News

Professional Development Program Grants Call for Pre-proposals Now Being Accepted

GRIFFIN, Georgia – The Call for Pre-proposals for the Southern SARE Professional Development Program (PDP) Grant is now open. The Professional Development Program is a “train the trainer” program, providing funding to agricultural professionals to train Cooperative Extension agents, USDA field personnel, and other ag professionals and educators in areas of sustainable agriculture production practices. […]

Can Indigenous Agricultural Methods of Puerto Rico Mitigate Climate Change and Feed the Island?

UTUADO, Puerto Rico - Graduate student Joseph Anthony Navarro thinks that sustainable agroecological practices can preserve biodiversity and was awarded a $16,491 SSARE grant to research it. He asks the question, “Can Taino be an alternative to traditional intensive Agriculture?” According to Joseph, a Conuco is an elevated bed of soil, organic matter, and plant/tree residues (mulch) for easy harvesting/weed management. “My […]

Kentucky Farmer Testing Warm-Season Grasses as Forages for Meat Goats

SALVISA, Kentucky – Fatima Jackson is keeping her fingers crossed that native warm-season perennials being planted on her farm will perform better than tall fescue as an alternative forage for meat goats in the summer months. “Come the heat of the summer in July and August, the goats won’t touch the tall fescue,” said Jackson. […]

Southern SARE Releases 2025 Education Grants Call for Proposals

GRIFFIN, Georgia -- The Southern region of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program has released its Call for Proposals for the 2025 Education Grants program. Education Grants are open to academic institutions and organizations, such as nonprofits and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), who are interested in conducting education and outreach activities for the benefit […]

Southern SARE Seeking Nominations to Fill New Equity, Justice, and Food Sovereignty Seat on the Administrative Council

GRIFFIN, Georgia – The Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SSARE) program is adding a new Equity, Justice, and Food Sovereignty seat to its Administrative Council, the governing body for the program in the Southern region. SARE is a USDA-funded program that provides both research grant funding opportunities and educational resources for farmers/ranchers, ag professionals […]

Southern SARE Seeking Nominations to Fill New Military Veteran Member Seat on the Administrative Council

GRIFFIN, Georgia – The Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SSARE) program is adding a new military Veteran member seat to its Administrative Council, the governing body for the program in the Southern region. SARE is a USDA-funded program that provides both research grant funding opportunities and educational resources for farmers/ranchers, ag professionals and other […]

Southern SARE Seeking Nominations to Fill New Urban Ag Seat on the Administrative Council

GRIFFIN, Georgia – The Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SSARE) program is adding a new Urban Ag seat to its Administrative Council, the governing body for the program in the Southern region. SARE is a USDA-funded program that provides both research grant funding opportunities and educational resources for farmers/ranchers, ag professionals and other stakeholders […]

Ag Professionals Receiving Training on Accessible Beekeeping through SARE Grant

Front Royal, VA –  Justin Ruger, a beekeeper and founder of Accessible Beekeeping was granted a $75,589 Southern SARE Professional Development Program Grant to provide the historically underserved community of people with disabilities the knowledge and skills to participate in apiculture to increase their quality of life and independence. He uses YouTube videos and trains organizations at multiple universities and state extensions. Justin lost […]

SARE Supporting Strategies to Curb Food Loss and Reduce Food Waste with Grant Opportunity

GRIFFIN, Georgia -- The USDA recognizes the impacts of food loss and food waste on food security and the environment. USDA, in concert with agency partners, is working toward the goal of reducing food loss and food waste by 50 percent by 2030. In the latest effort in reduction activities, Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education […]

In Revitalizing the Chestnut Industry, a North Carolina Farmer is Chasing the Perfect Nut

BURNSVILLE, North Carolina – Ron Fritz has a vision to restore the grandeur of the American chestnut tree in Western North Carolina. The retired food scientist turned farmer sets his gaze on the forested hillsides of the Blue Ridge Mountains outside his small chestnut orchard and recounts the stories told of American chestnut trees that […]

The Role of Black Farmer Organizers in Promoting Healthy and Sustainable Local Community Food Access

BLACKSBURG, Virginia –  Seeking answers to the critical question of how contemporary Black farmer organizers and their networks actively create sustainable food systems pathways, Nicole I. Nunoo,  at Virginia Tech, used a Southern SARE graduate student grant to employ a community-based case study of Black farmers who are at the forefront of sustainable agricultural development in […]

Using Automation for a More Sustainable Method of Weed Management

MURFREESBORO, Tennessee – In the not too distant future of sustainable weed management, a farmer rolls a robot out to a crop field, and using a combination of virtual reality, precision agriculture, and artificial intelligence, zaps weeds with a laser -- leaving the cash crop to grow unimpeded in an environment free of weeds and […]

Saving Seeds for Resilient Local Systems

An inclusive online video series, funded by Southern SARE, helps promote seed-saving among Southeastern farmers and encourages a deeper exploration into seeds, heritage and ethics.

Southern SARE Releases 2025 Research and Education Grants Call for Pre-proposals

GRIFFIN, Georgia -- The Southern region of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program has released its Call for Pre-proposals for the 2025 Research & Education Grants program. Research pre-proposals focus on sustainable agriculture based on a systems approach to research, which aims to understand how the components of a system interact with each […]

Getting the Most Sap from Each Tap in Black Walnut Syrup Production

MCDOWELL, Virginia – Long before the Civil War, land on the mountainous slopes of the Allegheny Mountains in western Virginia had been cleared for logging and cattle grazing. Today, agriculture is still prominent, but in the form of syrup tapped from hardwoods – maple, hickory, elm, black walnut – that have retaken the landscape. Syrup […]

2024 SSARE Graduate Student Grant Call for Proposals Now Open

GRIFFIN, Georgia – The Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SSARE) program has released the 2024 Call for Proposals for Graduate Student Grants. Southern SARE Graduate Student Grants are open to Master’s and PhD students, enrolled at accredited institutions across the Southern region, who are interested in exploring areas of sustainable agriculture through quantitative and […]

Using Native Plants as a Cover Crop for Soil and Vegetable Production Benefits

SANDSTON, Virginia – Patches of partridge pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata) dot Patrick Johnson’s permaculture farm, still holding on to their yellow summer flowers while setting pods to drop seed in the coming colder temperatures. Johnson is excited to see the native plant growing wild on his Airport Food Forest Farm; he believes the legume will make […]

SARE Seeking National Program Manager in Support of Food Loss and Food Waste Initiative in 2024

GRIFFIN, Georgia -- In 2024, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program will initiate a $10 million national food loss and food waste grants program to support projects that align with USDA activities aimed at reducing food loss and reducing food waste, getting surplus wholesome food to individuals, and developing linkages between food producers, […]