SARE & Southern Rural Development Center Sustanable Community Innovation Grant Program

Official Website: http://www.griffin.uga.edu/sare/

Purpose: Any activities that will increase knowledge, build capacity and make connections between farms and rural communities to the benefit of people who live in those communities. This could include, but is not limited to, developing farmers markets, establishing nutrition classes about the benefits of local foods and facilitating local processing of pastured livestock.

Eligible applicants: Any person or organization with an idea that will link sustainable agriculture activities to healthy rural community development.

Elegible uses of funding: Costs of sampling and sample analysis, materials and supplies needed for the project, outreach expenses such as holding a field day, travel needed for the project, hired labor for things that you can’t do yourself, your labor for project activities above and beyond your normal farming duties, refreshments at field days, working lunches.

Ineligible uses of funding: Starting or expanding a farm or farming operation, buying equipment, permanent improvements to a farm or ranch, lunches or other full meals at field days or large gatherings, testing of commercial products.

Funding level: $10,000 maximum for up to two years

Match requirement: None

Timing of grants: Proposals are generally due in the fall

Pros: Targeted to sustainable agriculture, relatively simple application process. Projects should include farmers.

Cons: Low funding. Cannot be to benefit a single business entity. Results must be shared.