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Funding Opportunity!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For Applications, CONTACT:
North Central Region SARE
402-472-7081
402-472-0280 (fax)
sare001@unlvm.unl.edu
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/ncrsare
For Information, CONTACT:
Lisa Bauer
Communications Specialist
402-472-0265
sare003@unlvm.unl.edu
***************************************************
SARE Program Announces Availability of $1.3 Million
for Sustainable Agriculture Projects, Including a
SPECIAL CALL FOR MARKETING PROPOSALS
***************************************************
Lincoln, NE – The USDA's North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture
Research and Education (SARE) program is requesting applications from
researchers, educators, nonprofit organizations and others for competitive
grants addressing environmental, economic and social agricultural
improvements -- including INNOVATIVE MARKETING STRATEGIES.
The Region has two separate applications available:
-SPECIAL Call for Proposals on Innovative Marketing Strategies
-Annual Call for Preproposals
Approximately $1.3 million will be available for funding projects in FY
1998, with $300,000 of that total earmarked for the special Innovative
Marketing Call.
"The NCR SARE program has always supported efforts that increase activity
and awareness for marketing issues," said Dave Swaim, NCR SARE
Administrative Council chair. "We are now making a targeted regional effort
to encourage community connections necessary for sustainable local food
systems."
Innovative Marketing Priority Areas are: Improving producers marketing
relationships with local and regional consumers and businesses; Addressing
farmer/rancher barriers to developing and managing these relationships;
Assisting with the development of community markets and producer-owned
cooperatives; Involving farmers/ranchers in institutional policy development
in marketing; Examining consumer preferences of local and regional food; and
Developing outreach to train business owners and managers on linking to
local producers of sustainable agriculture products.
The special Marketing Call was the culmination of a series of NCR
SARE-sponsored "roundtables" that collected ideas from producers across the
region on obstacles to marketing sustainable products.
"The Marketing Call is just one special piece of the Research and Education
Grant puzzle this year," said Steve Waller, NCR SARE Regional Coordinator.
"We are still calling for our annual preproposals."
Preproposal Priority Areas for 1998 are: Emerging Issues; Integration and
Diversification of Farming Systems; Sustainable Livestock Systems;
Networking; and Environmentally Sound Management Practices.
"These two separate Calls are terrific opportunities for creative teams to
significantly contribute to enduring agricultural systems in the North
Central Region," Swaim said.
Applications are available now for both Calls. Contact the NCR SARE office
at 402-472-7081, 402-472-0280 (fax), or sare001@unlvm.unl.edu. The Calls are
also available at http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/ncrsare. Preproposals are due
Sept. 12, 1997. Innovative Marketing Proposals are due Jan. 23, 1998.
Applicants must reside in the North Central Region: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,
Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South
Dakota, and Wisconsin.
The SARE program began with the 1985 Farm Bill and was first funded by
Congress in 1988. Competitive grants go to producers, scientists, educators
and public and private institutions and organizations exploring sustainable
agriculture. The North Central Region, managed by a diverse Administrative
Council and directed by regional coordinators, is one of four regions in the
SARE program.
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(Sorry for any cross-postings!)