Who cWho can apply for a Mini Grant?
Agricultural professionals who want to offer programming on sustainable agriculture for an audience consisting primarily of other agricultural professionals.
Agricultural professionals are those who provide education about agriculture, including Extension staff, educators, NRCS personnel, state and tribal agency representatives, NGO staff, farmers who provide education for other farmers, and other agricultural service providers.
Applicants may reapply with a previously submitted non-funded application. They are encouraged to reach out to the MN SARE State Coordinators with questions prior to re-submitting their proposal.
What can a Mini Grant be used for?
Mini Grants fund educational events for agricultural professionals (also called “train-the-trainer” or “professional development” events), helping them gain sustainable agriculture knowledge to share with their communities. While farmers are welcome to attend, a significant portion of the educational event audience must consist of agricultural professionals who work in Minnesota.
Examples of events include field days, farm tours, workshops, and conferences. On-farm research trials and demonstration plots are also eligible for funding, provided they include a strong outreach component for agricultural professionals.
Priority is given to projects aligned with Minnesota SARE Initiatives:
- Adapting to food system disruptions
- Building resilient local food systems
- Supporting farmers
- Addressing farm labor
Amount and Budget
Mini Grants provide up to $2,000 in funding. Eligible expenses include payments to guest speakers, facility rentals, travel, and other logistical costs required to conduct the program. Funds may cover meals or refreshments if those expenses contribute to the continuity of the event.
Reimbursement occurs after the event takes place and the recipient submits an evaluation survey.
Recognition
Recipients must credit NCR-SARE as a program sponsor on agendas and promotional materials, incorporating the NCR-SARE logo where appropriate.
Reporting Requirements
To receive reimbursement, recipients must complete an evaluation survey after the event. The survey requires details on participant attendance and project outcomes, specifically highlighting how attendees plan to advance sustainability based on what they learned. Upon request, a recipient may instead provide their own summary of their event that includes attendee outcomes instead of filling out the MN SARE evaluation survey.
Application
The Minnesota SARE Advisory Committee reviews all applications. A SARE coordinator may contact applicants for additional details or clarification before final funding decisions are made.
Applications are evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Does the project promote sustainable agriculture?
- Will the project result in new knowledge or skills for agricultural professionals?
- Does the project include a strong outreach and education component?
- Will the project track and measure its impact on agricultural professionals?
- Does the project/event relate to the current MN SARE initiatives?
- Adapting to food system disruptions
- Building resilient local food systems
- Supporting farmers
- Addressing farm labor
Timeline
- Applications accepted until January 31, with decisions announced by February 20
- Applications accepted until May 31, with decisions announced by June 20
- Applications accepted until October 31, with decisions announced by November 20
Forms