ISU Extension News

Extension Communications
3614 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3614
(515) 294-9915

7/19/02

Contacts:
Jerry DeWitt, College of Ag and Natural Resources, (515) 294-7801
Julie Todd, Continuing Education and Communication Services, (515) 294-2405

SARE Hosts Workshops on Writing Better Proposals

AMES, Iowa -- The USDA's Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program is holding summer workshops for project coordinators, farmers, educators and others who are interested in writing better SARE proposals. Iowans who plan on submitting proposals should consider attending one of the regional workshops.

The workshops will focus ondeal with developing an effective results-oriented proposal that focuses on change on farms and in communities to foster sustainable farming systems. Participants will receive an introduction to outcome-based planning and evaluation techniques and have an opportunity to discuss projects with SARE staff. Workshops will be particularly helpful for individuals interested in submitting proposals to the Research and Education program or the Professional Development Program because those two programs emphasize outcomes and evaluation. Each year, Iowans submit 10 to 20 proposals in these two program areas and half are funded.

The workshops will be held in July and August throughout the North Central Region: Champaign-Urbana, Illinois (July 29, 1-4 p.m.); Madison, Wisconsin (August 2, 9 a.m.-12:00 p.m.); Toledo, Ohio (August 6, 1-4 p.m.); Fargo, North Dakota (August 13, 1-4 p.m.); and Kansas City, Missouri (August 22, 1-4 p.m.). The workshops are free to those who preregister.

"Iowa producers, nonprofit representatives and other university partners have many good ideas for projects that are economically profitable and environmentally sound, and a well designed proposal increases funding success to implement these ideas, both locally and regionally," said Jerry DeWitt, Iowa State University sustainable agriculture extension coordinator. Attendance at these workshops in the past has been highly correlated with getting a proposal accepted.

To register for a workshop, contact Paula Ford at pford@oznet.ksu.edu or call 785-532-5328 at least one week before the workshop.

For more information on SARE, see the North Central Region SARE Web site at www.sare.org/ncrsare or the national SARE program Web site at www.sare.org.

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