AGRICULTURE PROJECTS FUNDED IN
INDIANA
by USDA's
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program
1988-2025
INDIANA
by USDA's
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program
1988-2025
Indiana has been awarded $9,072,578 grants to support 218 projects, including but not limited to, 32 research and/or education projects, 17 professional development projects and 94 producer-led projects. Indiana has also received additional SARE support through multi-state projects.
Some grant programs may have been started or ended, or both, within the selected date range. Complete information may not be available for all grant programs prior to 2016.
| RESEARCH AND EDUCATION GRANTS | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project # | Project Title | SARE support | Project Leaders | |
| LNC24-496 | The Feasibility of Winter Hardy Legumes in the North Central Region | $250,000 | Dr.Shalamar Armstrong Purdue University | |
| LNC24-502 | Insect upcycling on urban farms to increase resource-use efficiency | $250,000 | Dr.Laura Ingwell Purdue University | |
| LNC24-504 | Assessing the impact of crop rotation on the persistence and efficacy of insect-parasitic nematodes as biocontrol agents for soil-insect pests | $243,303 | Dr.Elizabeth Long Purdue University | |
| LNC24-511 | Improve High Tunnel Sustainability through Biological Control of Root-knot Nematodes | $249,707 | Lei Zhang Purdue University | |
| LNC23-481 | Exploring Underutilized Weed Management Methods on Indiana Small Farms Through On-Farm Research, Community Learning, and Farmer-to-Farmer Education | $249,669 | Dr.Stephen Meyers Purdue University | |
| LNC23-486 | Development of species-specific yeast RNAi attractive targeted sugar baits for spotted wing Drosophila control | $249,928 | Dr.Molly Duman Scheel The Trustees of Indiana University | |
| LNC22-470 | Urban Farming Entrepreneurship Program: Providing minority youth entrepreneurship training to increase employment and food access | $245,116 | Kathryn Orvis Purdue University | |
| LNC21-454 | Enhance Strawberry Production in North Central Region through Tunnel-based Systems | $250,000 | Wenjing Guan Purdue University | |
| LNC20-438 | Improving two spotted spider mite management in high tunnel cucumber production | $249,919 | Dr.Laura Ingwell Purdue University | |
| LNC20-443 | Identifying and Expanding Integrated Disease Management Resources to include Organic Grains in Support of Organic and Transitional North Central Farms | $249,984 | Dr.Darcy Telenko Purdue University | |
| LNC20-444 | Participatory Farmer Monitoring on Nitrate Loss: Using Farm-Scale Data to Improve Nutrient Management and Water Quality | $236,702 | Dr.Landon Yoder Indiana University | |
| LNC18-399 | Increasing the Sustainable Production and Access of Fresh Produce in Urban Areas of NW Indiana | $199,676 | Dr.Tamara Benjamin Purdue University | |
| LNC18-408 | Biological Approaches to Sustainable Mint Production | $199,994 | Dr.Petrus Langenhoven Purdue University | |
| LNC17-390 | Improving Seedless Cucumber Production to Diversify High Tunnel Crops in the North Central Region | $200,000 | Wenjing Guan Purdue University | |
| LNC17-397 | Organic Transition and Certification: Supporting Indiana Grain Farmers’ Capacity to Meet Market Demand | $194,663 | Dr.Tamara Benjamin Purdue University Michael O'Donnell J F Farms / Living Prairie Family Farms | |
| LNC16-377 | Transitioning farm and ranch land from one family to another: Evaluating new strategies for profitable transfers and sustainable agriculture partnerships | $199,566 | Dr.James Farmer Indiana University Dr.Julia Valliant Indiana University | |
| LNC15-374 | Economic Viability of Shared-Use Kitchens in the North Central Region | $135,819 | Dr.Rhonda Phillips Purdue University Jodee Ellett Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service | |
| LNC14-359 | Evaluating the Impact of Biochar on Soil Fertility and Crop Productivity through Farmer Participatory Research and a Student Internship Program | $194,732 | Kevin Gibson Purdue University | |
| LNC08-295 | Improving honey Bee Health and Pollination Sustainability with Mite-Resistant Bees | $117,861 | Dr.Greg Hunt Purdue University | |
| LNC06-266 | Research and Education Project, Region: North Central. The management of watermelon vine decline through sustainable management practices | $98,500 | Dr.dan Egel Purdue University | |
| LNC03-225 | Microbial Processes Underlying the Natural Weed Suppressiveness of Soils | $103,623 | Steven Hallet Purdue University | |
| LNC02-220 | Weed Community Shifts and Management Options in the Conversion to Organic Production Systems | $93,375 | Kevin Gibson Purdue University | |
| LNC99-154 | Optimum Genetic Selection of Cattle for Pasture-Based Dairies | $55,881 | Michael Schutz Purdue University, Dept of Animal Sciences | |
| LNC98-131 | Traveling Food Processing/Educational Trailer | $41,138 | Susan Houghton Michigan Organic Food and Farm Alliance | |
| LNC98-140 | Soil Quality Improvement with Cover Crop Mixtures | $93,256 | Kladivko Eileen Purdue University | |
| LNP98-005 | New Crops - New Uses: Biodiversity and Agricultural Sustainability | $9,950 | David Dierig AAIC-USDA-ARS | |
| LNC97-122 | Development of Market Infrastructure to Support Local and Regional Food Systems | $86,200 | Steve Bonney Sustainable Earth Inc | |
| LNC96-095 | Multiple-Use Borderlands: An Educational and Demonstration Project | $83,832 | Bruno Moser Dept of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Purdue University | |
| LNC96-100 | Evaluation of Composted Manure as a Growth and Delivery Substrate for the Biological Weed Control Agent Gliocladium virens in Sustainable Vegetable Production Systems | $70,000 | Stephen Weller Dept of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Purdue University | |
| LNC94-072 | Sustaining Row Crop and Fine Hardwood Productivity through Alley Cropping: On-Farm Demonstration, Research, and Economic Evaluation of an Integrated System | $123,948 | Andrew Gillespie Purdue University | |
| LNC90-029 | Sustainable Production Systems for Vegetables | $78,321 | Stephen Weller Dept of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Purdue University | |
| LNC89-024 | Crop Rotation, Legume Intercropping, and Cultural Pest Control as Substitutes for Purchased Inputs in a Cash Grain Cropping System | $53,000 | David Mengel Purdue University | |
| PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM GRANTS | ||||
| Project # | Project Title | SARE support | Project Leaders | |
| ENC24-233 | Building capacity among Indiana conservation partners to leverage newly developed tools to assist small-scale soil health practitioners. | $120,000 | Kevin Allison Marion County Soil and Water Conservation District | |
| ENC24-244 | Increasing Climate Capacity Among Agricultural Service Providers | $42,992 | Hans Schmitz Purdue Extension | |
| ENC23-226 | Capacity Building for Cover Crop Educators in the Midwest | $120,000 | Anna Morrow Purdue University | |
| ENC22-213 | Leadership for Midwestern Watersheds | $89,607 | Craig Ficenec Sand County Foundation | |
| ENC22-218 | In Service to Beginning Farmer/Rancher Land Access: An Expanded and Independent Community of Practice for Managers of Land Access Policy Incentives | $89,958 | Dr.Julia Valliant Indiana University | |
| ENC21-199 | Building Institutional Support to Increase Farm Viability of Indiana’s Beginning Farmers | $89,046 | Amy Thompson Purdue Extension Henry Quesada | |
| ENC21-205 | The Urban Farming Soil Life Short Course | $67,160 | Mace Vaughan The Xerces Society Denise Ledgerwood The Xerces Society | |
| ENC20-193 | Enhancing Cover Crop Training in the North Central Region | $90,000 | Kladivko Eileen Purdue University Anna Morrow Purdue University | |
| ENC19-183 | Increasing Extension Expertise to Assist Agriculture Adaptation to a Changing Climate | $89,959 | Hans Schmitz Purdue Extension | |
| ENC18-175 | Enhancing professional development opportunities to improve technical capacity of Indiana conservation delivery professionals | $74,959 | Sue Tull Conservation Tech Info center | |
| ENC17-159 | Midwest Cover Crops Council – Cover Crop Decision Tool | $74,680 | Kladivko Eileen Purdue University Anna Morrow Purdue University | |
| ENC16-152 | Soil Health Education Resources for Teachers | $72,701 | Dr.Natalie Carroll Purdue University | |
| ENC08-106 | Indiana High Tunnel Initiative: Developing Extension-Farmer Partnerships for Education | $74,981.68 | Amy Thompson Purdue Extension | |
| ENC04-079 | Indiana Agritourism Training Initiative | $70,000 | Jerry Nelson Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service | |
| ENC97-021 | Combining Holistic Resource Management and Strategic Planning to Improve Farm Resource Planning | $9,500 | Craig Dobbins Dept of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University | |
| ENC95-007 | Experiential Co-Learning for Professional Development in Sustainable Agriculture | $60,400 | Craig Dobbins Dept of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University | |
| ENP95-004 | III National Symposium: New Opportunities, New Technologies | $8,000 | Jules Janick Purdue Univ. Center for New Crops & Plant Production | |
| FARMER/RANCHER GRANTS | ||||
| Project # | Project Title | SARE support | Project Leaders | |
| FNC25-1446 | Revisiting drum silage, Bridging the ensiling gap to small producers with out all the plastic | $10,348 | Jonathan Busse Homestead Technologies | |
| FNC25-1463 | Ramps for ecological restoration and expansion of food diversity in a woodland | $29,986 | Mimi Kokoska Koko Earth Farms, LLC | |
| FNC25-1469 | Stinking fertilizer: Fish hydrolysate from invasive carp with and without Johnson-Su compost extract on row crops in southern Indiana | $29,604 | Matthew Lorenz Groves Farm | |
| FNC25-1477 | Providing Immigrant and Refugee Families access to locally grown, nutrient-dense and culturally relevant produce in South Indianapolis | $6,603 | Danicka Refugio Kapwa Farm | |
| FNC25-1478 | Indiana Commercial Mushroom Growers Association Formation | $5,121 | Mary Roger Winstead Beautiful Edibles | |
| FNC24-1414 | Is Goat Brush Clearing a viable business for small farmers in Central Indiana? | $14,995 | Sylvester Friend Prairie Hills Farm LLC | |
| FNC24-1423 | A Comparison of Weed Control Strategies in Christmas Tree Plantations Using Mechanical and Chemical Methods or Shropshire Sheep | $15,000 | Elise Koning Sylvanmore | |
| FNC24-1427 | Empowering the Community with Education to Restore Balance to Life with Regenerative Urban Farming and the Ma’at Urban Farm Network™ | $14,995 | STEBO MA'AT MA'AT URBAN AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRIES LLC | |
| FNC24-1434 | Integrating Sheep Wool Pellets with Specialty Crop Systems to Enhance Soil Health, Water Storage, Carbon Sequestration, and Plant Production | $17,736 | Whitney Schlegel Marble Hill Farm | |
| FNC23-1372 | Advancing black walnut syrup production through research and report on optimal tapping practices and promotion of findings at a field day. | $14,808 | Jonathan Elrod Blue Temoest Holdings, LLC, d/b/a Rusted Flatbed Farm | |
| FNC23-1374 | Utilizing Microscopic Testing Protocols to analyze our soil and compost to make the correct actions to improve our soil quality. | $30,000 | Glenda George Baby Greens Family Farm | |
| FNC22-1324 | Utilization of Worm Tea on Field Scale Trials for Soil Remediation | $10,370 | Stephanie Duncan Duncan's Worm Farm | |
| FNC22-1334 | Truffle-Hardwood Orchard Development: A New Agro-Forestry Product for Indiana | $15,000 | Mimi Kokoska Koko Earth Farms, LLC | |
| FNC22-1337 | Inspirational Three Sisters Mounds Sunshine Experiment with Sunflowers and Community Seed Distribution in Evansville, Indiana | $15,000 | Lindsey Krantz Catalpa Tree LLC | |
| FNC21-1260 | Goats and Pigs on Pasture, a Comparison of How the Two Types of Animals Contribute to Soil Fertility. | $8,969 | Henry Guyver Little Red Henry Farm Products LLC | |
| FNC21-1262 | Leveraging Biodiversity to Improve Profitablity on a Small-scale Vegetable Farm | $17,425 | Ann Carnes Wild Pansy Farm | |
| FNC21-1268 | To evaluate the use of SuperDFM on the improving of the winter survival rate of honey bees. | $25,320 | James Steven Doty ECIBA | |
| FNC21-1271 | Conversion of Row Crop Acreage to Beef Cattle Pasture Using Sorghum-Sudangrass | $9,000 | Dave Fischer Fischer Farms | |
| FNC21-1295 | Heritage Corn: Planting, Challenges and Educating from the Family Plot Perspective | $26,993 | Zuleyja Prieto Zuleyja Prieto | |
| FNC20-1214 | Utilizing living mulch in organic corn production | $7,862 | Jared Crum Rick and Peggy Crum | |
| FNC20-1220 | Near Northeast Community Supported Agriculture Program | $7,525 | Danielle Guerin Soul Food Project | |
| FNC20-1241 | Revisiting Farm Diversification through Trout and Walleye Food Fish Production | $8,932 | Dr.Carolyn Orr Strawridge Farm | |
| FNC20-1244 | Low Stress Livestock Management Hands-On Skill Building workshops | $25,275 | Denice Rackley Clearfield Stockdogs and Lamb | |
| FNC20-1245 | Creative Solutions to Reverse Indianapolis' Healthy Food Accessibility Trends | $23,648 | Joyce Randolph The Elephant Gardens | |
| FNC20-1252 | Understanding the willingness of farms to utilize lung scanning in their cattle operations | $26,745 | Tabitha Steckler Hurst Hunley Creek Heifer Farm | |
| FNC19-1159 | Holistic Forestry, Vegetables, and Small Livestock Production that Eradicates Invasive Species and Exposes Consumers to Sustainable Agriculture. | $8,233 | Nick Carter Mud Creek Farm | |
| FNC19-1168 | A Comprehensive Exploration Of Targeted Grazing With Goats | $8,943 | Kaitlin Hossom Second Planet Farmstead | |
| FNC19-1169 | Legacy's United Farmers, Communities and Urban Food deserts | $26,827 | john jamerson Legacy Taste of the Garden LLC | |
| FNC19-1180 | No Waste Mushroom Cultivation: Viability Comparison of Spent Grain and Coffee Grounds for Small-scale and Urban farmers | $5,445 | Lauren E McCalister Three Flock Farm | |
| FNC19-1196 | Varroa mite and Small Hive Beetle management: Single brood chamber hive versus double brood chamber hive | $7,965 | Mikael Thompson Thompson’s Prairie Honey | |
| FNC18-1111 | Improving Worker Welfare and Grower Profitability in Small-scale Strawberry Production | $22,474 | Richard Barnes Tanglewood Berry Farm | |
| FNC18-1115 | Planning for a Farmer-to-Farmer Butcher Shop | $15,000 | Liz Brownlee Nightfall Farm | |
| FNC18-1116 | Increasing yields, plant vigor and soil health with the use of woodchips | $7,493 | Karen Carlisle small farm | |
| FNC18-1117 | Pasture-Crop Tests without Chemical Termination | $3,300 | Timothy Carter Honey Creek Farm | |
| FNC18-1120 | Creating a Micro Farm: Using Everything, Wasting Nothing, and Inspiring Young People to Do the Same | $6,499 | Brevan DeWeese Country Boy Farm & Garden | |
| FNC18-1129 | Designing a Cost-Efficient Salad Greens Wash Area for Small-Scale Growers | $6,210 | Matthew Jose Mad Farmers Collective | |
| FNC18-1150 | The Hoosier Harvest 365 Hospital Delivery Program | $22,500 | Linda Woodbury Nature's Gift, LLC | |
| FNC17-1073 | Measure the Effectiveness of Interseeded Cover Crops for Proactive Weed prevention in a Chemical-free, Low-till Vegetable Market Garden Operation | $7,500 | James Catron Hallelujah Acres Farm LLC | |
| FNC17-1086 | Investigating the Possibilities of Cooperative Sorghum Syrup Production and Marketing for Strengthening Small Farm Sustainability in Northern Indiana | $22,477 | Jane Loomis Old Loon Farm | |
| FNC17-1088 | Differential Impacts of Growing Medium on Micro Greens Productivity | $7,458 | Thomas McEvilly McEvilly Gardens LLC | |
| FNC17-1089 | Hoosier Young Farmer Coalition | $6,244 | Genesis McKiernan-Allen Hoosier Young Farmer Coalition | |
| FNC17-1095 | Success with Stockdogs: Herding Workshops and Continuing Skills Development for Livestock Producers | $21,714 | Denice Rackley Clearfield Stockdogs and Lamb | |
| FNC16-1030 | Improving Small Garden Farm Productivity by Extending the Growing Season and Avoiding the Uncertainty of the Weather Conditions | $7,392 | Karen Carlisle small farm | |
| FNC16-1054 | Benefiting the Symbiotic Relationship Between Farmers, Ranchers and Honeybees through Consumer Education with an Emphasis on Beekeeping and Pollinators | $7,500 | Megan Ryan Southwest Honey Co. | |
| FNC15-1010 | On-Farm Recipe Trials and Yield Impact from fermented compost (bochasi) for vegetables | $5,680 | Daniel Perkins Perkins' Good Earth Farm | |
| FNC15-1015 | Investigation into a year round complimentary broiler and vegetable farm enterprise using mobile high tunnels | $7,476 | Amy Surburg Berry Goods Farm LLC | |
| FNC15-990 | Selecting a New Array of Crisp Apples for Increased Consumer Demand and Grower Profit | $21,735 | Dr.Steven Doud Doud Orchards | |
| FNC15-997 | The Economic Impact of Fall Planting vs Spring Planting Hops | $7,397 | Stephen Howe Howe Farms | |
| FNC14-954 | Economics of Growing Hops In Indiana: Planting Rhizomes versus Fully Rooted Plants | $7,465 | Justin Kratoska Hoosier Hops Farm LLC | |
| FNC14-956 | The Economic Value of Grazing and Harvesting Cover Crops for Livestock Forage in Between Grain Crops | $19,826 | Jennifer Lattire Lattire Farms | |
| FNC14-957 | Improving Honey Bee Survival and long-term Sustainability in Indiana by Using Three Deep Brood Boxes vs. Traditional Two Deep Boxes | $14,771 | Steven Lesniak Peace Bees, LLC | |
| FNC14-967 | Development of Cost and Labor Effective Produce Sanitation Methods for Small Farms | $7,300 | Dr.Carolyn Orr Strawridge Farm | |
| FNC13-902 | Hydroponic Fodder in an Organic Pastured Poultry System: Can feed costs be reduced? | $7,500 | Lisa Burke Farming Engineers LLC | |
| FNC13-904 | Promoting sustainable beekeeping and genetic diversity through drone comb trapping | $7,480.39 | Ginger Davidson Geez Beez | |
| FNC12-850 | Commercial Meat Rabbitry Feasibility Study | $13,246 | Nick Carter Meat The Rabbit, LLC | |
| FNC12-856 | Sustainable Beekeeping in Indiana - Challenging the Old Paradigm of Buying Bees in the Early Spring | $14,824.80 | James Steven Doty ECIBA | |
| FNC12-868 | Urban Farmers Marketing Cooperative | $21,070 | Matthew Jose Mad Farmers Collective | |
| FNC12-880 | Alternative Feeds for Mid- to Large-size Pasture Raised Layer Operations | $7,203 | Isaac Moody Moody Farm | |
| FNC12-896 | An Internship Curriculum for Food Farmers in the North Central Region | $22,319 | Therese Zimmerman-Niemier Bertrand Farm Inc | |
| FNC10-799 | Scaling Up Production by Improving Worker Comfort and Efficiency in No-till Organic Seed Garlic Production System | $3,705 | Daniel Perkins Perkins' Good Earth Farm | |
| FNC09-767 | Seeding Cover Crops into Standing Corn Using Highboy Air Seeder | $18,000 | Gary Ambriole Blake Hitzfield Andy Ambriole | |
| FNC08-724 | Evaluating weed control strategies in organic vegetable production | $6,000 | Dale Rhoads Rhoads Farm | |
| FNC08-726 | Evaluation of the declining honey bee health and education of participating beekeepers | $17,810 | James Steven Doty ECIBA | |
| FNC07-655 | Enhancing Year-Round Sales of Quality Farm Product through the Use of On-Farm Geothermal Climate Controlled Storage Facilities | $6,000 | Anna Welch | |
| FNC07-696 | Marketing an Organic CSA | $6,000 | Michael Hollcraft | |
| FNC06-609 | Field Trials of Organic Herbicides in Vegetable Production | $17,600 | Dale Rhoads Rhoads Farm | |
| FNC06-620 | Developing Direct Marketing and Educational Campaigns to Promote Locally Grown Products to Consumers | $18,000 | Earl Smith | |
| FNC06-644 | Analyzing the Effectiveness and Decreasing the Use of Dewormers in Meat Goats by Using FAMACHA and Fecal Samples to Implement Integrated Pest Management | $6,000 | Steven Osborne | |
| FNC06-645 | Developing Sound Financial Data for the GrassRoots Discussion Group | $3,840 | Steve Hooley | |
| FNC05-549 | Value-added Sustainable Animal Production with Natural and Organic Leathers | $5,500 | Brent Ladd | |
| FNC05-568 | Innovative Field to Market Processes for Small Produce Farms | $5,901 | Kevin Cooley | |
| FNC05-582 | Development of Organic Weed Control Strategies | $17,896 | Dale Rhoads Rhoads Farm | |
| FNC04-517 | Benefits - Evaluation of the Application of Compost Tea in Growing Organic Vegetables | $5,297 | Dan Flotow Country Garden & Farm Market | |
| FNC03-476 | Investigating the Use of Compost Tea for Rapid Restoration of Soil Ecology on Four Indiana Farms | $17,959 | Jim Tarnowski | |
| FNC02-389 | Reasibility and Effect of Grass-Based Dairying on the Family Farm | $5,970 | Roger Garland | |
| FNC02-402 | Vaporizer for Mite Control in Beehives | $3,441 | Kenny Schneider | |
| FNC02-419 | Low-Tech Season Extended Production: Yield and Marketability of Salad Greens Varieties | $5,132 | Ivor Chodkowski | |
| FNC01-367 | Clearspring Produce Auction | $15,000 | Harvey Bontrager | |
| FNC01-380 | Advancing Organic Orcharding Through the Use of Kaolin Clay | $4,860 | Dale Rhoads Rhoads Farm | |
| FNC00-291 | White Violet Farm Fiber Research Project | $5,000 | Ann Sullivan White Violet Center | |
| FNC00-308 | Clearspring Produce Auction | $14,595 | Harvey Bontrager | |
| FNC99-271 | Jacksonville Vineyard | $3,432 | Steve Crabtree | |
| FNC99-286 | Lettuce Season Extension Trials | $3,450 | Dale Rhoads Rhoads Farm | |
| FNC98-206 | Alternative Use for Small Tobacco Acreage in Southeastern Indiana | $3,270 | Denise Dailey | |
| FNC97-191 | Great Circle FAr, CSA/Permaculture Demonstration Site | $5,000 | Beth Neff | |
| FNC97-195 | Ornamental Bittersweet Production for Small Woodland Farms | $2,915 | Klueh John | |
| FNC96-129 | Community Farm Project | $5,000 | Emily Schabacker | |
| FNC96-151 | Matted Mulch as an Alternative to Herbicide in Strawberries, Melons and Tomatoes | $4,393 | Steve Fouts | |
| FNC96-160 | Livestock Re-establishment Research Project at White Violet Farm | $5,000 | Ann Sullivan White Violet Center | |
| FNC95-093 | Composting Poultry and Swine Carcasses | $4,926 | Mark Hart | |
| FNC95-112 | On-Farm Food Waste Composting | $5,000 | Larry Whinery | |
| FNC94-058 | Growing Better Crops with IPM | $3,175 | Brian Churchill | |
| FNC93-047 | Transition from Confinement to Grazing in Beef Cattle Production | $4,970 | Frances Leuken, Jr. | |
| FNC92-014 | Hairy Vetch as Weed Control Cover Crop in Vegetable Production | $3,620 | James Rose | |
| GRADUATE STUDENT GRANTS | ||||
| Project # | Project Title | SARE support | Project Leaders | |
| GNC24-384 | Application of insect-derived resources as soil amendments | $19,025 | Dr.Laura Ingwell Purdue University Milena Agila Purdue University | |
| GNC24-390 | From the Ground Up: Revealing How Regenerative Agriculture Nurtures Soil Arthropod Communities | $19,993 | Dr.Ian Kaplan Purdue University Christine Elliott, MSc Purdue University | |
| GNC24-396 | Evaluating the Nitrogen Fertilization Effects on Optimizing Root Traits System, Soil Health, and CO2 Emission Flux on Short and Tall Corn Hybrids | $19,999 | Yichao Rui Purdue University Binod Joshi Purdue University | |
| GNC23-371 | Improving Nitrogen Efficiency in Corn Production Systems with Data and Modeling | $14,901 | Dr.Dennis Buckmaster Purdue University Dr.Daniel Quinn Purdue University Dr.Ankita Raturi Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue Un Dr.Diane Wang Department of Agronomy, Purdue University Harsh Pathak Purdue University | |
| GNC23-374 | Quantifying the impact of cover crop implementation on sediment and nitrogen export in small agricultural watersheds and beyond | $14,917 | Dr.Jennifer Tank University of Notre Dame Abagael Pruitt University of Notre Dame | |
| GNC23-376 | Developing A Genomic Breeding Program for Indiana Bee Breeders | $14,999 | Brock Harpur Purdue University Dylan Ryals Purdue University | |
| GNC23-380 | Synergistic effects of entomopathogenic nematodes and trap cropping on adult and larval flea beetle population | $14,974 | Dr.Ian Kaplan Purdue University Julia Wooby Purdue University | |
| GNC22-349 | Gender, Sexuality, and Social Sustainability: Exploring Queer Farmers' Relationships, Ethics, and Practices in the Midwest | $14,972 | Dr.Elizabeth McClintock University of Notre Dame Taylor Hartson University of Notre Dame | |
| GNC22-355 | Field-Scale Evaluation of Corn Response to Nitrogen Fertilizer Application Timing following a Rye Cover Crop | $14,740 | Dr.Daniel Quinn Purdue University Dr.Shalamar Armstrong Purdue University Riley Seavers Purdue University | |
| GNC21-334 | Optimization of agricultural anaerobic co-digestion with diverse feedstocks | $14,978 | Dr.Jiqin Ni Purdue University Nathan Mosier Purdue University Jennifer Rackliffe Purdue University | |
| GNC20-294 | Establishing Pullet Welfare Measurements and Guidelines for Growers and Managers on Commercial Poultry Farms | $14,962 | Darrin Karcher, Ph.D. Purdue University Meagan Abraham, DVM Purdue University | |
| GNC20-304 | Assessing growers’ knowledge of and interest in implementing insect resistant varieties as a part of an integrated pest management plan | $13,588 | Dr.Elizabeth Long Purdue University Emily Justus Purdue University | |
| GNC20-311 | Examining the utility of black soldier fly larvae composting on urban farms | $14,832 | Dr.Laura Ingwell Purdue University Caydee Terrell Purdue University | |
| GNC20-315 | Design and Management of On-Farm Wetlands for Water Quality and Climate Regulation | $14,838 | Amanda Limiac Purdue University Danielle Winter Purdue University | |
| GNC19-277 | Sulfur Use for Northern Fowl Mite Control in Poultry Systems | $10,409 | Darrin Karcher, Ph.D. Purdue University Rachel Jarrett Purdue University | |
| GNC19-287 | Using high-frequency, real-time nitrate data to understand the potential for cover crops to improve storm resiliency in the face of a changing climate | $13,351 | Dr.Jennifer Tank University of Notre Dame Shannon Speir University of Notre Dame | |
| GNC18-256 | Developing Educational Resources on Sustainable Food Systems for High School Students | $11,354 | Neil Knobloch University of Illinois Mingla Charoenmuang Purdue University | |
| GNC18-262 | Developing Financial and Risk Management Tools for Organic Grain Farmers | $12,000 | Brady Brewer Purdue University Nathan Delay Purdue University Nicholas Lancaster Purdue University | |
| GNC18-264 | Springtails as Bioindicators of Soil Health | $11,988 | Dr.Jeffrey Holland Purdue University Eoghan McCroskey Purdue University | |
| GNC18-269 | Understanding Cereal Rye Nitrogen Decomposition and its Transition into Inorganic and Organic Soil Nitrogen Pools | $11,999 | Dr.Shalamar Armstrong Purdue University Dr.Richard Roth Iowa State University | |
| GNC16-231 | Understanding the Influence of Soil Microbial Diversity on the Synchronization of Cover Crop Residue Nitrogen Mineralization at Critical Growth Stages of Corn and Soybean Cash Crops | $11,154 | Dr.Shalamar Armstrong Purdue University Clayton Nevins Purdue University | |
| GNC15-199 | Functional Role of Native Mice in Midwestern Agroecosystems: Unwanted Pests or Friendly Neighbors? | $9,879 | Dr.Robert Swihart Purdue University Dr.Jacob Berl Purdue University | |
| GNC15-203 | Quantifying the Impacts of Planting Cover Crops as a Conservation Tool to Reduce Nutrient Loss from Midwestern Farms | $9,999 | Dr.Jennifer Tank University of Notre Dame Brittany Hanrahan University of Notre Dame | |
| GNC14-183 | Economic Based Decision Support for Sustainable Horse Drawn Farming Enterprises | $9,538 | Nicole Olynk Widmar Purdue University Elizabeth Byrd Purdue University | |
| GNC12-151 | Comparing the Effects of Spring and Fall Tillage on Larval Populations of a Beneficial Insect | $9,916 | Dr.Ian Kaplan Purdue University Dr.Carmen Blubaugh University of Illinois | |
| GNC10-122 | Evaluation of Grain Amaranth and Quinoa as Forage Crops to Improve the Sustainability and Profitability of Small Livestock Operations | $9,800 | Keith Johnson Purdue University Dr.Tamilee Nennich Purdue University John McMillan Purdue University | |
| GNC10-125 | Farmer Access to Regional Meat Processing Capacity in the North Central Region | $9,997 | Dr.Raymond Florax Purdue University Peter Mitchell Purdue University | |
| GNC10-129 | Growing Grain, Forage and/or Ethanol Feedstock | $10,000 | Dr.Dennis Buckmaster Purdue University Craig Dobbins Dr.Herbert Ohm Purdue University Dr.Lori Snyder Purdue University Dr.Tony Vyn Purdue University Samantha Shoaf Samantha Shoaf Purdue University | |
| GNC10-133 | Economic Based Decision Support to Promote Sustainable Livestock Enterprises | $10,000 | Joan Fulton Purdue University Anna Allcorn Purdue University | |
| GNC10-140 | Engaging Farmers to Improve Communication and Model Representation of Agricultural Ecosystem Services | $9,997 | Dr.Indrajeet Chaubey Purdue University Dr.Jane Frankenberger Purdue University Rebecca Logsdon Purdue University Margaret Kalcic Elizabeth Trybula | |
| GNC06-066 | Improving Agricultural Sustainability through Drainage Water Management Practices | $10,000 | Dr.Jane Frankenberger Purdue University Roxanne Adeuya Agricultural and Biological Engineering | |
| GNC05-045 | Using farmer input to develop research projects and outreach activities for organic agriculture | $10,000 | Kevin Gibson Purdue University David Hillger Purdue University | |
| GNC03-020 | Development of Appropriate Participatory On-Farm Trial Designs for Sustainable Precision Agriculture Systems | $10,000 | James Lowenberg-DeBoer Purdue University Terry Griffin Purdue University | |
| GNC02-009 | The Role of School Gardens in Influencing Attitudes of Students Toward Agriculture, Science, and the Environment while Fostering Academic Achievement in Classrooms | $10,000 | Kathryn Orvis Purdue University Amy Robinson-Dirks Purdue University | |
| ON FARM RESEARCH/PARTNERSHIP GRANTS | ||||
| Project # | Project Title | SARE support | Project Leaders | |
| ONC24-139 | Solving the Compost Conundrum: Utilizing Microbial Inoculation to Increase Fertility and Soil Health on Small Farms | $15,565 | Megan Ayers Urban Soil Health | |
| ONC24-141 | Addressing knowledge gaps in animal traction for vegetable production and forest management on Midwest farms | $46,660 | Moriah Bilenky Purdue University | |
| ONC24-149 | Partnership to Study Sustainable Methods for Growing Figs in the North Central Region | $49,898 | Dr.Kris Heeter NAFEX | |
| ONC23-134 | Food, Farming and Sustainability: A Whole Systems Approach for Farm-to-School Education for the Future of Food Security. | $38,192 | Therese Zimmerman Good Shepherd Montessori School | |
| ONC22-109 | On-Farm Internships to Increase Sustainable Urban Farming in Lake County, Indiana | $39,997 | Rebecca Koetz Purdue Extension | |
| ONC21-097 | Farm Education for Core Curriculum: Teachers and Farmers Partnering for the Future of Food Security | $39,999 | Therese Zimmerman Good Shepherd Montessori School | |
| ONC20-068 | Stories that Sell: A Robust Communications Toolkit for Sustainable Ag Farmers and Ranchers | $39,806 | Ahna Kruzic Women, Food and Agriculture Network Juliann Salinas WFAN | |
| ONC20-080 | Hoosier Harvest 365 Hospital Delivery Program Expansion | $38,000 | Amy Surburg Hoosier Harvest Market | |
| ONC18-044 | Making the Most of Mulch: Strategic Systems for Small Organic Tomato Growers | $28,394 | Dr.Heather Reynolds Indiana University | |
| ONC17-023 | Indy Urban Mushrooms: Growing Revenue Through Collaborative Exploration of Mushroom Production | $29,865 | Dr.Julia Angstmann Center for Urban Ecology and Sustainability, Butler University | |
| ONC17-027 | Using Grafting Technology to Enhance Greenhouse Cucumber Production in High Tunnels | $29,791 | Wenjing Guan Purdue University | |
| ONC15-008 | Scheduling Vegetable Planting for Winter Protected Production in the Midwest | $29,994 | Elizabeth Maynard Purdue University | |
| YOUTH EDUCATOR GRANTS | ||||
| Project # | Project Title | SARE support | Project Leaders | |
| YENC25-230 | The Agroecology Futurists Club | $6,000 | Leslie Etienne, Ph.D. IU Indianapolis john jamerson Legacy Taste of the Garden LLC Khalil Mwafrika Kheprw Institute | |
| YENC25-232 | Vernon Township Junior Green Thumbs | $5,741 | Katie Howell Purdue University Extension Hancock County Florence May Vernon Township | |
| YENC25-239 | Garden on wheels- An educational Mobile Garden unit for Schools | $5,999 | Gowri Somasundaram Eco Circle LLC | |
| YENC24-211 | Exploration of Micro-Economics on the Modern Small Farm. Community Outreach through Advanced Gardening in Protected Culture. | $5,786 | Axel Cooper Community Montessori | |
| YENC22-173 | Young Grow Getters | $6,000 | Shalise Lee Growing Places Indy | |
| YENC22-176 | Migrant Summer School Program | $6,000 | Andrea Crawford El Campito Child Development Center | |
| YENC22-177 | Youth Grow Indy Programming | $4,237 | Danielle Guerin Soul Food Project | |
| YENC21-157 | Growing Places Indy "Grow Getters" Program | $4,000 | Victoria Beaty Growing Places Indy | |
| YENC20-152 | Creating Youth Leaders Using Sustainable Urban Agricultural Practices | $3,828 | Alexandria Pettigrew Purdue Extension Nathan Shoaf Purdue Extension Beth Siple Purdue University | |
| YENC19-134 | STEM and Sustainable Agriculture: Modeling an Interdisciplinary Approach in the High School Setting. | $3,954 | Kelly Hladek Munster High School | |
| YENC19-143 | Teter Farm Camp | $4,000 | MaryEllen St.Angelo Teter Organic Farm | |
| YENC17-112 | The Garbage to Garden Project: Providing Composting Services and Education | $1,320 | Kathy Haste Johnson County Soil & Water Conservation District | |
| YENC17-113 | Edible Schoolyard Bedford | $1,998 | Jamie Hooten Lincoln Elementary School/Lincoln Green Thumbs | |
| YENC17-117 | School-Farm Partnerships: Creating Natural Systems of Education for Food Production and Environmental Stewardship | $2,000 | Dr.Eric Oglesbee Good Shepherd Montessori School | |
| YENC16-098 | Growing Places Indy High School Supervised Agricultural Experience | $2,000 | Tyler Henderson Growing Places Indy | |
| YENC14-071 | Youth Conservation Field Day | $2,000 | Janel Meyer Steuben County Soil and Water Conservation District | |
| YENC14-073 | Sustainable Agriculture Through Home Composting | $2,000 | Virginia Roberts Purdue University - Marion County Extension Jeffrey Jones Purdue Extension | |
| YENC14-076 | Watching Food Grow: a small organic apple orchard at a rural elementary school | $1,934 | Dr.Perry Kirkham Wea Creek Orchard Mike Pinto James A Cole Elementary | |
| YENC14-081 | Northeast Indiana sustainable agriculture field day to increase youth interest in sustainable agriculture concepts and careers | $1,967 | Jonathon Zirkle Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College | |
| YENC09-012 | Exploring Sustainability through Conventional Row Crop Farm | $2,000 | Leslie Fairchilde Columbus High School | |
| YENC09-014 | Harvest Learning Initiative | $520 | Roberta Jannsen Shawnash Institute, Inc. Clara Clark New Prairie High School | |
| YOUTH GRANTS | ||||
| Project # | Project Title | SARE support | Project Leaders | |
| YNC09-032 | Testing Fly Control Methods to Encourage Urban Poultry | $395.50 | Libby Beetem | |
| YNC08-007 | Impact of Rotational Grazing on Species Composition in a Square Foot Plot During a 21 Day Rotational Grazing Cycle – May through September, 2009 | $263 | Graham Rider Thistle Byre Farm | |
| YNC08-008 | The Efficiency of Jerusalem Artichokes (Sunchokes) as a Part of a Diversified Pasture Plan for My Free Range Feed Pigs | $384.50 | Andrew Rider | |
| PDP STATE PROGRAM GRANTS | ||||
| The following are non-competitive awards that fund the activities of the SARE state coordinator(s) within each state. | ||||
| Project # | Project Title | SARE support | Project Leaders | |
| NCIN22-002 | Indiana SARE Plan of Work 2023-24 | $140,000 | Lais McCartney Purdue Extension Hancock County | |
| NCIN22-001 | Indiana 2023-24 State PDP Plan of Work | $140,000 | Lais McCartney Purdue Extension Hancock County | |
| WNC20-102 | NCR SARE - Indiana State Plan of Work 2021-2022 | $130,000 | Lais McCartney Purdue Extension Hancock County Henry Quesada | |
| NCIN19-001 | Indiana 19-20 Plan of Work | $130,000 | Lais McCartney Purdue Extension Hancock County | |
| NCIN17-001 | Indiana Annual State Report | $110,000 | Roy Ballard Purdue Extension Dr.Tamara Benjamin Purdue University | |
For further information on projects, contact North Central SARE at (612) 626-3113 or ncrsare@umn.edu.
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) is funded by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).