Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program

SARE is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's primary means of studying and publicizing sustainable agriculture practices. Through a competitive grants program that works with teams of agencies, organizations, and farmers, more than 3000 (8/23/07) projects have been implemented.

Initially called the Low-Input Sustainable Agriculture (LISA) program, SARE was authorized by Congress in the Food Security Act of 1985 (P.L. 99-198) in response to widespread acknowledgment that science-based information was lacking for farmers seeking to reduce chemical use in crop production. The LISA program got started with a $3.9 million appropriation in 1988. The Food, Agriculture, Conservation and Trade Act of 1990 renamed LISA the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, and added two other programs--one for research on integrated crop/livestock operations, and another to train Extension Service agents in disseminating sustainable farming practices. In 1991, the SARE program began cooperating with the Environmental Protection Agency to administer the Agriculture in Concert with the Environment (ACE)program.

For more information: Sustainable Agriculture Network 
Website: http://www.sare.org