Serve on the Administrative Council

Interested in sustainable agriculture and are looking to have an impact on sustainable agriculture practices in your community? The Southern SARE program gives producers and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) the opportunity to serve on the Administrative Council and provide a “voice” for the direction of sustainability across the Southern region.

Southern SARE’s Administrative Council is the governing body for the SARE program in the Southern region. Made up of 28 members, the Administrative Council, or simply AC, guides the vision of the SARE program, setting goals related to sustainable agriculture, overseeing the review of grant Calls for Proposals, evaluating projects, and being ambassadors for the program.

While most of our AC members are appointed by our partner agencies, other members are selected by the AC through an open nomination process. Southern SARE invites producers and non-governmental organizations to serve on the AC through this process. We accept rolling self-nominations or nominations of others, and review those nominations when there is a vacant seat. Seven producers and three non-governmental organizations serve on the AC for a three-year term (renewable for one additional term).

We may not always have a vacant seat available every year, but we will keep your application on file and review it when vacant seats do become available.

Producer Members

Producer members are directly involved in setting the goals of the Southern SARE program. Producer nominations from all 13 states in the Southern region, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands will be considered.

All AC members are members of standing committees, which may meet or communicate through conference calls to decide policy issues related to SSARE. The Administrative Council depends on outstanding nominees that you and your colleagues from across the region may put forward. We strongly encourage you to invest the effort required to advance good nominees.

Duties of the AC include attending AC meetings twice a year in February and August. Each meeting is expected to last two days. Duties also include a significant commitment of time twice a year for reviewing grant proposals during the month or two prior to the AC meetings. More information on the duties of an Administrative Council member can be found in our Administrative Council Handbook.

Criteria for Administrative Council appointment include the following:

Run your own farm, regardless of size; alone or with family or partners.
Proven experience in sustainable agriculture;
Demonstrated ability and willingness to help address sustainable agriculture needs and methods; and
Ability to work effectively as a member of a team dealing with contemporary issues facing agriculture.

Council membership will be balanced with respect to geographic location, gender, race and farm type.

If you are interested in applying or nominating someone for a position on the SSARE AC, please contact Candace Pollock-Moore at cpollock@uga.edu with your/their name, email address, and the AC position applied for.

Non-governmental Organization Members

NGO members are directly involved in setting the goals of the Southern Region SARE program. Nominations from all 13 states in the southern region, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands will be considered.

Administrative Council members serve a three-year term. Duties of the AC include attending AC meetings twice a year in February and August. Each meeting is expected to last two days. Duties also include a significant commitment of time twice a year for reviewing grant proposals during the month or two prior to the AC meetings. More information on the duties of an Administrative Council member can be found in our Administrative Council Handbook.

Criteria for Administrative Council appointment include the following:

Employed by, or serve on the governing board of, an NGO;
Proven experience in sustainable agriculture;
Demonstrated ability and willingness to help address sustainable agriculture needs and methods; and
Ability to work effectively as a member of a team dealing with contemporary issues facing agriculture.

Southern SARE pays travel, lodging, meal expenses, and meeting time for Producer and NGO AC members as they discharge their duties. Producer and NGO representatives on the AC are compensated for the following:

• For Winter and Summer AC meetings: $300 per day per meeting (including travel days) plus expenses;
• For General AC support: $300 twice a year, paid in conjunction with AC meeting reimbursement;
• Grant Committee support: $300 per year for each grant committee served;
• Zoom meetings (including Executive Committee calls): $100 for calls lasting up to 2 hours; $200 for calls over 2 hours and under 4 hours.

Council membership will be balanced with respect to geographic location, gender and race.

Published by the Southern Region of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. Funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Southern SARE operates under cooperative agreements with the University of Georgia, Fort Valley State University, and the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture to offer competitive grants to advance sustainable agriculture in America's Southern region. This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, through Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education. USDA is an equal opportunity employer and service provider. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.