GRIFFIN, Georgia – The Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SSARE) program has announced the proposals selected for funding for the 2025 Education Grants program.
The SSARE Administrative Council recently selected 13 projects totaling $640,116. The Education Grants program allows applicants to conduct education and outreach activities for the benefit of the greater sustainable ag community, and promote efforts in farmer innovations, community resilience, business success, ag diversification, and best management practices.
The projects awarded for FY2025 include:
EDS25-072 Agroforestry and Earthworks Education for Erosion Control and Increased Resiliency in Rural Mountainous Farms of Puerto Rico, $49,998, Plenitud PR
EDS25-073 Louisiana Food Systems Fellowship; Preparing Community Leaders For Transformative Food Policy Action $50,000, Louisiana Central
EDS25-074 Empowering Communities with Mushroom-Based Solutions, $49,250, Central Texas Mycological Society
EDS25-075 Empowering Rural Georgia: Mental Health Support and Education for Rural Georgia Farmers, $49,976, Mercer University
EDS25-076 Cultivating Resilience - A Holistic Approach to Small-Scale, Sustainable Farm Success, $50,000, Organic Growers School
EDS25-077 Enhancing Educational Opportunities for new American farmers in greater Houston, TX, $50,000, Plant It Forward
EDS25-078 Demonstration of and Education on Small-Scale Biogas Digesters in African-American Communities, $$50,000, HBCU Green Fund
EDS25-079 On-Farm Feed Formulation and Manufacturing Training for Small and Medium-Scale Poultry and Swine Farmers in North Florida, $49,999, Florida A & M University
EDS25-080 Developing Learning Communities of Farmers and Educators to Promote Root and Tuber Crops Cultivation in Response to Food Security and Climate Change, $49,999, University of Puerto Rico
EDS25-081 Sustainable fruit, vegetable, and traditional Indian crop production through multigenerational education of Delaware Indian Tribe members, $50,000, Delaware Tribe of Indians
EDS25-082 Mobile-Friendly Food Safety Education for Short-term Volunteers in Food and Agricultural Nonprofit Organizations, $49,922, University of Florida
EDS25-083 Urban Farmers and Food Systems in Kentucky, $49,062, University of Kentucky
EDS25-084 Empowering Small Fruit Growers with Educational Tools Against Mite and Thrips Pests, $41,910, North Carolina State University
Education Grants are one of six grant opportunities offered by Southern region SARE to support sustainable agriculture research, outreach and education. The Call for Proposals for Education Grants usually opens in May.
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Southern SARE is a USDA-funded program that provides funding opportunities for researchers, farmers, Cooperative Extension, NGOs, government agency personnel, and other ag professionals to conduct research in sustainable agriculture. Authorized in the 1985 Farm Bill, the mission of the SARE program is to promote sustainable agriculture practices throughout American agriculture that are profitable for the farmer, protect the environment, and promote community quality of life over the long term.
For more information on Southern SARE, visit http://www.southern.sare.org.
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.