News

Louisiana Farmer Using Drone Technology to Maximize Nitrogen Efficiency in Row Crops

LAKE PROVIDENCE, Louisiana – Corn and cotton crop producer Nolan Parker is taking to the skies to decrease nitrogen runoff from commodity farms along the Mississippi River. The young farmer, who is a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified remote pilot and works routinely with unmanned aerial systems (UAS), combined drone technology with variable rate nitrogen […]

Exploring Warm Season Grasses for Parasite Control and Performance in Sheep

HIDDENITE, North Carolina – A North Carolina livestock producer is exploring the use of native warm season grasses as forage for Katahdin Hair sheep as a way quickly bring the animals to market weight, and for better parasite control. Lee Holcomb of LeeDer Farm, situated in a rural area just north of Charlotte, is establishing […]

Southern SARE Releases 2023 Education Grant 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 2023 Education Grants program. Southern SARE’s Education Grant, falling under the Research & Education Grant Program, is a broader education and outreach effort. Education Grants are open to organizations, institutions, and individuals […]

Adding Livestock Farm Diversification with Yaks

MOREHEAD, Kentucky – On a frigid January morning at Morehead State University, Kentucky farmer Greg Dike keeps his fingers crossed for good news as MSU veterinary technology professor Philip Prater completes the pregnancy tests of four yak heifers from Dike’s farm. Yes, you read that right…yaks. Dike has been championing yaks since 2013 as an […]

Southern SARE Releases 2023 Research & Education Grant 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 2023 Research & Education Grants program. The deadline for submitting pre-proposals is June 3, 2022 at 12 p.m. (noon). Note that this CFP is for the Research portion of the Research and Education Grant Program only. The Education Grant will […]

Southern SARE Graduate Student Grant Call for Proposals Now Open

Graduate Student Grants are one of the few programs providing young researchers the opportunity to study sustainable agriculture techniques.

Farmer Studies the Effects of a Biostimulant on Tomato Vigor and Yields

JOHNS ISLAND, South Carolina – Applying a green microalga, in combination with compost, to tomato plants appears to improve plant vigor and increase crop yields, according to the results of a one-year Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SSARE) Producer Grant. Farm managers Dale Snyder, Jennifer Wicker and George Taylor of Sweetgrass Garden were interested […]

Sunn Hemp Effective for Weed Control in Fall Crops, Producer Grant Research Finds

CHESTER, South Carolina – Farmers with a certified organic diversified vegetable farm in South Carolina are seeing some success with using sunn hemp as a crimped cover crop to suppress weeds in fall brassica crops. Wild Hope Farm, located in Chester, S.C., received a Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SSARE) Producer Grant to explore […]

Southern SARE Producer Grant Calls for Proposals Released

GRIFFIN, Georgia – The Call for Proposals for the 2022 Producer Grant Program, intended for farmers/ranchers and farmer/rancher organizations throughout the Southern region, is now available from the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SSARE) program. Proposal submission deadline is November 12, 2021 at 12 p.m. (NOON) EST. Announcement of funded proposals will take place […]

Southern SARE Funds Research for Graduate Students Across the Southeast

GRIFFIN, Georgia – The Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program (SSARE) has announced the funded projects for the 2021 Graduate Student Grants Program. The SSARE Administrative Council selected 19 projects which received $302,661 in funding. The Graduate Student Grant program is one of the few funding opportunities open to master’s and PhD students researching […]

Alabama Farmer Helping to Diversify State’s Aquaculture Production with Crawfish

BOLIGEE, Alabama – A tall, bright yellow banner with the words “Crawfish” in big, black letters displayed at the entrance of Greene Prairie Aquafarm along rural U.S. Highway 43 in western Alabama may be signaling a shift in the aquaculture industry in the state. Farm owner David Coddington is among a handful of farmers who […]

Intercropping Cowpea with Vegetables Can Increase Yields

GREENSBORO, North Carolina- Intercropping cowpea with vegetable crops can increase yields up to 50% according to a new report from the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program. Cowpea is a nitrogen-fixing legume originally domesticated in Africa. Known for its black-eyed peas that are common in southern cooking, it has a high tolerance for sandy, […]

2022 Professional Development Program Grant Applications 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. […]

Sustainable Agriculture Leadership Program Supports Historically Underserved Farmers and Ranchers

This program seeks to champion the leadership contributions of those who serve historically underserved audiences within the Southern region. Participants receive sponsorship support to conduct education or training activities about sustainable agriculture.

New Research Sheds Light on the Potential of Carbon Farming in Texas

Beginning in 2017, the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program funded a grant project to study these questions and assembled a Texas-based team of university researchers, soil scientists, farmers, ranchers and specialists from the USDA.

Southern SARE Seeking Nominations for Sustainable Agriculture Leadership Program

GRIFFIN, Georgia – The Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program is seeking nominations for its Sustainable Agriculture Leadership Program for summer 2021. The application deadline is June 1, 2021. The Sustainable Agriculture Leadership Program, launched last year, recognizes the community leadership contributions of historically underserved farmers and ranchers and the community groups and NGOs […]

SSARE Offering Free Webinar on Sustainable Agriculture Grant Opportunities for Agriculture Researchers

GRIFFIN, Georgia – The Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SSARE) program will be offering a free webinar this summer discussing its On-Farm Research Grants program. “Building Relationships Between Researchers and Farmers in Sustainable Ag” is designed for ag professionals in the Southern region interested in partnering with farmers/ranchers on sustainable agriculture research. On-Farm Research […]

2021 James Harrison Hill, Sr. Young Scholar Enhancement Grants

A select group of high school and undergraduate college students are helping further sustainable agriculture through a Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education grant program. The James Harrison Hill, Sr. Young Scholar Enhancement Grant Program is an extension of SSARE’s Research & Education Grants program, which allows researchers conducting SSARE-funded projects to partner with high […]

SSARE Offering Free Webinar on Sustainable Ag Grant Opportunities for Farmers

GRIFFIN, Georgia – The Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SSARE) program will be offering a free webinar this summer discussing its Producer Grants program. “Testing Sustainable Ag Ideas on the Farm” is designed for farmers, ranchers and farmer groups in the Southern region interested in sustainable agriculture research to learn more about SSARE’s Producer […]

Southern SARE Awards $1M Grant to Explore Regenerative Agriculture

Griffin, GA- The Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program has announced a $1,000,000 Research and Education Grant, the largest awarded since the program launched in 1988.   The National Center for Appropriate Technology, the project lead, selected a systems research approach to identify practical and regionally-appropriate methods of regenerative grazing that can be implemented […]