The mission of the funder is focused on advancing sustainable agriculture through funding research, demonstration, and educational projects that encourage cooperation between agriculture professionals and farmers/ranchers.
The Professional Development Grant Program by North Central Region SARE (NCR-SARE) aims to support the professional development of agricultural professionals through state programs and competitive grants. This initiative is particularly focused on training agricultural educators across various sectors, including extension, Natural Resources Conservation Service, private, and not-for-profit sectors, with a strong emphasis on using farmers as educators and tackling emerging issues within the farm community. The grant program prioritizes projects that are multi-state and emphasize cross-agency training, incorporating farmers in the development and delivery of training sessions. Furthermore, the grant supports projects that use participatory and experiential approaches to professional development, involving diverse groups in the planning, implementation, and evaluation phases. The goal is to enhance the sustainability of agriculture and food systems by promoting sustainable agriculture practices through education, leading to behavioral changes among educators and, ultimately, the wider agricultural community.