Virginia SARE
Image of a SARE Grantee showing off seedlings.
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) offers farmer-driven, grassroots grants and education programs. Since 1988, SARE's grants program has been supporting research and education projects that bring new ideas to farms and ranches around the country.
Virginia SARE is proud to support the work of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program on a state-wide level. A combined team from Virginia State University and Virginia Tech provides professional development and education to producers and researchers in order to advance sustainable practices across all of the commonwealth’s agriculture sectors. Virginia SARE provides educational programming that aims to:
- Encourage ecological management.
- Promote natural resource conservation.
- Regenerate landscapes.
- Strengthen financial viability.
- Develop local and regional food systems.
- Build community networks.
- Fortify the state’s farm and food system resilience.
Virginia SARE accomplishes these goals by offering ongoing professional development opportunities for agricultural professionals and mentor farmer-leaders in order to enhance their knowledge and expertise in sustainable agricultural principles and practices, emerging research, and innovations. In addition, Virginia SARE builds awareness of the six grant programs that Southern SARE administers, which farmers, agricultural professionals, educators, researchers, graduate students, and community-based organizations are eligible for to pursue on-farm research, education, demonstration, and ongoing professional development.
We invite you to learn more about Southern SARE projects in Virginia, grant opportunities and professional development programming. More information is also available on the Virginia SARE website and in the SARE Virginia State Profile.
Since the program's inception in 1988, Virginia has received over $3,000,000 of SARE funding for 50 unique projects. SARE Research in Virginia has covered a wide variety of topics, including livestock production, soil health, seed-breeding, agro-forestry and much more. Learn more about these projects.
Southern SARE offers competitive research grants as the primary tool of its programming. These grants are available for academics, producers, and ag professionals to explore a variety of sustainable agriculture topics and improve community, conservation and the profitability of farms. See below for information about available grant opportunities. Learn more about current research grant opportunities with Southern SARE.
Professional Development Programming
Virginia SARE receives annual funds to support Extension personnel, USDA service providers and mentor-farmers with scholarships, mini-grants and other programming for professional development purposes. Find out more about professional development opportunities.
Staff Contact Information
Virginia State University
- Dr. Sanjun Gu – State Coordinator sgu@vsu.edu, (804) 524-5480
- Peter Coffey - Program Assistant plcoffey@vsu.edu, (804) 894-4214
Virginia Tech
- Dr. Katie Trozzo - State Coordinator, ketrozzo@vt.edu, (540) 232-2233
- Marian Dalke – Program Assistant, mdalke@vt.edu, (540) 232-6010