For projects linking community revitalization and commercial farming. Offered in partnership with the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development Northeast SARE Sustainable Community Grants

Projects must: Have a SARE budget of $15,000 or less. Address substantive farm issues like finance, marketing, land use, water use, enterprise development, value-added activities, and labor. Explore new approaches to sustainable commercial agriculture. Support improved farm profits, a better quality of life, a cleaner environment, or improved farm stewardship.

Northeast SARE Sustainable Community Grants Excluded: Food donation or food subsidy programs. Public, student, or general awareness about agriculture. Community gardening projects. Projects with no clear benefit to commercial farmers. Number of awards: Ten to 20 each year, or about $150,000 total. Awards are competitive, with roughly a quarter of all proposals funded.

Types of projects funded Labor recruitment, retention, and regulations Alternative financing and enterprise development New marketing and labeling initiatives Land use, zoning, and resource conservation Processing and adding value to farm products Marketing initiatives, research, and development Licensing, food safety, and quality control

Who can apply? Representatives from Cooperative Extension, the nonprofit sector, schools and universities, and from select, planning, or other governmental boards. Applicants affiliated with state departments of agriculture, the Farm Bureau, community development corporations, or comparable agencies with experience in sustainable development. Proposals must come from a individual within an organization who will lead the project and accept responsibility for its completion.

Funds can be used for: Personnel costs Project-specific materials and services Project-specific travel, printing, and phone Fees or rates charged by participating farmers, advisors, or collaborators Indirect costs of up to 10 percent for organizations with a negotiated federal rate

Funds cannot be used for: Capital expenses for barns, greenhouses, livestock, or other major farm improvements Costs of starting up a farm or the physical start-up of a new organization Subsidy or incentive payments Computers, cameras, video equipment, copiers, or similar items that have prolonged usefulness beyond the boundaries of the project Apparel, awards, giveaways, or prizes

Review criteria 1. Key issue: Proposal covers a topic of widespread interest 2. Innovation and significance: Interesting, fresh approach 3. Familiarity with related work: Builds on current knowledge 4. Clear objectives, sound methods, and measurable results: Valid outcomes others can use 5. Outreach: Multiple communication mechanisms 6. Capacity: Applicant experience in community development 7. Farmer participation: In planning or implementing the project 8. Sensible budget: Transparent use of public money

Farm ownership and succession planning Farmland conservation Farmers’ market management Farm-to-cafeteria Institutional purchasing Agritourism Farm co-op development Fair trade Processing and adding value Land-use planning Market research and development Alternative financing New farmer education Foodshed development Legal issues Shared and community kitchens Past projects include--

Examples of Sustainable Community projects Adding value to the sustainable farm The Collaboration for the 21st Century Appalachia, West Virginia Nine farmers added value to products with imperfections to make pumpkin syrup, blackberry syrup, vodka sauce, hot sauce, Bloody Mary mix, sweet onion and garlic jam, pickled green beans, and corn meal and polenta mixes. Focus: High product quality, measurable economic returns, marketing, and the re-use of products that might otherwise be plowed under or discarded.

Examples of Sustainable Community projects Mobile poultry processing on Martha’s Vineyard Island Grown Initiative, Massachusetts On-island poultry processing addresses a key production barrier; farmers boost production from about 200 birds a year to 3,000. The project focused on food safety, training, and state certification. Focus: New waste composting techniques, island-based production and marketing for freshness, new relationships with regulatory agencies, and improved protocols specific to mobile poultry processing.

Examples of Sustainable Community projects Farm transfer planning: Tools for revitalizing rural life Land for Good, New Hampshire The loss of farmland in the Northeast presents a serious challenge to regional food production. This project developed planning tools, workshops, and professional networks to make succession planning accessible to farm families. Focus: A new network of attorneys, financial planners, extension staff, mediators, family communications specialists, and land-use planners, along with a topical library of how-tos and interactive worksheets for farmers.

Application tips and time line Calls for proposals released in the summer Proposals submitted on line in the fall Awards announced in March A guide, “How to Write a Sustainable Community Grant,” is on the Northeast SARE website at Read brief descriptions of past awards on the Northeast SARE website

Search full reports by topic SARE maintains a database of project reports from all four regions. Go to Select “project reports,” then “search the database” Select “Sustainable Community Innovations Grant” Enter a keyword or topic area For projects in the region, select “Northeast”

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