2025 Call for Proposals for Local Education & Demonstration

The Local Education and Demonstration grant program is founded on the understanding that adopting sustainable agricultural practice(s) entails change and managing potential financial, environmental, and social risks. Donor Name: Western Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education State: Selected States County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 11/06/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: 3 Years Details: The implementation of demonstration and/or education events can address local issues related to the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices, bolstering confidence in adoption, and reducing risks. Successful proposals are required to integrate findings from previously-funded SARE research projects, translate those results into practical demonstrations of application, and bring those results into the field through demonstration and/or educational activities for agricultural professionals and producers. Funding for the Local Education and Demonstration (LED) grants will help increase the application and adoption of the results and recommendations from previous SARE-funded research by identifying and overcoming the environmental, economic, and social hindrances of adopting sustainable agricultural practices locally. Results from previous SARE-funded research must be the basis of the Local Education and Demonstration project and must be documented in the proposal. Strategies to conduct education and/or demonstration for adopting sustainable agricultural practices include, but are not limited to, local demonstrations, trainings, focus groups, providing technical assistance, developing educational materials, and the application of research results by farmers, ranchers, Extension agents, governmental agencies, or non-governmental agencies. Topics High priority regional topics include but are not limited to: Water for agriculture Ag resiliency and climate change Cover crops and soil health Local food systems Grazing and range issues Integrated crop-livestock operations System and enterprise diversification Invasive species and integrated pest management The human element of agriculture including families and communities Enhancing the profitability of agriculture. Funding Information Applicants may request up to $60,000 total costs for the Local Education and Demonstration grant program. Grant Period Projects may be 1-3 years in length. Project start dates must be no earlier than April 1, 2025 and no later than October 1, 2025 and cannot exceed 36 months. Geographical Focus  The Western region includes: Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Micronesia, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming. Criteria Local Education and Demonstration grants are open to anyone who is in the Western U.S. and works with or is a producer, including personnel at agricultural and community nonprofit organizations, colleges and universities, municipalities, tribal governments, state and federal agencies, and for-profit business entities. The proposal must include a structured plan, describing the nature of the method(s) to educate and/or demonstrate, the anticipated audience scope and project reach, and address the expected successes and challenges of the project. The role of each team member should be well explained in the proposal. Successful proposals for the Local Education and Demonstration grant program should: Bring previously funded SARE research into a demonstration and/or education platform with a specific focus on barriers to the adoption of the results of previous SARE work. Have outreach plans that demonstrate how the project will increase the knowledge, skills, and adoption of sustainable agriculture practices. Demonstrate the environmental, social, and economic relevance of the proposed project. Refer to the Western SARE Teaching and Learning Best Practices Toolkit for comprehensive information regarding the successful implementation of educational programming. For more information, visit Western SARE.