SARE 20/20

North Central Region Photo Contest Winner, taken by Steve Pope: Pope is a long-time associate of Frank R. Reese, Jr., (depicted), who is a fourth-generation Kansas farmer and breeder of pastured heritage turkeys. Photo by Jerry DeWitt

Western Region Photo Contest Winner, taken by Heidi Rader: A third-generation Alaskan, Rader works as an Agriculture and Horticulture Agent at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. This is a photo of Romanesco Veronica F1, which is grown and sold locally as it does not travel well.

Northeast Region Photo Contest Winner, taken by Troy Bishopp: Known as ÒThe Grass Whisperer,Ó Bishopp operates a fifth-generation, grass-based farm and also works as a county grazing specialist. He took this photo at Sunrise Dairy Farm in N.Y. Grazing cattle saves feed, fuel and labor costs, and builds a sustainable future for the next generation.

Southern Region Photo Contest Winner, taken by Robert Friedman: Friedman photographs his sustainable farming experiences around the country and abroad. This photo was taken on a Georgia organic farm.

SARE is conceived: Congress responds to the growing chorus for a government sustainable agriculture program and passes the Agricultural Productivity Act, which will become SARE. No funding accompanies authorization.

1988
Congress funds in millions: What some experts say will take more than a year takes eager sustainable ag pioneers only six months to establish: a science-based, grassroots, problem-solving, business-not-as-usual grant program. On hand is Congress' first appropriation: $3.9 million.

What to fund? Never before has so much attention and money been readily available for researching sustainable agriculture. First up is testing and further developing fundamental approaches, such as cover crops, rotational grazing and composting.

1991 - 1994
The big buy-in: The Environmental Protection Agency contributes $1 million per year to an EPA/SARE collaboration called Agriculture in Concert with the Environment. The program continues until 2001.

Spreading the word: Relatively few outside the sustainable ag community hear about groundbreaking work in sa, or know how to get started. SARE forms a national outreach office, which quickly begins producing practical, how-to bulletins and books.

Funding for farmers and educators: Recognizing the importance of farmers' on-the-ground experience, SARE begins funding farmer-led research directly. Congress also adds funds for SARE's Professional Development Program.

1995 - 2000
Public catches on: Sustainable and organic practices start hitting the mainstream press. National Geographic, for example, publishes a centerpiece article featuring SARE grantees' work.

Fine tuning the portfolio: SARE adds new target areas - marketing, local production and on-farm energy efficiency and renewables.

Major shift at USDA: A SARE-initiated working group on sustainable development persuades the Secretary of Agriculture to issue a historic memorandum pledging that sustainability will be a key component of all the department's policies and programs.

New partners: The USDA National Agroforestry Center starts a six-year co-funding program with SARE to help farmers develop agroforestry. The Agricultural Marketing Service matches SARE funds with $250,000 to examine the potential of new and emerging marketing opportunities in sustainable agriculture.

Next generation: SARE begins awarding grants to cutting-edge graduate student research.

2001 - 2004
Smithsonian exhibit: A special SARE-supported exhibit debuts at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, "Listening to the Prairie: Farming in Nature's Image."

Top practitioners recognized: SARE launches the Patrick Madden Award for Sustainable Agriculture to recognize stellar farmer and rancher innovation in the field.

2005 - 2007
Change happens! Evaluations of SARE programs show real progress on the ground: 64 percent of farmer/rancher grantees said their SARE project helped them achieve higher sales and 79 percent experienced improved soil quality. Three-quarters of educators in two SARE regions have led at least one educational program to share innovations with farmers, ranchers and the public. And after reading a SARE publication, 53 percent of producers report using a new production technique.

2008
20th Anniversary! SARE celebrates 20 years of innovation on the farm and ranch - to date, 3,700 projects funded and an annual budget of nearly $19 million. SARE plans for 20 more years!

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