Source: UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY submitted to
WESTERN REGION SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION-SARE-PROGRAM
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
TERMINATED
Funding Source
COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0186372
Grant No.
00-COOP-1-9184
Project No.
UTA00356
Proposal No.
2000-05590
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Program Code
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Aug 15, 2000
Project End Date
Aug 14, 2005
Grant Year
2000
Project Director
Rasmussen, V. P.
Recipient Organization
UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
LOGAN,UT 84322
Performing Department
PLANTS, SOILS & BIOMETEOROLOGY
Non Technical Summary
The regional competitive grants program was established to educate and help the agriculture industry become more profitable, protect natural resources along with the environment, and improve quality of life.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
90271103030100%
Knowledge Area
902 - Administration of Projects and Programs;

Subject Of Investigation
7110 - Research on research management;

Field Of Science
3030 - Information and communication;
Goals / Objectives
Coordination of the USDA SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) Program for 13 State and Island Protectorates (Am. Samoa, Guam, Micronesia, No. Mariana Islands) of the Western Region. Each agreement supports approximately 10 Research and Extension projects (including projects of USDA/EPA/ACE/Agro-Forestry) and 27 farmer projects.
Project Methods
Release/send out Calls for Proposals. Assemble a Technical Committee to review proposals, and convene a WSARE Administrative Council, which selects projects and sets the Region's policy. Produce annual reports and other materials for distribution of program results. To see a listing of all SARE funded projects, go to the SARE Website at http://www.sare.org.

Progress 08/15/00 to 08/14/05

Outputs
This project oversees coordination of the USDA SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education) Program for the 13 states and 4 Pacific Trust Territories in the Western Region. Each yearly agreement represents oversight of approximately $3.7 million dollars per region. Each regional agreement supports approximately 14 Research & Education projects (including projects of USDA/EPA/Agroforestry), 20 PDP projects, and 60 Farmer/Rancher plus Producer/Professional Partnership projects. To see a listing of all SARE funded projects, go to the SARE Website at http://www.sare.org (national USDA SARE site); or, for regional emphases and results, go to the Western SARE Website at http://wsare.usu.edu via the world wide web.

Impacts
The Washington State University SCERC (Social and Economic Sciences Research Center) and the University of Arizona Extension Social Science Research Center have completed specific IMPACT surveys for Western SARE. Quantifiable Economic Impacts (positive) of SARE practices included: American Samoa=$35,000 per farm; California=$6000 per farm; Colorado= $2500 per farm per year; Hawaii=$400 per small (vegetable) farm; Idaho=$60,000 per ranch; Northern Mariana Islands=$500 per field ($2500 per typical herb farm); Montana=$10,000 per farm; New Mexico;=$500 per minor crop (basil) ($2500 per farm); Oregon=$1500 per farmstand; Utah=$100-300/acre ($3000 per small farm); Washington=$1000 per farmers market per year; and, Wyoming=$.75 per chicken (at least $7500 per range chicken operation). These are actual responses from bone fide farms and ranches. They represent conservative estimates. However, across the 5 year life of this Cooperative Agreement; and, across the entire Western Region, a POSITIVE ECONOMIC IMPACT of over $350 million is a reasonable total.

Publications

  • Daines, Ron, and V. Philip Rasmussen. Western Region SARE Yearly Report 2005. Plants, Soils & Biometeorology Dept. Utah State University. (web version released) December 2005. 58 projects. (see: http://wsare.usu.edu)


Progress 01/01/04 to 12/31/04

Outputs
This 5-year administrative project for the Western SARE competitive grants program was initiated in 2000. $1,883,356 of R&E funds in 61 grants or other subprojects; and $699,244 of PDP funds in 27 grants or subprojects were administered competitively. The Western SARE headquarters at Utah State University continues to coordinate the USDA SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) Program for the 17 states and trust territories in the Western Region. Administrative oversight includes: releasing Calls for Proposals in six different program areas; assembling appropriate Technical Review Committees to review proposals; convening the Western SARE Administrative Council (governing board, as defined by Congress) at least twice yearly for appropriate budgetary and project oversight; gather reports from funded projects; produce written and electronic materials for distribution of program results; fiscally manage all grants and contracts; and, solve interim problems with active contracts and grants. An administrative review and program audit of this project by USDA-CSREES personnel found this project to be well-administered, equitable in all competitive decisions, and fiscally prudent, while concomitantly administering over 348 contracts/grants, worth over $21 million.

Impacts
An investment of approximately $1.7 million in competitive grants returned an impact of over $150 million across the region. A survey of stakeholders indicated a return on investment of nearly 88 to 1.

Publications

  • Daines, Ron, and V. Philip Rasmussen. 2004. Western Region SARE Field Report Summaries - 2004. November 30, 2004. 42 pp. (USDA-SAN/SARE on-line publication).


Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03

Outputs
The Western SARE program has continued to implement programs, as directed and authorized in Subtitle B of Public Law 101-624. The program funded approximately $3.4 million (through authorization from USDA-CSREES) in research and education projects across the Western Region in 2003. This funding has grown from under $1 million in 1993 to $3.4 million in 2003. The total number of grants administered by the WSARE program has grown from 3 projects transferred from California at the end of 1993 to 27 in 1994, 74 in 1995, 136 in 1996, to over 469 in 2003. Region-wide, $2.52 million was awarded in 2003 to sustainable agriculture and pollution prevention research projects; over $505,000 was allocated to professional education efforts for extension and other agricultural personnel; and about $236,000 was split among 33 farmer/rancher-initiated projects in the Western U.S. In addition, another $170,000 will be split among state and territory Cooperative Extension programs in the West to further state-level Extension activities for sustainable agriculture professional development. Further results are available on the Web at: http://wsare.usu.edu. To see a listing of all (national) SARE funded projects and their results, go to the national SARE website at: http://www.sare.org. The impact of the program is best measured on the farms and ranches. A current survey of measurable impacts in just one state (Arizona) is over $2.2 million.

Impacts
The impact of the program is best measured on the farms and ranches. A survey of stakeholders was conducted in 2001 by Washington State University's CSRC. With an N=237, 59.7% of the cooperators indicated a positive cash flow due to WSARE technologies. 54.2% continued with the method during a second crop year. This shows that the technologies were successful. The dollar impact was estimated at over $50 million to these 237 growers. This is a very conservative estimate.

Publications

  • Daines, Ron, and V. Philip Rasmussen. Western Region SARE Field Report Summaries -- 2003. Western SARE Program, USU Plants, Soils, & Biometeorology Department. (Web version released) June 30, 2003. 36 pp.
  • Daines, Ron, and V. Philip Rasmussen. Simply Sustainable. 2004. Western SARE Program, USU Plants, Soils & Biometeorology Department. January 2004. 22 p.
  • Rasmussen, V.P., Freeburn, J, and McEvoy, R. 2003. How to Write a Successful WSARE Grant. 60 minutes video. Western SARE Program and U.S.U. Cooperative Extension Service. Logan, UT. May 2003. VHS and DVD Formats.


Progress 01/01/02 to 12/31/02

Outputs
The Western SARE program has continued to implement programs, as directed and authorized in Subtitle B of Public Law 101-624. The program funded approximately $3.1 million in (through authorization from USDA-CSREES) research and education projects across the Western Region in 2002. This funding has grown from roughly $1.1 million in 1994 to $2.8 million in 2001. IT WILL TOTAL OVER $3.1 million in 2003. The total number of grants administered by the WSARE program has grown from 3 projects transferred from California at the end of 1993 to 27 in 1994, 74 in 1995, 136 in 1996, to over 454 in 2002. Region-wide, $1.4 million was awarded in 2002 to sustainable agriculture and pollution prevention research projects; over $571,000 was allocated to professional education efforts for extension and other agricultural personnel; and about $240,000 was split among 27 farmer/rancher-initiated projects in the Western U.S. In addition, another $170,000 will be split among state and territory Cooperative Extension programs in the West to further state-level Extension activities for sustainable agriculture professional development. Further results are available on the Web at: http://wsare.usu.edu.

Impacts
The impact of the program is best measured on the farms and ranches. A national survey and evaluation of SARE stakeholders was conducted in 2002 by Michael Grogh and Associates (Minneapolis, MN). Western SARE ranked highest compared to all other regions. An estimated impact ($ saved by farmers/ranchers) of over $2 million has been published.

Publications

  • No publications reported this period


Progress 01/01/01 to 12/31/01

Outputs
The Western SARE (WSARE) program has continued to implement research and education projects, as directed and authorized in Subtitle B of Public Law 101-624. The program funded approximately $2.8 million dollars in (through authorization from USDA-CSREES) research and education projects across the Western Region in 2001. This funding has grown from roughly $1.1 million in 1994 to $2.8 million in 2001. IT WILL TOTAL $3.4 million in 2002. The total number of grants administered by the WSARE program has grown from 3 projects transferred from California at the end of 1993 to 27 in 1994, 74 in 1995, 136 in 1996, to over 454 in 2002. Region-wide, $2.4 million was awarded in 2001 to sustainable agriculture and pollution prevention research projects; nearly $670,000 was allocated to professional education efforts for extension and other agricultural personnel; and, $204,000 was split among 8 Farmer Marketing projects and 20 Farmer/rancher-initiated projects in the Western U.S. In addition, another $161,500 will be split among state & territory Cooperative Extension programs in the west to further state-level Extension activities for sustainable agriculture professional development. We had additional support ($60,000) from the USDA-Agricultural Marketing Service in 2001. This is a MULTI-STATE, MULTI-AGENCY project. Further results are available on the Web at: http://wsare.usu.edu.

Impacts
A major congressional increase of over $1.5 million per region accrued in 2001. The impact of the program is best measured on the farms and ranches. A survey of stakeholders was conducted in 2001 by Washington State University's CSRC. With an N=237, 59.7% of the cooperators indicated a positive cash flow due to WSARE technologies. 54.2% continued with the method during a second crop year. This shows that the technologies were successful. The dollar impact was estimated at over $50 million to these 237 growers.

Publications

  • West, Richard, Lorelyn Wright, Thor Lindstrom, and V. Philip Rasmussen. Western Region SARE Field Report 2001. 2001. U.S.U. Plants, Soils & Biometeorology Department. (CD-ROM, Web & paper version released) December 31, 2001. 128 pp.


Progress 01/01/00 to 12/31/00

Outputs
The Western SARE program has continued to implement programs, as directed and authorized in Subtitle B of Public Law 101-624. The program funded approximately $2.2 million dollars in (through authorization from USDA-CSREES) research and education projects across the Western Region region in 2000. This funding has grown from roughly $1.1 million in 1994 to $2.2 million in 2000. IT WILL TOTAL $2.8 million on 2001. The total number of grants administered by the WSARE program has grown from 3 projects transferred from California at the end of 1993 to 27 in 1994, 74 in 1995, 136 in 1996, to over 400 in 2001. Region-wide, $1.4 million was awarded in 1999 to sustainable agriculture and pollution prevention research projects; nearly $435,000 was allocated to professional education efforts for extension and other agricultural personnel; and about $144,000 was split among 26 farmer/rancher-initiated projects in the Western U.S. In addition, another $161,500 will be split among state & territory Cooperative Extension programs in the west to further state-level Extension activities for sustainable agriculture professional development. We have additional support ($60,000) from the USDA-Agricultural Marketing Service in 2000. This is a MULTI-STATE, MULTI-AGENCY project. Further results are available on the Web at: http://wsare.usu.edu.

Impacts
The impact of the program is best measured on the farms and ranches. A survey of stakeholders in being conducted in 2001. The PRIMARY IMPACT of the Western Region SARE (in 2000) resulted from an extensive scientific conference March 7-9, 2000 in Portland, Oregon. The impact of this conference, was estimated by over 260 participants as over $5,000 on each farm and ranch. These impact data are being supplemented by a follow-up survey by Washington State University's CSRC in 2001.

Publications

  • Kelleher, Kristen, Lorelyn Wright, Thor Lindstrom, and V. Philip Rasmussen. Western Region SARE Field Report 2000. 2000. U.S.U. Plants, Soils & Biometeorology Department. (CD-ROM, Web & paper version released) December 31, 2000. 148 pp.
  • Van Daalen, Chris, Kristen Kelleher, Sean Swezey, Lorelyn Wright, Thor Lindstrom, and V. Philip Rasmussen. 2000. Sustainable Agriculture...Continuing to Grow. A proceedings of the "Farming and Ranching for Profit, Stewardship, and Community" Conference. March 7-9, 2000. (Web & paper version released) December 31, 2000. 144 pp.