During the recent Farmer Grant Webinar, Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) was delighted to receive dozens of questions from participants interested in applying for a Northeast SARE Farmer Grant.
Since there was not enough time during the webinar to answer all of the questions, Grant Coordinator Candice Huber reached out directly to anyone whose questions did not make the live recording. We've assembled those answers for anyone who may have similar questions.
Question:
As the owners of the farm we are not employees and do not get a w-2. We get a K-1 from the farm's LLC. Would that be allowed as personnel?
Answer:
You can still include yourselves and any employees of the farm in your budget under personnel.
Question:
Can a grant be related to development of a new marketing opportunity for farmers. For example, developing a new market for winter producers.
Answer:
Yes, this is an eligible topic.
Question:
Can you purchase or own equipment, that would be prorated for the grant budget, before the beginning of the grant?
Answer:
No expenses prior to the grant start date are reimbursable.
Question:
Could you share a link to the project discussed?
Answer:
All of Tommye Lou Rafes SARE projects can be viewed here: https://projects.sare.org/people/trafes/
Question:
Do you need to be enrolled with SAM in order to apply for this funding?
Answer:
You do not need to be enrolled in SAM (System for Award Management) to apply. However, if your project is awarded, non-profit organizations will need to be in SAM in order to contract with the University of Vermont. Individuals and their farms do not need to be enrolled in SAM.
Question:
Does a high tunnel or greenhouse count as a structure?
Answer:
A structure is considered as permanent. Aa greenhouse is typically a permanent structure and would not be covered. If your high tunnel is temporary or moveable and necessary to the project it could potentially be covered.
Question:
For the methods section, when using an established method can we simply cite literature (e.g. as done in Smith et al., 2010)?
Answer:
No, you should lay out your methods directly in the methods section. You should also note if they are established by someone else and then provide the citation in the citation section.
Question:
For the proposal, can hemp be included as one of the research crops?
Answer:
Yes, hemp is an allowable commodity.
Question:
For this funding round would you have needed to sell $1000 in products for calendar year 2021
Answer:
You would have to have sold $1000 (or normally would have sold) in November 2021 to November 2022.
Question:
How do you determine the expected life of a piece of equipment purchased for the project?
Answer:
The useful life may be determined by the manufacturer, but, if not, we follow IRS guidance. New farm equipment is now depreciated over 5 years:
https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-reform-changes-to-depreciation-deduction-affect-farmers-bottom-line
Question:
I am applying for Northeast ERME grant for similar project as I would for SARE grant. Is applying for both allowed or conflict of interest?
Answer:
Applying for both is allowed, however, you would not be able to accept both if awarded.
Question:
I volunteer for a farming non-profit. We are new, any advice for applying for grants that help with new land/structures so that in a few years we will be able to apply for SARE grants to problem solve issues specific to the Cape and Islands.
Answer:
You could try checking out this new resource: Good Food Funding Guide https://www.newventureadvisors.net/good-food-funding-guide/
Question:
I work for a farm that is seeking funding for putting together educational resources around agroforestry. Should I apply under research and education? Is this available for 2023? What programs are available for what years?
Answer:
Depending on the size of your project (length and dollar amount) you could potentially apply to several of our programs: Farmer Grant, Partnership Grant, Research and Education, or Professional Development. These are all described on our website at https://northeast.sare.org/grants, but the only one available this fall is the Farmer Grant.
Please note that we are pausing four of our seven programs for a redesign in 2023. Research and Education, Research for Novel Approaches, Professional Development, and Partnership grants will resume in 2024. Three programs will not be paused: Farmer Grants, Graduate Student Research Grants, and State Program Grants. All of our grant programs will be examined and improved during the pause to make them more accessible. More info available here: https://northeast.sare.org/news/ac-approves-pause-to-redesign-programs/.
Question:
What is the most common feedback for refused proposals?
Answer:
Feedback varies and is project specific. Some themes include: not making a strong case for the need by farmers for the problem to be addressed; not providing enough detail in the objectives and methods; and not developing a strong outreach plan.
Question:
When setting the budget, how should inflation/price changes be handled? can a % assumed inflation/buffer be included?
Answer:
Please use the most accurate pricing that you can assume, but do not build inflation in as line items. If you include a price for something tht you have seen increase with inflation over the last few months and may increase further by the time the grant is awarded, you may adjust the price per unit to reflect that.
Question:
When the grant includes wages paid to farm owners/operators, how does those wages need to be paid. For example, do the owners need to be W-2 employees or can an owner's draw be acceptable?
Answer:
An owner's draw is acceptable. If your project is awarded you would need to submit a w-4 to UVM in the contracting process. You would then receive a w-2 from them for each year you receive payment.
Question:
Where can we find resources for grant writing assistance? Specifically for BIPOC and Women Farmers?
Answer:
We do not currently have a list of resources for grant writing assistance. I suggest asking your TA or checking with your local extension office or farm service agencies to see if they can provide you with help.
Question:
Where can you locate the grants available?
Answer:
Northeast SARE’s Grant Programs are described at https://northeast.sare.org/grants/
Question:
Where do we find the proposal questions to fill offline?
Answer:
You will find the link on page 6 of the Call for Proposals at http://www.northeastsare.org/FarmerGrant
Question:
Would a grant through this program fund studying geothermal heating in a greenhouse that’s producing cut flowers?
Answer:
Yes, this is an eligible topic.
Question:
Would a letter of commitment be okay if they don't hear from up the ladder before the deadline?
Answer:
A letter of commitment from the land owners is necessary if a key element to your project is the use of land that is not your own. A letter of commitment without the full approval would not be helpful. Reviewers would feel that the project is not ready to proceed.
Northeast SARE is incredibly grateful to all of our webinar participants for their insightful questions and passion for sustainable agriculture. Additional questions can be submitted to Candice Huber at candice.huber@uvm.edu