In Recognition of Farmers and Ranchers
SARE has been around for nearly 40 years, and the impacts that our grant and outreach programs have had on the sustainability of U.S. agriculture are because of one simple thing: Farmers and ranchers are at the center of everything we do.
SARE is a
Emily Cornell, Sol
funding source
for producers.
It’s designed for
producers, and
I think that’s
really important.
Ranch
This concept takes shape in many ways. At the most basic level, SARE provides grants directly to producers, which removes the financial risk of testing new ideas for making their operations more profitable, productive and sustainable. Our many other grant programs that support the work of agricultural service providers, such as Extension professionals, also require producer engagement throughout their project activities. This way, the innovative practices developed through SARE grants are applicable to actual producer needs and real-world conditions.
Farmers and ranchers also serve in important leadership and decision-making positions at SARE’s regional and national levels. They help guide regional priorities, are involved in grant application review processes, and oversee SARE’s investments in all grants and project activities. This means that producers have a say when it comes to directing SARE’s grant funding towards solving the most pressing challenges in agriculture. As rancher Emily Cornell points out in the quote on this page, SARE truly is designed for producers.
We’ve devoted all 12 of the stories you’ll find in this edition of Report from the Field to grant projects that were led by producers. While all of our grant programs are important and impactful, we did this in order to celebrate the countless farmers and ranchers who have been involved with SARE since 1988, either as grantees and project collaborators, or in volunteer leadership positions. We invite you to read on!
