Important Definitions

Legislative Priorities

All Northeast SARE grants must fit within one or more of SARE's Legislative Priorities that encourage research to increase knowledge concerning agricultural production.  These priorities include:

● maintaining and enhancing the quality and productivity of the soil; 

● conserving soil, water, energy, natural resources, and fish and wildlife habitat; 

● maintaining and enhancing the quality of surface and ground water; 

● protecting the health and safety of persons involved in the food and farm system; 

● promoting the well-being of animals; and 

● Increasing employment opportunities in agriculture. 

Farmer Impact

Projects having a  significant impact/impression on farmer's and farming communities is also critical.  Impact can be economic, social, environmental etc.  For example:

• How does the research support farmer/farming community livelihoods?  
• How does the research build stong economies through local and/or regional trade?  
• How does the research improve crop production?  

For impact, replicability is important. Replicability is the ability of another farmer or farming community to obtain similar results when applying the same method (s).  In other words, another farmer can utilize the results of the research to benefit their farming practices of behavior.   

Innovation

Innovation is defined as the development or adoption of new concepts or ideas and the successful exploitation of new ideas. Ideation is the basis of creativity, and the process of creative ideation develops new concepts and innovation applies them. Creativity can only emerge when an innovator takes the idea and does something with it. Innovation can also be social and develop and implement novel and effective solutions to meet social and environmental challenges.  The results should improve the welfare and well being of individual farmers and farming communities and reproducible.  Within the scope of Northeast SARE, examples can include, but are not limited to: 

● The introduction of a new behavior/practice, one with which farmers are not yet familiar 

● The introduction of an improved or better agricultural behavior/practice, which may not be new, but is an improvement upon what occurred before. 

● The opening of a new market that has not been entered previously, whether this market has existed previously. 

● A new source of supply of materials or goods, again irrespective of whether this source already exists or whether it has first to be created. 

● Improved organizational structure and/or capacity.