The North Central Region - Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NCR-SARE) program currently has four open grant programs to fund research and education projects that advance sustainable agricultural practices in the North Central region.
Since 1988, NCR-SARE's competitive grants have advanced agricultural innovation that promotes economic viability, stewardship of the land, air, and water, and quality of life for farmers, ranchers, and their communities.
These grant programs are for farmers, ranchers, scientists, educators, institutions, organizations, and others exploring sustainable agriculture in the 12 states in the North Central region (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin).
Learn more about these open grant programs at https://northcentral.sare.org/grants/.
NCR-SARE’s Current Open Grant Programs
- Research and Education Grant Program - a competitive grant program for researchers and educators. Preproposals for this program must be received December 4, 2025 by 4pm Central.
- Partnership Grant Program - a competitive grant program for cooperative projects between agriculture professionals and small groups of farmers and ranchers. Proposals for this grant program must be received by November 20, 2025 by 4pm Central.
- Professional Development Program - a competitive grant program for training agricultural educators in extension, Natural Resources Conservation Service, private, and not-for-profit sectors. Proposals are due November 5, 2025 by 4pm Central.
- Farmer Rancher Grant Program - a competitive grants program for farmers and ranchers. Proposals must be received by December 4, 2025 by 4pm Central.
- NCR-SARE’s Youth Educator Grant Program will open for proposals in mid-January 2026. Sign up to be notified when program details become available.
Application Assistance
- Curious about applying, but not sure where to start? This NCR-SARE Grant How-To Video Series aims to help more people feel equipped to apply for a SARE grant. The series covers a wide variety of topics. Be sure to check it out.
- Each state in SARE's North Central region has one or more SARE State Coordinators who can provide information and assistance to grant applicants. Interested applicants can find their State Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator online at https://northcentral.sare.org/state-programs/state-coordinators/.
- Not ready to apply this year? Sign up to be notified when program details become available in the future.
