For Immediate Release: February 21, 1995
For grant information, contact:
Rhonda Miller, program manager
(801) 797-0351
Prepared by:
Kristen Kelleher, communications specialist
(916) 752-5987
GRANTS FOR FARMERS & RANCHERS AVAILABLE IN THE WEST
The Western Region SARE program releases a call for proposals for
producer-directed sustainable agriculture research and education
LOGAN, UTAH -- Producers and producer groups residing in the
Western U.S. are now eligible to compete for grants of up to $5,000 each to
identify, evaluate and test sustainable agriculture practices and
challenges.
The USDA's Western SARE program recently released a call for
farmer/rancher research grant proposals from agricultural producers in the
thirteen-state region (that also includes the Island Protectorates).
"Kicking-off this program in the West means that farmers and
ranchers across the nation now have direct access to research and education
funds authorized by the U.S. Congress to further the adoption of
sustainable agriculture," says Phil Rasmussen, regional coordinator of the
Western region SARE program.
"In the broader program, producers hold leadership posts,
participate in all competitive grant reviews and cooperate in the majority
of research efforts. Now, farmers and ranchers can further enrich the
effort by posing their "in-the-field" questions directly, testing on-farm
solutions to the challenges they face every day," says Rasmussen.
About $100,000 is available in the region for one-year grants of up
to $5,000. Any commercial producer or producer group is eligible to apply
for a grant, but only one award will be bestowed annually to an individual
producer, farm/ranch enterprise or producer organization.
According to Rasmussen, grant reviewers will be looking for
proposals that clearly define local sustainable agriculture problems or
issues and propose innovative solutions. On-farm tests of suggested
technologies and approaches are strongly encouraged.
Sustainable agriculture is defined as an integrated farm or ranch
system that is environmentally sound, economically viable and has a
positive influence on rural communities and society as a whole.
All research proposals must be led by one or more producers,
include a professional agricultural technical advisor (an extension agent
or university researcher, for example), and provide a plan for sharing
gained information with others in the community.
A subcommittee of the Western region's policy-making Administrative
Council will evaluate and rank all proposal applications. The majority of
the review committee are producers familiar with sustainable agriculture.
All funding will be awarded competitively.
For more information, or to request application materials, write
grants program manager Rhonda Miller, Western Region SARE, ASTE Building,
Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322-2300, or call (801) 797-0351.
Completed proposals are due at the program's host institution
office at Utah State University by 5:00 p.m., May 2, 1995 (or postmarked by
April 28, 1995). No FAXed applications will be accepted.
The federal SARE program is managed by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture's Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service,
and directed regionally by four independent, broad-based councils.
Utah State University is host to the SARE program in the Western
region, which includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii,
Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming and
the Island Protectorates.
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Kristen Kelleher
Public Information and Comms
USDA Western Region SARE/ACE
c/o SAREP
University of California
(916) 752-5987
kkelleher@ucdavis.edu
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