Southern SARE's mission emphasizes the importance of sustainable agriculture. Through funding and supporting on-farm research, Southern SARE aims to solve agricultural production problems by encouraging practices that are economically viable, environmentally sound, socially responsible, and that improve the quality of life for farmers, communities, and society as a whole.
The SSARE Producer Grants aim to support farmers and ranchers in developing and implementing sustainable agriculture techniques on their farms. This competitive grants program focuses on research, education, and outreach efforts that mitigate financial risks associated with trialing sustainable agricultural solutions. The grant encourages projects that solve real-world problems faced by agriculturists, thereby generating tangible, beneficial information and practices that can be shared and utilized broadly within the farming community. Funded projects can run up to two years, with funding up to $15,000 for individual producers or $20,000 for producer organizations. Areas of focus include Beneficial Insect Habitat, Alternative Crops/Animals, Organic Agriculture, Sustainable Marketing Projects, Sustainable Grazing Systems, Soil Organic Matter Building/Protection/Management, Increasing Sustainability of Existing Farming Practices, Appropriate Technology, and Agroforestry/Water Quality. These projects aim at making farming systems more economically and environmentally sustainable.