Southern SARE
Southern SARE is a federally funded grants and education program serving 13 Southern U.S. states and 2 territories, providing competitive grants, professional development, and farmer training in sustainable agriculture to farmers, ranchers, researchers, and educators under USDA NIFA.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersGriffin, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Southern SARE does
Southern SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) is a federally funded, decentralized competitive grants and education program serving 13 Southern U.S. states and 2 territories (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Virginia). It is one of four regional entities under the national SARE program, which has distributed $499.2 million across 10,100 projects since 1988. The Southern region alone has awarded $106.7 million across 1,677 grants over the same period. Southern SARE provides grant funding, educational publications, professional development, and farmer training to three primary customer segments: farmers and ranchers, researchers and educators, and agricultural service providers including Extension professionals.
Southern SARE's core offerings are organized into six grant categories — Research and Education, Professional Development Program, Farmer/Rancher, On-Farm Research/Partnership, Graduate Student, and Education Only grants — each with distinct eligibility criteria and funding levels. In the 2022-2025 cycle, the region awarded 23 Research and Education grants totaling $9,037,331 alongside smaller allocations across other program types. The program also maintains a comprehensive Resources and Learning library including the biennial Report from the Field, the Building a Sustainable Business workbook, Enterprise Budgets for Diversified Farms tools, and topic-specific fact sheets. An online grant management platform (projects.sare.org) enables project search and administration. The underlying technology is not proprietary; SARE operates as a program delivery vehicle, not a technology company.
The business model is a federal grants pass-through structure funded through a cooperative agreement with USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), administered via the University of Maryland (national award no. 2024-38640-42986). Southern SARE does not sell products or services; grants and publications are provided free of charge. Revenue mechanics depend entirely on annual federal appropriations rather than market pricing. Outreach is conducted through state coordinators, regional websites, social media, email newsletters, field days, and farm tours — a decentralized, relationship-driven GTM motion typical of federal Extension-adjacent programs. Note: firmographic data classifies the entity as "for_profit," but all substantive evidence (federal funding source, government entity classification, statutory authorization under the Food, Agriculture, Conservation and Trade Act, cooperative agreement structure, absence of equity investors) indicates it is a federal/state government grants program, not a commercial enterprise.
Southern SARE firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Southern SARE
- Legal name
- Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
- Website
- https://sare.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Southern SARE is a federally funded grants and education program serving 13 Southern U.S. states and 2 territories, providing competitive grants, professional development, and farmer training in sustainable agriculture to farmers, ranchers, researchers, and educators under USDA NIFA.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Southern SARE industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Agricultural Research and Education Grants
- NAICS
- Support Activities for Crop Production (11511), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Agricultural Services (700), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Land-Grant Public Research Universities (EDAHAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Remote Sensing & Crop Scouting Services (Satellite, Drone Imagery, In‑Field Sensing) (AFACACAA)
Keywords
Where Southern SARE is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Griffin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Southern SARE business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- USDA Grant Funding: SARE is funded through a cooperative agreement with the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under award no. 2024-38640-42986. The program distributes grants to support farmers, ranchers, researchers and educators in improving the sustainability of U.S. agriculture.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Southern SARE product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Southern SARE is a regional component of the USDA-funded Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program that distributes competitive grants to farmers, ranchers, researchers, and educators across 13 Southern states and 2 territories to advance sustainable agriculture. It also delivers professional development for agricultural service providers and maintains a research-based library of publications, fact sheets, bulletins, and online tools. The program is supported by an online grant management system (projects.sare.org) and operates without charging fees to grantees or resource users.
Product overview
Southern SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) is a decentralized competitive grants and education program operating under the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The program is divided into four regional entities (North Central, Northeast, Southern, and Western) that run grant programs for their states. The core offerings include competitive grants supporting farmers, ranchers, researchers and educators, professional development programs, and a comprehensive Resources and Learning library featuring publications such as the Report from the Field, Building a Sustainable Business workbook, The Basics of Farm Business Planning, Enterprise Budgets for Diversified Farms, and the Sustainable Control of Parasites fact sheet. An online grant management system (projects.sare.org) enables project searching and grant administration. Since 1988, SARE has provided $499.2M in funding across 10.1K projects.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SARE Grants Program
- Professional Development Program
- Resources and Learning Library
- SARE Projects Application and Reporting System
Quantifiable outcome
- 683 producers actively participated in research in Western region (2022-2023)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Southern SARE
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Southern SARE technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Southern SARE partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- University of MarylandcoreSARE operates under a cooperative agreement with the University of Maryland, which hosts the National SARE office and provides administrative support for the program.
- State Cooperative ExtensioncoreState Extension services partner with SARE through state coordinators who facilitate program outreach and grant coordination at the local level.
- Washington State UniversitycoreWSU serves as research partner, providing academic expertise and technical guidance for agroforestry and sustainable agriculture research projects.
- Snohomish Conservation DistrictcoreLocal conservation district partners with SARE to provide agricultural technical assistance and outreach services to farmers in Western Washington.
- Sustainable Farming AssociationminorRegional farmer organization that helps disseminate research results and facilitates farmer-to-farmer knowledge sharing.
- Northern Plains Sustainable Agriculture SocietyminorRegional sustainable agriculture organization that provides conference platforms for sharing SARE-funded research findings.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Southern SARE competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ATTRA / National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT): Federally funded sustainable agriculture program providing education, publications, and technical assistance to farmers. ATTRA's mission and outreach structure directly parallel Southern SARE's farmer-training and resource library activities.
- American Farmland Trust: Nonprofit focused on protecting farmland and advancing sustainable agriculture through research, education, and policy advocacy. AFT's mission of supporting farmers in adopting conservation practices parallels SARE's farmer-driven research and education model.
- Wallace Center (Winrock International): Program of Winrock International focused on developing resilient, sustainable regional food systems through grants, research, and producer support. Operates in adjacent space to SARE's sustainable agriculture mission with overlapping grantee base.
- Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR): Public-private partnership that funds agricultural research through competitive grants, comparable to SARE in mission (advancing sustainable agriculture science) and grant-making model. FFAR complements USDA research investments, much as SARE does through its cooperative agreement with USDA NIFA.
- North Central SARE: Sister regional entity under the same SARE program, administering sustainable agriculture grants across the North Central U.S. Operates with identical structure, grant types, and USDA NIFA funding mechanism as Southern SARE.
Broad incumbents
- USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS): USDA's in-house research agency conducting agricultural science across crops, livestock, and natural resources. ARS is a broader incumbent in federally funded agricultural research with overlapping scientific domains to SARE-funded projects.
- USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS): Federal agency administering conservation programs (EQIP, CSP) that fund on-farm sustainability practices. NRCS is a comparable USDA-funded mechanism for supporting producer-led conservation, though focused on cost-share rather than research.
- Cooperative Extension System (USDA NIFA): The broader USDA Cooperative Extension System delivers agricultural research-based education to farmers via land-grant universities, the same network SARE coordinates with through state coordinators. Comparable in target audience (farmers, ranchers) and education-and-outreach mandate, but broader in scope.
Others
- National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC): Advocacy coalition that influences federal policy on sustainable agriculture, including SARE's authorizing legislation and farm bill programs. An ecosystem partner that shapes the policy environment SARE operates within.
- University of Maryland (College Park): Hosts the National SARE office under the cooperative agreement and provides administrative backbone for the federal program. A land-grant research university with deep ties to SARE's national operations, more institutional partner than direct peer.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Southern SARE social profiles
Digital presenceSouthern SARE financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Southern SARE leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Southern SARE subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Southern SARE funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Southern SARE M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Southern SARE
What does Southern SARE do?
Southern SARE is a regional component of the USDA-funded Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program that distributes competitive grants to farmers, ranchers, researchers, and educators across 13 Southern states and 2 territories to advance sustainable agriculture. It also delivers professional development for agricultural service providers and maintains a research-based library of publications, fact sheets, bulletins, and online tools. The program is supported by an online grant management system (projects.sare.org) and operates without charging fees to grantees or resource users.
Is Southern SARE a public or private company?
Southern SARE is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Southern SARE founded?
Southern SARE was founded in 1988. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Southern SARE based?
Southern SARE is headquartered in Griffin, United States, in the North America region.
How does Southern SARE make money?
One revenue line is on record: USDA Grant Funding.
Who are Southern SARE's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ATTRA / National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), American Farmland Trust, Wallace Center (Winrock International), Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) and North Central SARE. Broad incumbents are USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS), USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Cooperative Extension System (USDA NIFA). Others are National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) and University of Maryland (College Park).
Does Southern SARE have an API?
No public API is recorded for Southern SARE.
What industry is Southern SARE in?
Southern SARE's product category is Agricultural Research and Education Grants. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHAAAB, Land-Grant Public Research Universities, with a secondary code of AFACACAA, Remote Sensing & Crop Scouting Services (Satellite, Drone Imagery, In‑Field Sensing). Its NAICS code is 11511 and its SIC code is 700.