Farmers Eligible for Research Funds
Contact: Rick Kersbergen, University of Maine Cooperative extension, 1-800-287-1426, richardk@umext.maine.edu
ORONO– Farmers with an idea for a new sustainable agriculture technique are eligible to apply for research funding from the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (Northeast SARE). “This grant program has been available to producers for several years, and Maine has been very successful in receiving funding,” says University of Maine Cooperative Extension Educator Rick Kersbergen.
The goal of the program is to develop, refine and demonstrate new sustainable techniques and to explore innovative ideas developed by farmers across the region. Information gained from these farm-based projects may be used to redirect future research priorities.
To apply, farmers must be in the Northeast SARE region that ranges from Maine to Maryland. They need not be farming full time, but the operation should have an established crop or animal product that is sold on a regular basis.
Nonprofit farms may apply, but the primary activity of the farm must be to produce and sell food under the kinds of economic constraints that affect commercial growers. Many community-supported farms qualify, but farms where the primary mission is educational normally do not.
The Northeast SARE Farmer/Grower grant program supports producers who want to try an experiment, trial or demonstration project on their farm such as a new technique for adding value, a new crop, a pest-management strategy or a method of direct sales. The goal of the program is to help farmers explore sustainable and innovative production and marketing practices that are profitable, environmentally sound and beneficial to the community. Successful proposals define a problem and offer innovative solutions. Proposals can address a broad range of agricultural production or marketing issues.
Before writing anything, farmers should talk with a technical advisor. All projects must have a technical advisor such as a county Extension educator, Natural Resources Conservation Service staff, a university research or Extension specialist, a private crop management consultant, or other agricultural professional. Although the technical advisor is required, the farmer should be actively in charge of the project.
There are two grant categories: grass roots and farm trial. Grass roots grants are experimental and innovative; the goal is to help farmers test new ideas. These are often ideas that farmers develop about the daily business of managing the farm. They should reflect the concerns and the barriers to sustainability specific to crops or products in the area.
Grass Roots grants have no set restrictions on content. They can experiment with a new crop, develop a machine or tool that does something new, try out a pest control or grazing technique, or explore adding value or a new way of marketing directly to the public.
Farm Trial grants support the adoption of specific practices. The goal is to field-test production techniques that have been previously researched and to gather data about results and effectiveness. This year, grants are being offered in several areas: