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Funding On-Farm Innovation: SARE Farmer/Rancher Grants

By Gordon Merrick, Policy Program Director at OFRF

Versión en español a continuación.

At the Organic Farming Research Foundation, we’ve seen firsthand that some of the most meaningful innovation happens on working farms, not just research plots. When farmers take the lead in experimenting and observing what works on their land, they build confidence, share new knowledge, and drive progress across the organic movement. That’s the spirit behind our Farmer-Led Trials Program—and the reason why we’re excited to release a new toolkit to help producers who utilize organic farming systems to access the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Farmer/Rancher Grant Program.

SARE provides direct funding for producers to test ideas and share solutions with their communities. This toolkit is designed to make that process more accessible than ever for organic and transitioning-to-organic producers.

What Is the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program?

A farmer leans down in a field with a clip board, conducting research.The SARE Farmer/Rancher Grant Program is a competitive grant program that provides funding to producers who have designed their own research projects and teams. This program aims to award funding to projects that address real-world, on-farm challenges and include both research and outreach components.

Farmers and ranchers apply as the Principal Investigator and work with Technical Advisors, like Extension agents, university researchers, or nonprofit organizations. Together, they run projects lasting one to three years, testing new practices while sharing their findings with others.

The 2026 Call for Proposals was recently released and offers a funding limit of $15,000-35,000 for projects, depending on your region! 

For farms in the SARE Western Region

(Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming)

  • Up to $35,000 of funding available for 1-3 year projects. 
  • The submission deadline is Noon (12 pm Mountain Time) on November 20, 2025, and projects must start between May and October of 2026. Learn more and apply here.

For farms in the SARE North Central Region

(North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio)

  • Up to $15,000 of funding for individuals, and up to $30,000 for teams, available for 23 month projects. 
  • The submission deadline is 4 pm Central Time on December 4, 2025. Learn more and apply here.

For farms in the SARE Southern Region

(Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands)

  • Up to $20,000 of funding for individuals, and up to $25,000 for teams, available for 2 year projects. 
  • The submission deadline is Noon (12 pm Eastern Time) on December 5, 2025. Learn more and apply here.

Why Does SARE Matter for Organic and Transitioning-To-Organic Producers?

Organic producers have long been at the forefront of innovation, whether experimenting with cover cropping strategies, biological pest and disease controls, diversified rotations, or the interaction of all of these different practices.

Research shows that farmers benefit greatly when they lead on-farm research trials at their farms. Conducting your own research allows you to address your farm-specific questions and has historically supported the adoption and innovation of sustainable agricultural practices worldwide.

Programs like SARE’s Farmer/Rancher Grant Program give farmers the opportunity to test what works under real conditions on their farms and ensure that knowledge benefits others in their communities.

The outreach component required by the program guarantees that the benefits extend beyond a single farm. For operations transitioning to organic certification, this grant offers a valuable chance to research how best to manage that transition, making it easier for others to follow suit.

How To Get Started With a SARE Proposal

Our new toolkit walks you through the process, from project idea to submission, offering resources and general guidance tailored to organic operations. There are five primary steps:

  • Define Your Project Idea. Think about a real challenge on your farm. Use the SARE project database to make sure you’re not repeating a funded study, and ask how the project will improve sustainability for more than just your farm.
  • Build Your Team. In the Western region, a Technical Advisor is required, ideally this is a preexisting relationship with an Extension agent, university researcher, or a non-profit organization. In the North Central and Southern regions, you can apply as an individual farm, or as part of a group of multiple farms.
  • Design the Research and Outreach. Outline your methods, timeline, budget, and outreach plan. Use our free guidebook, Farmers Guide to Conducting On-Farm Research, to support you at every step of this process.
  • Submit Your Application Before Your Region’s Deadline. The best way to avoid any technical difficulties is to submit your application earlier than the deadline, and to make sure you have an active account on their platform!
  • Conduct Your Research and Share What You Learn. If awarded, you’ll conduct the research you’ve outlined and then report results, host outreach activities, and help build the region’s body of applied research and connected producers.

SARE In Action

Across the country, past SARE-funded projects have examined a wide range of topics. In the western region, a few funded projects look at organic pest control in pastured pork production and varroa mite management for beekeepers in Hawaii. These are tangible, farmer-driven projects that answer real questions and create resilient resources others can use—exactly the kind of work this grant aims to support.

Farmer-led research isn’t just a nice idea; it is essential for advancing organic production systems that are resilient, profitable, and rooted in ecological stewardship. With this toolkit and the updated SARE Farmer/Rancher Grant Program, we hope you’ll see a clear path to turning your ideas into action.

When good ideas aren’t kept bottled up, but are spread and shared abundantly within communities, that’s when real change happens.

All of this information is summarized in a printable, downloadable PDF.

visual of the first page of a SARE flyer made by OFRF
visual of the second page of a SARE flyer made by OFRF

Fondos para proyectos de innovación en la granja: becas de SARE para agricultores / ganaderos

En la Fundación de Investigación de Agricultura Orgánica (Organic Farming Research Foundation), hemos visto de primera mano que algunas de las innovaciones más significativas ocurren en granjas en funcionamiento, no solo en parcelas de investigación. Cuando los agricultores toman la iniciativa de experimentar y observar lo que funciona en sus tierras, generan confianza, comparten nuevos conocimientos e impulsan el progreso en todo el movimiento orgánico. Ese es el espíritu detrás de nuestro Programa de Ensayos Dirigidos por Agricultores, y la razón por la que estamos entusiasmados de lanzar un nuevo conjunto de herramientas para ayudar a los productores que utilizan sistemas de agricultura orgánica a acceder al Programa de becas para agricultores/ganaderos de Investigación y Educación en Agricultura Sostenible (SARE).

SARE proporciona fondos directos para que los productores prueben ideas y compartan soluciones con sus comunidades. Este kit de herramientas está diseñado para hacer que ese proceso sea más accesible que nunca para los productores orgánicos y en transición a orgánicos.

¿Qué es el Programa de Investigación y Educación sobre Agricultura Sostenible?

A farmer leans down in a field with a clip board, conducting research.El Programa de Becas para Agricultores/Ganaderos de SARE es un programa de becas competitivo que proporciona fondos a los productores que han diseñado sus propios proyectos y equipos de investigación. Este programa tiene como objetivo otorgar fondos a proyectos que abordan desafíos del mundo real en la granja e incluyen componentes de investigación y divulgación.

Los agricultores y ganaderos se postulan como Investigador Principal y trabajan con Asesores Técnicos, como agentes de extensión, investigadores universitarios u organizaciones sin fines de lucro. Juntos, ejecutan proyectos que duran de uno a tres años, probando nuevas prácticas mientras comparten sus hallazgos con otros.

¡La Convocatoria de Propuestas 2026 se publicó recientemente y ofrece un límite de financiamiento de $15,000-35,000 por proyecto, dependiendo de la región!

Para granjas en la región occidental de SARE

(Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawái, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Nuevo México, Oregón, Utah, Washington y Wyoming)

  • Hasta $35,000 de financiación para proyectos de 1 a 3 años.
  • La fecha límite de presentación es el mediodía (12 pm hora de la montaña) del 20 de noviembre de 2025, y los proyectos deben comenzar entre mayo y octubre de 2026. Obtenga más información y presente su solicitud aquí.

Para granjas en la región central norte de SARE

(Dakota del Norte, Dakota del Sur, Nebraska, Kansas, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio)

Para granjas en la región sur de SARE

(Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, Carolina del Sur, Carolina del Norte, Virginia, Puerto Rico y las Islas Vírgenes de EE. UU.)

¿Por qué es importante SARE para productores orgánicos y en transición a orgánicos?

Los productores orgánicos han estado durante mucho tiempo a la vanguardia de la innovación, ya sea experimentando con estrategias de cultivos de cobertura, controles biológicos de plagas y enfermedades, rotaciones diversificadas o la interacción de todas estas prácticas diferentes.

La investigación muestra que los agricultores se benefician enormemente cuando lideran ensayos de investigación en sus granjas. Realizando su propia investigación le permite abordar sus preguntas específicas de la granja e históricamente ha apoyado la adopción e innovación de prácticas agrícolas sostenibles en todo el mundo.

Programas como el Programa de Becas para Agricultores/Ganaderos de SARE brindan a los agricultores la oportunidad de probar lo que funciona en condiciones reales en sus granjas y garantizar que el conocimiento beneficie a otros en sus comunidades.

El componente de divulgación requerido por el programa garantiza que los beneficios se extiendan más allá de una sola granja. Para las operaciones que hacen la transición a la certificación orgánica, esta beca ofrece una valiosa oportunidad para investigar la mejor manera de gestionar esa transición, lo que facilita que otros sigan su ejemplo.

Cómo empezar con una propuesta de SARE

Nuestro nuevo kit de herramientas lo guía a través del proceso, desde la idea del proyecto hasta la presentación, ofreciendo recursos y orientación general adaptados a las operaciones orgánicas. Hay cinco pasos principales:

  • Defina su idea de proyecto. Piense en un verdadero desafío en su granja. Utilice la base de datos del proyecto SARE para asegurarse de que no está repitiendo un estudio financiado y pregunte cómo el proyecto mejorará la sostenibilidad para algo más que su granja.
  • Construya su equipo. En la región occidental, se requiere un Asesor Técnico, idealmente se trata de una relación preexistente con un agente de Extensión, investigador universitario o una organización sin fines de lucro.
  • Diseñar la investigación y la divulgación. Describa sus métodos, cronograma, presupuesto y plan de divulgación. Utilice nuestra guía gratuita Guía Para Agricultores: Cómo Realizar Investigación en Su Campo para apoyarle en cada paso de este proceso
  • Envíe su solicitud antes de la fecha límite de su región. La mejor manera de evitar cualquier dificultad técnica es enviar su solicitud antes de la fecha límite y asegurarse de tener una cuenta activa en su plataforma.

Realice su investigación y comparta lo que aprende. Si se le otorga, llevará a cabo la investigación que ha descrito y luego informará los resultados, organizará actividades de divulgación y ayudará a construir el cuerpo de investigación aplicada y productores conectados de la región.

SARE en acción

En todo el país, los proyectos anteriores financiados por SARE han examinado una amplia gama de temas. En la región occidental, algunos proyectos financiados analizan el control orgánico de plagas en la producción de carne de cerdo de pastoreo y el manejo de ácaros varroa para apicultores en Hawái. Estos son proyectos tangibles impulsados por agricultores que responden preguntas reales y crean recursos resilientes que otros pueden usar, exactamente el tipo de trabajo que esta beca pretende apoyar.

Conclusión

La investigación dirigida por agricultores no es solo una buena idea; Es esencial para avanzar en sistemas de producción orgánica que sean resilientes, rentables y arraigados en la administración ecológica. Con este kit de herramientas y el Programa de Becas para Agricultores/Ganaderos de SARE actualizado, esperamos que vea un camino claro para convertir sus ideas en acción.

Cuando las buenas ideas no se mantienen reprimidas, sino que se difunden y comparten abundantemente dentro de las comunidades, es cuando ocurre el cambio real.

Toda esta información se resume en un PDF imprimible y descargable.

first page of a SARE info flyer created by OFRF in Spanish
visual of the second page of a SARE flyer made by OFRF

By |2025-11-11T15:43:28-05:00October 30th, 2025|News, TOPP West|
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Brian Geier (he/him/his)

Brian Geier on his farm

Communications Manager: Programmatic Content & Design

Brian Geier (he/him) has worked within organic agriculture for over 20 years. His interest in farming was sparked when he volunteered with the Landless Peasant Movement in Brazil as a teenager, where he learned to see sustainable and equitable farming as a foundation for broad social change. In college, he studied under Marianne Sarrantonio in the Sustainable Agriculture program at the University of Maine. Following seasonal internships at various crop/livestock farms, he worked under Dr. Michael Bomford on soil-borne disease control in organic vegetable systems at Kentucky State University. He has 8 years of experience as a small farm operator and with commercial, organic, and value-added processing, and was a co-founder of the Organic Association of Kentucky. In recent years, Brian worked with land-based non-profits with a focus on education programs, including White Oak Farm and Education Center and the Vesper Meadow Education Program, both in Oregon. He currently lives on and operates Bundle Sticks Farm in Lanesville, Indiana.

By |2025-09-11T17:40:19-04:00March 30th, 2023|Staff|
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Elizabeth Tobey (she/her/hers)

Communications Manager: Outreach, Engagement, and Partnerships

After a couple of years as a freelance communications contractor working with OFRF, Elizabeth Tobey (she/her) is delighted to join the staff as Communications Manager: Outreach, Engagement, and Partnerships in December 2024.

Elizabeth has been involved in organic agriculture for as long as she can remember, growing up on a small family homestead in Oregon, and later pursuing sustainability, community building, and food systems in her work and studies. Unschooled in her youth, she later earned a degree in Sustainable Community Development from Prescott College, with a focus on Mentoring Future Generations. She has extensive experience as an educator in both indoor and outdoor settings, with preschoolers through adults. She is motivated by a deep desire to connect people to the land on which they live and believes that we all have a responsibility to care for the earth and each other.

She lives in the Ohio River Valley, on the traditional homelands of the Shawnee in what is now known as Southern Indiana. She is a farmer, crafter, and program coordinator at Bundle Sticks Farm, where she and her partner produce high-quality materials for land-connected craft and bring people together to share skills. On the farm and in all life, Elizabeth honors the complexities of power and privilege and is committed to ongoing learning around how to be a better ancestor, ally, and activist. When she’s not at work in front of a computer, or out tending to the land, you’ll likely find her cooking delicious food to share with friends.

By |2025-09-11T17:41:51-04:00March 30th, 2023|Staff|
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Mary Hathaway (she/her/hers)

Research and Education Program Manager

mary[at]ofrf.org

Mary Hathaway is the Research and Education Program Manager at OFRF. Over the past decade she has worked as an activist and farmer in the sustainable and equitable food movement in the Southeast. Her most recent experience includes managing direct marketing farms, administering USDA grant projects, and organizing regional food summits.

Mary specializes in supporting local food systems and is passionate about creating opportunities for organic farmers to be leaders in climate change solutions. Mary has a Master’s Degree in Agroecology that helps her frame the necessary work before us with a collaborative, systems thinking approach. She is a powerful force in the workplace and uses her positive attitude to encourage others to work hard and be engaged participants in their community.

In her free time, Mary likes to play in the ocean, talk at great length about composting, and build Legos creatures with her son.

By |2024-12-18T15:25:56-05:00March 20th, 2023|Staff|
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Mark Schonbeck

Research, Education & Policy

Mark Schonbeck has worked for 31 years as a researcher, consultant, and educator in sustainable and organic agriculture. He has participated in on-farm research into mulching, cover crops, minimum tillage, and nutrient management for organic vegetables. For many years, he has written for the Virginia Association for Biological Farming newsletter and served as their policy liaison to the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. He has also participated in different research projects to analyze, evaluate and improve federally funded organic and sustainable agriculture programs. In addition, Mark offers individual consulting in soil test interpretation, soil quality and nutrient management, crop rotation, cover cropping, and weed management.

By |2025-06-24T16:58:32-04:00March 4th, 2023|Staff|
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Gordon Merrick (he/him/his)

Policy Program Director

gordon[at]ofrf.org

Gordon N. Merrick (he/him) joins the OFRF team with first hand experience working on organic farms, distributing food into the marketplace, cooking food in the service industry, and, most recently, helping draft agriculture, natural resource, and municipal laws for the Vermont General Assembly.  Alongside this hands-on food and legal system experience, prior to attending Vermont Law School, Gordon was a community organizer working on climate justice related issues in New Hampshire. Throughout all of these experiences, Gordon was able to learn what it takes to lead successful teams and that resilient change stems from, and is led by, people-powered movements.

When Gordon isn’t in the (home) office, he’s generally outside enjoying whatever the current New England season has to offer! With the changing nature of winter in northern New England, that generally means a lot more biking and snowshoeing than skiing, much to Gordon’s chagrin. To chase that skiing, Gordon often heads out west or, increasingly, north to the Quebecois mountain range of the Chic Chocs for some backcountry terrain that stays cold.

By |2025-07-28T18:25:53-04:00March 3rd, 2023|Staff|
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Ashley Dulaney (she/her/hers)

headshot of Ashley Dulaney, Communications Director at OFRF.

Communications Director

ashley[at]ofrf.org

Ashley Dulaney brings a decade of strategic marketing expertise to her role as Communications Director at OFRF. She has extensive experience across various sectors, including higher education and for-profit industries, giving her a strong understanding of effective communication strategies. Her passion lies in creating impactful content and campaigns that resonate with diverse audiences. As Communications Director, Ashley is committed to raising awareness of organic farming research, education, and advocacy efforts. She leverages her skills to connect with organic producers, researchers, and partners, amplifying their efforts toward a thriving organic farming future.

Beyond her professional endeavors, Ashley is deeply passionate about environmental sustainability and community engagement. She is an active member of her city’s Climate Task Force, where she contributes her expertise to help achieve New York State Climate Smart Community (CSC) and Clean Energy Community (CEC) goals. Additionally, Ashley serves as a board member of the Lake Champlain chapter of Trout Unlimited, advocating for the conservation and preservation of local ecosystems. Outside of work, Ashley finds joy in gardening, cooking, and believes in the power of food to bring people together. She also enjoys spending time outdoors, especially trail running, hiking, camping, and canoeing through the Adirondack Park.

By |2024-06-18T18:22:55-04:00March 1st, 2023|Staff|
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Leah Lawson (she/her/hers)

Partnerships & Development Director

email: leah[at]ofrf.org

Leah Lawson has been an active and passionate advocate for an equitable food system that uplifts communities and reinvigorates the land for the past decade. She fell in love with agriculture while working on a process evaluation in a small farming community in Maharashtra, India, as part of her Masters’ degree in International Development. The combination of regenerative practices and community-led action left a deep impression on her work. Since then, she has built skills in grant writing, fundraising, board structure, strategic planning, project management, and facilitation, which she uses to further the creation of a strong and inclusive food system.

Leah lives in Chicago, where she has worked for organizations that serve rural and urban farmers, including Angelic Organics Learning Center, one of her favorite places in northern Illinois. She enjoys board service and helping new and young organizations get their footing. She has served on the board of Advocates for Urban Agriculture and North Branch Projects, both community-based orgs. Currently, she sits on the board of Windy City ToolBank, an affiliate of ToolBank USA, where she is helping to establish programming that allows organizations in the region to participate in radical sharing; ensuring everyone has access to tools they need to create, improve, and care for their community.

By |2024-06-18T18:23:11-04:00February 16th, 2023|Staff|
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USDA Announces Organic Transition Initiative Investments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Funding toward Technical and Direct Farmer Assistance, Market Development

(August 22, 2022) – Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the initial details on a historic $300 million investment in the Organic Transition Initiative. As part of its Food System Transformation Framework, the USDA is taking important steps toward supporting both organically-certified farmers and ranchers and producers who wish to transition into organic production. Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) has been working alongside policymakers and industry partners to advocate for this crucial investment that supports producers’ adoption of organic management while building a resilient and equitable food system.

“Organic farming brings environmental and economic benefits to communities across the country, but has historically been under-invested in,” said Brise Tencer, OFRF Executive Director. “This is a meaningful investment in key programs to support organic and transitioning farmers. We have advocated for these goals for many years and it is exciting to see them come to fruition.”

“We are expanding USDA’s support of organic farmers to help them with every step of their transition as they work to become certified and secure markets for their products,” said  Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. The USDA’s announcement proposes four primary Organic Transition Initiative investments:

  • Transition to Organic Partnership Program: Up to $100M in wrap-around technical assistance for organic transition across six regions and includes farmer-to-farmer mentoring. This program will be managed by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS).
  • Organic Pinpointed Market Development Support: Up to $100M in organic supply chain improvements that provides more and better market options for producers seeking support in areas such as organic processing capacity and infrastructure, market access, and insufficient supply of certain organic ingredients. This program will be managed by USDA’s AMS.
  • Organic Management: $75M for Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to develop a new Organic Management conservation practice standard and offer financial and technical assistance to producers who implement the practice.
  • Transitional and Organic Grower Assistance (TOGA): $25M for USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) to support transitioning and certain certified organic producers in reducing cost related to crop insurance coverage.

The USDA’s Organic Transition Initiative programming directly responds to research findings in OFRF’s 2022 National Organic Research Agenda (NORA). Overwhelmingly, organic and transitioning-to-organic producers surveyed found “farmer-to-farmer networks and mentoring are by far the most effective ways to obtain and share information.” Additionally, finding and developing markets for organic products was a leading non-production challenge among organic farmers surveyed in the 2022 NORA report. 

“We are thrilled to see this investment,” said Gordon N. Merrick, OFRF Policy & Programs Manager, but also added, “Importantly though, we must remember that this is Agency action with a limited time table. We are committed to making sure we see meaningful support for organic agriculture be codified in the Farm Bill in 2023, which is just around the corner.” 

With the 2023 Farm Bill season beginning in earnest after the finish of August recess, Members of Congress will start introducing marker bills and staking out positions on important issues. OFRF will be working closely with its partners on Capitol Hill to ensure there are the necessary resources and organic research for producers to transition to or maintain organic farming systems as seamlessly as possible. 

###

About Organic Farming Research Foundation
Organic Farming Research Foundation works to foster the improvement and widespread adoption of organic farming systems. OFRF cultivates organic research, education, and federal policies that bring more farmers and acreage into organic production.
https://www.ofrf.org/

Policy Contact
Gordon Merrick, OFRF Policy & Programs Manager, gordon@ofrf.org

Media Contact
communications@ofrf.org

 

By |2023-12-12T17:07:27-05:00August 22nd, 2022|News, Press Release|
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OFRF Advocates for Climate Solution Investments in the Inflation Reduction Act, Senate Passes Bill

On August 7, 2022, the full Senate passed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which will provide approximately $40 billion over the next ten years for climate change mitigation and resilience efforts through agriculture provisions. Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) and a broad coalition of over 130 groups strongly recommended investment in climate solutions and conservation technical assistance in the bill to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. OFRF further recommends immediate bill passage by the House to ensure agricultural producers can access USDA programs that promote soil health, sequester carbon, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions while building climate resilience.

The $739B bill will allot approximately $369 billion to address climate change; this includes about $20 billion for USDA conservation programs for farmers, ranchers, and landowners. Funding would include the following:

  • $300 million for Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)  to quantify carbon sequestration and emissions on farmland
  • $8.45 billion for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
  • $6.75 billion for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)
  • $3.25 billion for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)
  • $1.4 billion for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP)
  • $1 billion for USDA conservation technical assistance programming

“We are equipping farmers, foresters, and rural communities with the necessary tools to be a part of the solution,” said Sen. Debbie Stabenow, chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, who also acknowledged support from environmental advocates, economists, companies, trade groups, and farm-related organizations such as OFRF.

Read OFRF’s Letter of Support for Passage of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.

By |2022-08-10T16:33:51-04:00August 10th, 2022|News|
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