Historically Underserved Farming Communities Question and Answer Sessions

Yes, several flower operation projects have received Northeast SARE grants.

This grant does not favor any particular applicants. As long as you are collaborating with or impacting historically underserved communities or farming communities, you are welcome to submit your proposal.

"There are no restrictions. All kinds of farming, including urban and hydroponic, are encouraged, as long as you can attest that the operation meets USDA's definition of a farm. Your farm or the farms that you work with should have produced at least $1,000 of saleable product in the previous calendar year; it is not necessary to have sold the product. Northeast SARE will not check your sales records or ask for receipts demonstrating sales or donations.

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Any type of organization (for-profit, non-profit, etc.) can apply as long as they have the capacity to host the project.

Yes.

No, and Northeast SARE funds can be used as match for other grants that your organization may be bringing in.

Awards may range from a minimum of $150,000 to approximately $250,000 depending upon the project's needs, complexity and duration. 

Allowable expenses support research and education as described clearly in the proposal. They may include labor, materials, supplies, services, meeting and training expenses, subawards to partner organizations and indirect costs. Funding may cover equipment specific to this project that will be used for educational purposes in perpetuity. We can prorate a a purchase of equipment if it's going to be have a usable life for profit afterwards. For a full list, see the eligible expenses appendix here.

This grant cannot fund the cost used to start or expand farming operations, for example, regular farm equipment, land or structures.

"USDA funds typically cannot be used for capital infrastructure like barns. Depending on the context of the proposal, it's possible that we could fund plants or animals if they were varieties to be trialed and their purchase represented a risk, not a normal business expense.
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The farm is eligible as long as you can attest that it meets USDA's definition of a farm. Your farm or the farms that you work with should have produced at least $1000 of saleable product in the previous calendar year; it is not necessary to have sold the product. Northeast SARE will not check your sales records or ask for receipts demonstrating sales or donations.

Yes. Northeast SARE, like many USDA grants, is a reimbursement based grant. It is something that we are seeking to change in the future, but it is the case right now. We recognize that reimbursement is hard. There are some ways that small organizations have made our reimbursement grants work for them:
We do invite people to invoice as frequently as monthly. So if you have the ability to fund labor the first month and then get that invoice reimbursed, that gives you some money for the following month. You do not need to spend the entirety of the grant and then get reimbursed.
There are organizations that offer bridge loans. Please contact us for further guidance.
Northeast SARE funds can be used as match for other grants that your organization may be bringing in.

"You can bill SARE monthly for reimbursement.
For example, let's say you had a June 1st start date on your project. You would be able to submit your first invoice June 30th. Our host organization, the University of Vermont, then has a net 30 days so you should have that payment in hand by the end of July.
And then from then on out you can keep billing monthly."

We definitely don't expect you to throw it away when the project is done!
We cannot fund normal business expenses, including general equipment, for any for-profit organizations, including farms, but if you're testing something that you don't know at the beginning of the grant whether it's going to work or not, and you find out after we fund it that it works fabulously, that's fine. You're sharing that information with your community so that everybody knows that that equipment works well, and then you can keep using it after the end of the grant.
If it is a nonprofit organization that this reimbursement is going to, we can fully fund it since there's an understanding that the equipment will be used for either education or research in perpetuity. 
There are some instances where we might have to prorate equipment for the life of the grant to a for-profit business, but that's typically not the case for any kind of nonprofit. For further guidance, please email ne-huf@sare.org.

Collaborations are encouraged, though not required. 

Northeast SARE grants allow overhead costs up to 10% of total direct costs. Current programs are eligible, if they meet the intent of the grant program and the review criteria as published in the call for proposals.

Yes, Northeast SARE holds a broad understanding of this category. Please refer to the USDA definition: "Northeast SARE understands Historically Underserved Farmers to align with the USDA definition of socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers as those belonging to groups that have been subject to racial or ethnic prejudice, including but not limited to farmers who are Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Hispanic or Latino, and Asian or Pacific Islander." More information at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/getting-assistance/underserved-farmers-ranchers

Possibly, depending on the context of the proposal. Northeast SARE's legislated audience is farmers, so if there is some way that development of value-added products is worked into a project that benefits farmers or the farming community, then this could be a fundable project activity. 

Recipients of training/outreach could be aspiring farmers.

USDA funds typically cannot be used for capital infrastructure. Fundable expenses must support research or education.

Current programs are eligible, if they meet the intent of the grant program and the review criteria as published in the call.

"Possibly. Whether a project is a good fit for this program depends on whether you would be able to show how you're pulling in historically underserved farmers and communities into what you're doing; what story will you tell and what collaborations are involved? It may be that other grant programs at Northeast SARE (e.g. Research and Education, Novel Approaches) are a better fit. For further guidance, contact Leons Kabongo at lkabongo@sare.org.
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SARE is providing technical assistance for this grant for those who need it, but it is not required to use it. 

See https://northeast.sare.org/TAPRequest or contact Technical Assistance Program Coordinator Leons Kabongo at lkabongo@sare.org.
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Approximately 15 to 20 awards will be made in this cycle.

Please contact ne-huf@sare.org.

While USDA requirements and restrictions apply to this as well as other SARE programs, this grant and the technical assistance program seek to address barriers and make SARE grants available to a broader population.