In the News - October 2008
Farmers and Ranchers: Apply for SARE Producer Grants by November 17
PINE BLUFF, Ark. - Farmers interested in additional dollars should become
acquainted with Sustainable Agriculture, Research and Education (SARE) Producer
Grants, says Dr. Henry English, director of the Small Farm Program at the
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
Producer Grants are one of SARE's competitive programs which provides grants
ranging from $500 to $15,000 directly to producers or producer organizations for
research or marketing projects related to sustainable agriculture. Projects may
be funded for up to two years for a project maximum of $10,000 per individual or
$15,000 per organization. The application deadline for 2009 projects is Monday,
November 17.
Southern producers, including Arkansas farmers and ranchers, engage in
projects similar to those funded by SARE, but the amount of SARE funding in the
South is nowhere near that in other parts of the nation, says Dr. English. Less
than 15 percent of SARE producer grant projects are in the South. Dr. English
believes this is because many Arkansas farmers and ranchers are not aware of
SARE Producer Grants and, therefore, are not taking advantage of this source of
funding.
Dr. English urges farmers and ranchers to become familiar with the
application process and focus areas as projects should fall into focus areas
selected by the Producer Grant Review Committee as areas needing investigation.
Nine focus areas have been selected for 2009 funding. Some examples are as
follows:
- Beneficial Insect Habitat - develop cover crop and other
plant mixes and locations that provide habitat to keep
populations of native beneficial insects living on the farm
ready to attack crop pests as they occur.
- Alternative Crops/Animals - develop alternative crops,
animals or products that help a producer's operation become more
economically sustainable. They must be as environmentally
sustainable as the existing crops, animals and products they
supplement or replace.
- Sustainable Marketing Projects - develop markets for
existing or alternative crops, animals or products.
- Sustainable Grazing Systems - use native grass species and
or plant/animal management systems to make grazing systems more
sustainable.
- Agroforestry/Water Quality - use trees in farm systems to
promote sustainability including water quality and quantity.
Silvopastoral systems are of particular interest.
A complete listing of focus areas, along with instructions, guidelines and
criteria are in the Producer Grant Program 2009 Call for Proposals document on
the web
http://www.southernsare.uga.edu/currentcalls/producer.doc.
Funded projects must include project cooperators who can be other farmers,
researchers, Extension agents, governmental or nongovernmental organizations or
others who will cooperate in planning, data collection and outreach. And, all
projects must include an outreach component which can be a workshop, field day,
fact sheets or other printed materials, says Dr. English.
Producers must submit a proposal describing their project and how it will
help other producers understand and adopt sustainable agriculture practices.
Proposals must be submitted online at
http://www.ciids.org/sare/pg.
Farmers without Internet access or those seeking more information can contact
their area Extension associate, a county Extension agent or a Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS) representative. Or, they can go to their library and
print a copy of the 2009 Call for Proposals.
October 3, 2008
By: Carol Sanders
Writer/editor
UAPB School of Agriculture
Fisheries and Human Sciences
(870) 575-7238
sanders_c@uapb.edu
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