NSAC: USDA disburses SARE funds

The Agriculture Department this week disbursed funds for the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition said in a news release today.

NSAC said it is “pleased that, in accordance with statute, SARE Host Institutions have received SARE funds and can now move forward with funding important research and education projects for farmers and ranchers across the country. SARE administrators estimate that with this fiscal year’s funding, roughly 400 farmers and ranchers will receive funding to do on-farm, regionally based, and outcome-oriented competitive research. This number does not account for the thousands of farmers, ranchers, researchers, extension agents, and graduate students that participate in SARE-funded research, education, and outreach programming every year.”

NSAC said, “Hundreds of farmers alongside a bipartisan contingent of members of Congress rallied behind SARE in recent months.”

“The widespread support for SARE, most notably from farmers and ranchers themselves, speaks to the programs’ transformative impact across nearly four decades. In meeting its statutory obligation, USDA has ensured that SARE will continue its critical role in helping farmer-driven research keep pace with the growing challenges of rural economies, soil health, and competitiveness of American producers,” said Mike Lavender, policy director at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.