Kansas residents receive sustainable agriculture grant
Three Kansas residents have been selected to receive grants from the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program for their projects.
Each grant was awarded as part of the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program’s 2026 Farmer Rancher Grant Program, a competitive program for farmers and ranchers who want to explore sustainable solutions to problems through on-farm research, demonstration and education projects. The awards, listed by community, and comments from the applicants follow.
Esbon
Jennifer Simmelink, Kansas Soil Health Alliance, $30,000—enhancing range and pasture soil health, productivity and quality using producer-focused, on-farm studies in eastern Kansas and Oklahoma.
“A producer network in Kansas and Oklahoma will conduct studies will continue to evaluate forage quantity and quality along with soil health parameters to increase their understanding on how to manage their range and pasture systems for increased livestock production, profitability, and sustainability.”
Lawrence
Cari Werner, Hawk ’n Cat Farm, $15,000—pasture-raised heritage hybrid broiler adaptive ration formulation for feed conversion efficiency, nutrient density and profitability.
“This project will evaluate feed for pasture raised heritage hybrid broilers to improve nutrient density, and feed conversion rate to determine if HH broilers can gain enough weight while maintaining flavor and nutrition to compete as alternatives to conventional Cornish cross broilers.”
Manhattan
Leah McKeeman, TerraVie, $29,991—innovative virtual fencing and regenerative goat grazing to improve fragile native prairie ecosystems in the Flint Hills.
“This project will leverage new virtual fencing, containment, and shelter technologies for goats to improve native tall grass prairie ecosystems, including invasive species control, within a multi-species grazing system for improved regenerative outcomes without chemicals.”
The focus for each of the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education grant programs is on research and education. Funding considerations are based on how well the applicant presents the problem being addressed, the project’s relevance to sustainable agriculture in the 12-state North Central region and how well it aligns with the program’s goals, among other factors specific to each grant program.
The program’s Administrative Council members decide which projects will receive funds. The council includes a mix of agricultural stakeholders in the region. Council members come from regional farms, ranches, the Cooperative Extension Service, universities, federal agencies and nonprofits.
Since 1988, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program has helped advance farming systems that improve profitability, stewardship and quality of life through a nationwide research and education grants program. The program, part of USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, funds projects and conducts outreach designed to bring sustainable innovations to agricultural systems.
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