In 2012, the NCR-SARE Administrative Council created the NCR-SARE Hero Recognition to highlight, recognize, and pay tribute to those who have contributed to NCR-SARE and/or National SARE.
Vance Haugen and Jason Rowntree are NCR-SARE's 2026 Heroes.
Vance Haugen
Vance Haugen's career spans decades and includes active farming and educational leadership in sustainable agriculture. As a University of Wisconsin-Extension educator for 26 years, he championed grass-based farming across the Midwest. He initiated the Crawford County grazing network, helped build similar networks across the region, and coordinated hundreds of pasture walks and workshops. Haugen led the UW-Extension Low-Cost Dairy Systems Team, which helped family-scale farmers design affordable milking parlors. He famously demonstrated the financial viability of this approach by showing that a $10,000 parlor was just as attainable and life-changing as a $10,000 pickup truck. Through this work, he provided critical technical and emotional mentorship to hundreds of farmers transitioning to grazing before his retirement in 2018.
Haugen's educational work has always been rooted in practical experience, as he ran a successful grass-based dairy with his wife, Bonnie, near Canton, Minnesota. Now operated by their son, Olaf, the family farm served as a mentorship site for the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship Program.
In addition to farming and working with UW Extension, Haugen dedicated years of leadership to SARE, serving on the NCR-SARE Administrative Committee from 2002 to 2003 and the Wisconsin SARE Advisory Committee from 2005 to 2017.
He also served on the boards of GrassWorks and the Wisconsin School for Beginning Dairy and Livestock Farmers. His expertise extended globally through volunteer trips to Nicaragua and Australia, where he exchanged knowledge on low-cost dairy systems.
Leaders in sustainable agriculture offered tributes as Haugen was nominated and selected to receive this recognition.
Read more.
Jason Rowntree
Dr. Jason Rowntree, a professor of Animal Science and co-director of the Center for Regenerative Agriculture at Michigan State University, has dedicated his career to advancing the sustainability of beef production. His research translates complex climate science into practical management solutions for producers navigating market-based sustainability transitions. This work earned him MSU's prestigious Charles Stewart Mott Distinguished Professorship of Sustainable Agriculture.
Rowntree's service to SARE spans multiple leadership roles, including serving on the North Central Region SARE Technical Committee from 2017 to 2021 and acting as Technical Chair for the Research and Education Grant Program on the Administrative Council.
His early regional work, backed by a 2012–2016 NCR-SARE grant targeting Michigan beef producers, boosted rural economies and laid the groundwork for a recent $19 million USDA FFAR grant uniting 12 universities, federal agencies, and industry partners.
Rowntree collaborates with the Michigan Inter-Tribal Land Grant System, partnering with Bay Mills Community College and MSU Extension to support food system action plans for Michigan's 12 Tribal Nations. He has also testified before the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee to advocate for Farm Bill priorities. Rowntree has advised sustainability boards and conducted grazing workshops across Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and Oceania. He further extends his impact by serving on the boards of the American Grassfed Association, the Savory Institute, and Regenerate America.
Leaders in sustainable agriculture offered tributes as Rowntree was nominated and selected to receive this recognition.
Read more.