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 Open Grant Programs:

- Farmer Rancher Grant Program - a competitive grants program for farmers and ranchers. Proposals must be received by 4 p.m. Central, Dec. 7, 2023. NCR-SARE will host a Zoom meeting about this grant program on Oct. 4 at 4 p.m. Central.

Program feature: Read about a maple sugarmaker with the Nagaajiwanaang band of the Anishinaabe Ojibwe people near Cloquet, Minn. With SARE support, he improved his sugarmaking enterprise, helping his business and community.

- Research and Education Grant Program - a competitive grant program for researchers and educators. Preproposals for this program must be received by 4 p.m. Central on Oct. 5, 2023. NCR-SARE will host a Zoom meeting about this grant program on Sept. 6 at 10 a.m. Central.

Program feature: Read about how farmers and researchers in Iowa have been planting prairie strips in crop fields to help reduce surface runoff and attract pollinators.

- Youth Educator Grant Program - a competitive grant program for youth educators to encourage youth to try sustainable practices. Proposals must be received by 4 p.m. Central, Nov. 9, 2023. NCR-SARE will host a Zoom meeting on Oct. 5 at 4 p.m. Central.

Program feature: Read about Growing Solutions Farm in Chicago, Illinois, and their sustainable growing program that engages with young, diverse West Side learners.

- 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 4 p.m. Central, Oct. 19, 2023. NCR-SARE will host a Zoom meeting about this grant program on Sept. 6 at 10 a.m. Central.

Program feature: Read about how Central State University is working with Ohio beekeepers to improve honeybee stocks’ queen quality.

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  groups exploring sustainable agriculture in 12 states.