NCR-SARE's 2026 Farmer Rancher Grants

The North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NCR-SARE) Program is pleased to announce the 43 Farmer Rancher Grant projects recommended for funding for 2026. More than $738,000 was awarded through this competitive grant program for farmers and ranchers who want to explore sustainable solutions to problems through innovative research, demonstration, and education projects.

Those selected to receive funding included (in alphabetical order by state):

Timothy Bents of Timothy Bents Farms in Sioux Center, IA was awarded $6,237 for the project, “Comparing Compost and Commercial Fertilizer for Plant and Soil Health in No-Till Cropping Systems.”
Anna Geyer of the Land Alliance in Oxford, IA was awarded $15,000 for the project, “Processing and Marketing Research/Development of Elderberry and Agroforestry Crops.”
Garrett Hilpipre of Hilpipre Farm in Des Moines, IA was awarded $14,601 for the project, “From Row Crops to Agroforestry: An Alley Cropping Research Plot in North-Central Iowa.”
Bob Recker of Cedar Valley Innovation in Waterloo, IA was awarded $29,425 for the project, “Continuous Video Monitoring And Online Sharing Of Wide Row Corn, Cover Crop, And Companion Crop Growth For A Full Year.”
Paul Ruger of Vitae Ag in Fenton, IA was awarded $15,000 for the project, “Comparison of Multi-Species Cover Crops after a Small Grain Crop in a Transition to Organic Row Crop Rotation.”
Lauren Brokish of Salt Fork Food Works in Champaign, IL was awarded $29,620 for the project, “Evaluating Poultry Grazing Strategies for Parasite Reduction and Pasture Health in Goat and Sheep Rotational Grazing.”
Eric Luu of Zumwalt Acres in Wilmette, IL was awarded $14,905 for the project, “Growing the Midwest Farming Network and Increasing Food System Strength Through Seed Production.”
Nick Carter of Mud Creek Farm in Indianapolis, IN was awarded $10,605 for the project, “Developing a Sustainable Rabbit Enterprise Through Pet-Food Market Integration and On-Farm Feed Production.”
Brian Geier of Bundle Sticks Farm in Lanesville, IN was awarded $13,860 for the project, “Broomcorn Grown by Broom Makers: Varieties and Post-Harvest Handling Techniques for Niche Markets.”
Oakley Molinaro of Planting Possibilities in Highland, IN was awarded $7,583 for the project, “Winter Hoophouse Production via Compost Heat + Diesel Backup — Extending the Growing Season with Low-Input Energy.”
Daniel Perkins of Perkins' Good Earth Farm in Demotte, IN was awarded $22,775 for the project, “Comparing the Effects of Soil Steaming and Compost Application on Weed Control across Three Small Farms in North West Indiana.”
Leah McKeeman of TerraVie in Manhattan, KS was awarded $29,991 for the project, “Innovative Virtual Fencing and Regenerative Goat Grazing to Improve Fragile Native Prairie Ecosystems in the Flint Hills.”
Jennifer Simmelink of Kansas Soil Health Alliance in Esbon, KS was awarded $30,000 for the project, “Enhancing Range and Pasture Soil Health, Productivity, and Quality using Producer-Focused, On-farm Studies in Eastern Kansas and Oklahoma.”
Cari Werner of Hawk 'n Cat farm in Lawrence, KS was awarded $15,000 for the project, “Pasture Raised Heritage Hybrid Broiler Adaptive Ration Formulation for Feed Conversion Efficiency, Nutrient Density, and Profitability.”
Erin Cole of Nurturing Our Seeds in Detroit, MI was awarded $15,000 for the project, “Farming Beyond Frost: A Winter Season Education Program.”
Takunia Collins of Willow Run Acres in Ypsilanti, MI was awarded $12,021 for the project, “Strengthening Community Soil Literacy through Compost Education and Regenerative Garden Support.”
Abby Johnson of Ox Heights in Rogers City, MI was awarded $6,375 for the project, “Determine the Most Efficient Practices for Establishing Chestnut Trees From Seed.”
James Lee of the Northern Queen Initiative in Romulus, MI was awarded $29,154 for the project, “Field Validation of Practical Mite Resistance Tests Across Apiaries To Strengthen Small-Scale Breeder Selection.”
Danelle Owens of Grown Hydroponic Farms in Grand Rapids, MI was awarded $13,902 for the project, “Hydroponic Farms.”
Amanda Xuan An Grunnet of Lucky Lavender Farm in Faribault, MN was awarded $7,300 for the project, “Developing Mobile Turkey Roosts for Rotational Grazing.”
Nnenna Osuagwu of Lyndale Farmers in New Brighton, MN was awarded $30,000 for the project, “Sustainable Cultivation and Market Viability of Ugu (Fluted Pumpkin) as a Specialty Crop in the North Central Region.”
Noreen Thomas of Doubting Thomas Farms in Moorhead, MN was awarded $29,510 for the project, “Making Better Compost with Lactoballius.”
Daniel Zimmerli of Cedar Crate Farm in Waldorf, MN was awarded $12,877 for the project, “Minimally Heated High Tunnel For Winter Vegetable Production in Upper Midwest.”
Doug Drury of ArchGen in Archie, MO was awarded $17,142 for the project, “Beyond the Cone: Extracting Value from Hop Leaf Waste.”
Jeremiah Hoss of Critter Creek Family Farm in Humansville, MO was awarded $13,631 for the project, “Integrating Pastured Poultry and Rabbits in a Rotational Grazing System to Improve Soil Health at Critter Creek Family Farm.”
Chad Montgomery of Cedar Meadow Farms in Greentop, MO was awarded $14,971 for the project, “Using Virtual Fence Collars On Lead Goats to Manage Herd at Reduced Cost.”
Robin Moore of MyCo Planet in North Kansas City, MO was awarded $14,400 for the project, “Comparative Efficiency and Resource Use of Atmospheric vs. Pressurized Sterilization for Sustainable Mushroom Production.”
Joshua Payne of Stacked Agroforestry in Concordia, MO was awarded $12,850 for the project, “Establishing Better Agroforestry Seedlings: Farmer Trials of Compost-Based Nursery Mixes and Plasma-Activated Water for Chestnut, Pecan, and Hazelnuts.”
Becca Baumbach of The Pasture North Dakota in Cummings, ND was awarded $14,997 for the project, “Comparing Outdoor Langstroth Hives and Indoor Slovenian AZ Bee-House Hives for Improved Overwintering in the Northern Plains.”
Erin Gaugler of Gaugler Farm and Ranch in West Grant Township, ND was awarded $20,038 for the project, “Making Winter Feeding Decisions Based on Forage Quality and Utilization in the Northern Great Plains.”
Rebecca Phillips of Phillips Ranch in Hazelton, ND was awarded $29,458 for the project, “How to Improve Production and Soil Health with Managed Grazing on a Working Ranch.”
Rick Schmidt of Oliver County Extension in Center, ND was awarded $5,625 for the project, “Invasive Forbs and Woody Plant Control with Sheep and Fire.”
Kurt Swenson of S BAR S in Beulah, ND was awarded $30,000 for the project, “Innovation in Grazing Management Enabled by Virtual Fence and Prescribed Fire to Improve Rangeland Profitability and Stewardship.”
Laura Ann Bergman of Seminary Hill Farm in Delaware, OH was awarded $11,077 for the project, “Assessing the Efficacy of Amaranth as both a Trap Crop and Insectary in Cucumber Production to Defend Against Striped and Spotted Cucumber Beetle.”
Joshua Combs of Combs Bee Farm in Milford Center, OH was awarded $28,686 for the project, “Comparing an Inexpensive Cooking Oil Assay Side by Side with the Ubeeo Assay to Determine Hygienic Behavior.”
Eric Hange of Homedale Farms in Spencer, OH was awarded $14,467 for the project, “Regenerative Farm Test Plot: Inoculating our Soil with Microorganisms as a Means of Reducing Future Input Costs.”
Mike Kelley of City Bird Farm in Hillsboro, OH was awarded $14,925 for the project, “Cultivating Curds: A Research-Driven Model for Transitioning from a Raw Milk Enterprise into a Sustainable Farmstead Cheese Business.”
Jamie Boley of Mayborn Acres in Parker, SD was awarded $13,962 for the project, “The Upcycled Broiler Blueprint: Optimizing Profitability and Animal Welfare with Spent Brewer’s Grain in Slow-Growth Poultry Systems.”
Jorg Diekmann of Good Trouble Grove in Green Lake, WI was awarded $14,850 for the project, “Growing Agroforestry Farm Profitability and Community via Educational Agritourism.”
Ryan Erisman of Odyssey Farm in Sun Prairie, WI was awarded $6,004 for the project, “Exploring Root Architecture to Minimize Hog Pasture Compaction.”
Austin Pethan of Prairie Folk Farm in Chilton, WI was awarded $21,994 for the project, “Advancing Pastured Poultry through Innovative, Automated, and Cost-Effective Egg Collection Systems.”
Alex Tanke of Dispersion Farms in Middleton, WI was awarded $14,940 for the project, “Automated Hickory Cracker Trial.”
Nicole Tautges of Fields Best Farm in East Troy, WI was awarded $14,004 for the project, “Investigating Fall Grazing in Kernza to Improve Grain Yields.”

Read descriptions of these projects online at https://projects.sare.org/.

The focus of each NCR-SARE grant program is on research and education. Funding considerations are based on how well the applicant presents the problem being addressed, the project's relevance to sustainable agriculture in the 12-state North Central region, and how well it aligns with NCR-SARE's goals, among other factors specific to each grant program.

NCR-SARE’s Administrative Council (AC) members decide which projects will receive SARE funds. The AC includes a mix of agricultural stakeholders in the region. Council members hail from regional farms, ranches, the Cooperative Extension Service, universities, federal agencies, and nonprofits.

Since 1988, the SARE program has helped advance farming systems that improve profitability, stewardship, and quality of life through a nationwide research and education grants program. The program, part of USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture, funds projects and conducts outreach designed to bring sustainable innovations to agricultural systems.

Some NCR-SARE grant timelines have changed for the upcoming funding cycle. Join our mailing list to receive release notifications directly in your inbox.