Sustainable Communities

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rancher on cover of report from the field report

2025–2026 Report from the Field

In Recognition of Farmers and Ranchers SARE has been around for nearly 40 years, and the impacts that our grant and outreach programs have had on the sustainability of U.S. agriculture are because of one simple thing: Farmers and ranchers are at the center of everything we do.  SARE is afunding sourcefor producers.It’s designed forproducers, […]

A farmer in a blue shirt feeds a cow.

New Video: Plan for Stressful Times

Starting or taking over a family farming operation is an inherently stressful enterprise. And failing to plan for the impact stress can have on mental health poses real risk for any small business. At Flat Rock Dairy in Paulding, Ohio, dairy farmer Gretl Schlatter and Ohio State University Extension educator Sarah Noggle are working to […]

cover of bulletin basics of farm business planning

The Basics of Farm Business Planning

Sustainable farming and ranching means taking care of the land, the environment, people and the community, while the farm business makes a profit. Many farmers and ranchers choose sustainable farming and ranching as a lifestyle that reflects their values. Common goals include: Farm business planning is critical because it helps you to identify and achieve […]

Two men standing by crates with cans of beans

SARE Awards $8M to Food Loss and Waste Projects

The USDA recognizes the impacts of food loss and food waste on food security and the environment. USDA, in concert with agency partners, is working toward the goal of reducing food loss and food waste by 50 percent by 2030. In the latest effort in reduction activities, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program […]

A man is unloading produce boxes off a food pantry van.

Food Loss and Waste

The United States is one of the world's largest producers of food, and yet the statistics around food waste are extreme: Food waste has been referred to as the "world's dumbest problem," but we can reverse it with both national and small-scale efforts alike. This page is dedicated to sharing the research and educational materials […]

Que es sostenible cover

SARE's What is Sustainable Agriculture? Now Available in Spanish

SARE’s What is Sustainable Agriculture? bulletin and companion animated series are now available in Spanish! ¿Qué es la Agricultura Sostenible? features short, translated primers of proven sustainable practices that can be used to complement more detailed training materials. The companion animation series highlights some common practices farmers and ranchers use to improve profitability, quality of […]

SARE logo featuring a yellow setting sun and two green hills with contour lines

SARE Project Impacts: 2016-2023

In 2023, the SARE National Reporting, Coordination, and Communications Office (NRCCO) contracted with Insight for Action to conduct a post-project evaluation of four of SARE's regional grant programs. The purpose of the evaluation was to characterize key impacts made by SARE’s grantmaking from 2016 through 2023. The evaluation employed the Success Case Method (SCM) to […]

A man dumping apples from a create over the edge of a tractor into a hole in the ground

National SARE Food Loss and Waste Program Webinar

SARE Food Loss and Waste Program Manager Lisa Johnson will walk participants through the details of the Call for Proposal and answer participant questions related to the grant in a webinar taking place on Zoom on May 7 from 12 p.m. (NOON)- 1 p.m. EST.

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Farmers and Ranchers Report Research Impacts

“This project provided a 'first look' at how legume cover crops might function in our crop rotations," says Texas A&M AgriLife Extension agronomist Reagan Nolan, discussing his search for cover crop mixes that can help meet the challenges of farming in western Texas. Nolan wanted to explore whether legume cover crops could be incorporated into […]