Historically Underserved Farming Communities Grant Program

The Northeast SARE 2025 Historically Underserved Farmer/Farming Communities Grant Program supports projects that address systemic barriers historically underserved farming communities face in agriculture. Northeast SARE, as part of USDA's Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, commits to creating equitable funding distribution across Northeast U.S. agricultural communities. This grant specifically prioritizes projects that build farming and food system opportunities for communities that have faced discrimination and systemic obstacles, including Black, Indigenous, Hispanic/Latino, and Asian or Pacific Islander farmers. Projects should be led by, or meaningfully involve, individuals with lived experience from these communities. Eligible applicants include business owners (including farmers), community groups, farm employees, nonprofits, and tribal communities within the Northeast SARE region, which encompasses the Northeastern U.S. and the jurisdictions of Tribal Nations in that area. Applicants with experience in growing food, community development, education, and/or applied research are eligible, and collaborative or coalition-driven projects are encouraged. Project topics may cover diverse areas, such as climate-smart agricultural practices, culturally appropriate best practices, urban and indigenous agriculture, equitable market access, community health support, and policy development. The program offers 15–20 awards ranging from $150,000 to $250,000 per project, depending on complexity and duration, with a total of approximately $3 million available. Projects may span from one year to two years and five months, starting on or after June 1, 2025, and concluding by November 30, 2027. Applicants are encouraged to use Northeast SARE’s technical assistance program, which includes 30 technical assistants available to support applicants with proposal development and project implementation. Additionally, question-and-answer sessions will be held on November 5 and 19 and December 3 and 17, 2024. Accessibility accommodations are available upon request to ensure all eligible applicants have the support needed to apply. Applications are due by 5 p.m. EST on January 7, 2025. Proposals must address several key areas: identifying the specific need or opportunity within the community, a detailed plan of work with objectives and timeline, a description of the served community, barriers to participation, and an assessment of results. Additionally, applicants must provide a project budget, and each collaborator must confirm their participation in the grant system within a week of submission. Leadership experience and community representation are important components, with applications evaluated based on how well the project’s leadership and approach reflect and involve the served community. The evaluation process includes scoring on sections such as the community need (5%), plan of work and community served (40%), organizational decision-making and leadership (25%), and project budget (20%). Successful proposals will align with Northeast SARE’s mission to make sustainable, resilient, and accessible agriculture a reality across the region, reflecting the needs and voices of historically underserved communities. Award announcements are expected by May 1, 2025, with contracts beginning on June 1, 2025.