Farmer Rancher Grant Webinar and Live Q&A

When hosting our SARE’s Farmers Forum, we’ve seen farmers and ranchers like you walk up to our state coordinator booth with real questions, real ideas, and real challenges. You engaged, and you got curious about what’s possible. Now we’re inviting you to take the next step!

Join IDEA Farm Network for a live webinar featuring IL State SARE Coordinator, Cate Loomis, and local farmer and Farmer Rancher Grant recipient, Will Glazik. Together, they’ll walk you through everything you need to know about the grant and show you what’s possible when a farmer like you decides to apply.

This is your chance to get answers, hear a real success story, and determine if the SARE Farmer Rancher Grant is the right next step for your operation.

What You’ll Learn

What the Farmer Rancher Grant is – A competitive grant program exclusively for farmers and ranchers exploring sustainable solutions through on-farm research, demonstration, and education.
Who is eligible – If you’re a farmer or rancher in the North Central region, this grant is designed for you—no research background required.
What gets funded – Projects that address real challenges like reducing off-farm inputs, controlling erosion, improving marketing, enhancing quality of life, and more.
How much you can receive – Up to $15,000 for individual projects or $30,000 for team projects involving two or more farms.
A real farmer’s experience – Hear directly from a local grant recipient about their project, what they learned, and what they’d tell other farmers considering applying.
How to apply – A step-by-step overview of the application process, timelines, and tips for submitting a strong proposal.
Live Q&A – Ask your specific questions and get direct answers.

Who Should Attend?

This webinar is for you if you are:

A farmer or rancher with an idea for improving sustainability on your operation
Someone who’s attended the Farmers Forum and wanted to learn more
Curious about whether SARE Farmer Rancher Grant is a good fit for your goals
Ready to apply but want clarity on eligibility, project design, or the application process
A beginning farmer, small-scale, or someone new to grant funding
An agricultural service provider who works with farmers and wants to share this opportunity

Meet Your Presenters

Cate has ten years experience developing and coordinating grant funded conservation agriculture programs. These have included managing government conservation programs at a Soil and Water Conservation District, advocating for legislation to support sustainable agriculture in Illinois, and developing a multi-year SARE funded research project. They now use their grant writing experience and knowledge of the SARE program to help farmers, researchers, and agriculture educators learn about and apply for SARE grants. Their additional experience as a regenerative produce farmer helps them better understand the challenges facing farmers and find new opportunities for IL SARE to support them and their operations. When not working on IL SARE programs, Cate can be found working on their farm, playing in nature with their kids, building or fixing all sorts of things, and when possible, taking the odd night off to just relax with their partner.

Will Glazik, from Paxton, IL, is a second generation organic farmer and crop advisor. Will was raised on a mixed row crop and livestock certified organic farm before he studied Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois. After graduation, Will went to work in agriculture retail sales prior to share crop farming 800 acres. Currently he is utilizing some no till organic practices on his farm as well as markets consulting for organic row crop and organic transition farmers. Will is a cofounder of the IDEA Farm Network which is a learning community for organic and conservation minded farmers in the Midwest. He raises corn, soybeans, oats and wheat as well as specialty grains like open pollinated corn and grains for brewers and distillers. It is Will’s belief that the best way to increase organic acres is through strong, consistent domestic markets. Along with his brothers Clayton and Dallas, Will is a founder of Silver Tree Spirits, LLC.