational capability statement, and key personnel CVs. Check the official notice for the complete list of required attachments.
Yes — AI tools like Granted can help research funders, draft proposal sections, and check compliance. However, always review and customize AI-generated content to reflect your organization's unique strengths and the specific requirements of the solicitation.
Review timelines vary by funder. Federal agencies typically take 3-6 months from submission to award notification. Foundation grants may be faster, often 1-3 months. Check the program's timeline in the official solicitation for specific dates.
Many federal programs offer multi-year funding or allow competitive renewals. Check the official solicitation for continuation and renewal policies. Non-competing continuation applications are common for multi-year awards.