In 2023, the SARE National Reporting, Coordination, and Communications Office (NRCCO) contracted with Insight for Action to conduct a post-project evaluation of four of SARE's regional grant programs. The purpose of the evaluation was to characterize key impacts made by SARE’s grantmaking from 2016 through 2023. The evaluation employed the Success Case Method (SCM) to identify program impacts grounded in a theory- and practice-informed impact model.
For the post-project evaluation, the SCM entailed: 1) Developing an initial impact model based on a scan of web-based resources and SARE background materials, 17 Subject Matter Expert (SME) interviews, and review of a balanced sample of 120 grantee final reports, 2) a self-report survey to identify potential success cases, and 3) in-depth interviews to explore how SARE-funded activities contributed to longer-term achievements and impacts.
Included here are the case studies developed for project in the Northeast region.
Northeast SARE Case Studies
Staying Ahead in the Packshed: Improving Postharvest Equipment and Building Guidance for Fruit and Vegetable Farms – Vermont
Coupling on-farm technical assistance with case study methods to enhance postharvest infrastructure and build a peer-to-peer training network. Produce that has been harvested is a living organism, but it is dying. The best we can do is develop systems and practices that maintain and sustain quality and safety as long as possible. All of this […]
Expanding Sustainable Shellfish Aquaculture: Optimizing Growth and Survival in a Bay Scallop Nursery System – Massachusetts
A new nursery system fills a missing link in the bay scallop production chain catalyzing new aquaculture operations and providing seed for the restoration projects. I really believe in aquaculture as a form of employment and food production that can be done in an environmentally sustainable way. Helping to develop the industry has been one […]
Single-Producer-Scale Preparation of Warm-Season Grass for Poultry Bedding – Pennsylvania
Producer association builds robust regional network through SARE grants that support farmers to evolve with changing markets. We couldn’t have done it without SARE. [The association] would have been a total washout. Our philosophy as an association is to put money into the farmer’s pocket, not take it out. Our dues are very low and […]
Advancing Walnut Syrup Production for Increased Profitability and Farm Income Diversification – West Virginia
Researchers advance black walnut tapping for commercial syrup production, diversifying the industry and furthering niche market opportunities. Walnut syrup is truly a novel product commercially. We knew of people making it on the home scale and, scientifically, that it could be done. There’d been some small- scale research into the process of making it similarly […]
Do Cover Crops Stabilize Wine Grape Productivity in a Variable Climate? – Pennsylvania
Under vine cover crops help improve soil health, and contribute to more resilient, environmentally sustainable vineyards. If growers are to change their management practices, they need to know what is going on below ground, how the root system of their vines is impacted by competing with cover crop grasses. Perhaps the roots will be smaller, […]
Impacts of Silage Tarps on Soil Arthropods, Soil Properties and Crop Yields – Vermont
A Participatory Action Research study examines the pros and cons of silage tarping on yield and the biodiversity of below-ground organisms Being a farmer is a very complex job; you have the economic side of things and also many ecological considerations. I believe a lot of farmers are interested in conservation but may not be […]