Grant
Southern SARE Producer Grant
Southern SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education)
What you can get
$20,000 individual farmer/rancher; $25,000 farmer organization • Two-year producer-led on-farm research and outreach projects. Reimbursement-only - no advance payments, so farmers must front project costs. Only one Producer Grant per farmer applicant per grant cycle. Also covers Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. This is the farmer-direct SARE track, distinct from the On-Farm Research, Research & Education, Professional Development, and Graduate Student tracks.
- Readiness
- Prep docs first
- Who can apply
- producer, Individual farmers and ranchers (full time or part time) and farmer organizations in the Southern SARE region whose operation has at least $1,000 of documented annual income as defined by USDA; farm workers also qualify if the production activity meets that $1,000 threshold. Farmer organizations must have majority farmer representation on their governing board. There are no restrictions on farm size or length of time farming, but the grants are designed for farmers already established in their operation and NOT for beginning farmers or ranchers. Only one proposal per farm per grant cycle.
- Coverage
- AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA
- Deadline & timing
- NEAR-TERM: no call is open as of August 2026 - the prior cycle closed Dec 5, 2025 at 12:00 PM Eastern. Southern SARE's published cycle is: September - call for proposals released; November - proposals due; February - grants announced (funded projects start April 1). The next call is therefore expected to open in September 2026, inside the Aug 18 - Oct 17 flag window. Confirm the exact deadline on the program page when the call posts.
- Eligibility
- Eligible applicants: producer, Individual farmers and ranchers (full-time or part-time) and farmer organizations in the Southern SARE region whose operation has at least $1,000 of documented annual income as defined by USDA; farm workers also qualify if the production activity meets that $1,000 threshold. Farmer organizations must have majority farmer representation on their governing board. There are no restrictions on farm size or length of time farming, but the grants are designed for farmers already established in their operation and NOT for beginning farmers or ranchers. Only one proposal per farm per grant cycle..
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Last verified Aug 18, 2026. Always confirm current terms and deadlines on the official site before applying.
Plan your next step
Run a quick soil assessment or ask an agronomist how this program fits your fields.