The North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD) is delighted to announce the six projects awarded a 2026 Small Grant for Rural Development Research and/or Extension Projects in the North Central Region. All six projects that received funding offer new approaches to a wide mix of pertinent rural issues in the region such as: first generation farmers, rural outdoor recreation economies, farm transition resiliency, rural foodpreneur’s business growth, local officials’ budget planning tools, and the water resource implications from emerging rural data center expansion.
“We are excited for the proposed work these grants support. Whether it’s through developing new program, tools, or research, these projects will contribute to the region’s response to these issues,” shared Maria Marshall, NCRCRD Director and Professor, James and Lois Ackerman Endowed Chair in Agricultural Economics, Purdue University.
Led by principal investigators from six different states in the North Central Region, these one-year grants began August 1, 2026, and will conclude July 1, 2027. Congratulations to all the awardees.
The 2026 NCRCRD Small Grant Award Recipients:
- Michigan Farm Mentors: Seed-to-Scale Plan for Statewide and Regional Mentorship Networks
Principal Investigator (PI): Mariel Borgman, Michigan State University Extension
Co-PI: Katie Brandt, Michigan State University Extension
Organization: Michigan State University
NCRCRD Priority Area: Creating Resilient Communities and Economies - Minnesota Outdoor Recreation Navigator (MORN): A Facilitated Technical Assistance Program for Rural Outdoor Recreation Economies
PI: Ami Choi, Ph.D., University of Minnesota Extension
Co-PI: Craig A. Campbell, Ed.D., University of Minnesota Extension
Organization: University of Minnesota
NCRCRD Priority Area: Creating Resilient Communities and Economies - Leveraging Middle of the Supply Chain Infrastructure to Build Capacity and Scale Foodpreneur’s Rural Businesses
PI: Kara Harders, South Dakota State University Extension
Co-PI: Stacy Hadrick, South Dakota State University Extension
Organization: South Dakota State University
NCRCRD Priority Area: Creating Resilient Communities and Economies - Water Resource Implications of Rural Data Center Expansion: Preparing North Central Communities for Emerging Infrastructure Demands
PI: Shokhrukh (Shok) Jalilov, Ph.D., University of Missouri
Co-PI: Ryan Milhollin, Ph.D., University of Missouri
Organization: University of Missouri
NCRCRD Priority Areas: Creating Resilient Communities and Economies - Community Farm Transition Networks: A Nebraska Pilot Model for Rural Economic and Workforce Resilience
PI: Anastasia Meyer, Associate Educator, University of Nebraska Extension
Co-PI: Jay Parsons, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
NCRCRD Priority Area: Creating Resilient Communities and Economies - Visualizing the Value: Helping Local Officials Communicate Budget Investments
PI: Erin Mullenix, Research Scientist and Evaluation Specialist, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
Co-PI: Bailey Hanson, Data Analyst, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
Organizations: Iowa State University in collaboration with State Association of Counties; Montgomery County, IANCRCRD Priority Area: Developing Leadership and Civic Engagement
Additional description about each of the small grant projects is shared on the NCRCRD website.
About NCRCRD Funding
- NCRCRD grants award process: The NCRCRD Small Grants are offered once a year. All submissions are reviewed by the NCRCRD advisory committee. Based on the committee’s recommendations, the NCRCRD board of directors selects the final recipients. Because NCRCRD receives its core funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA), the grants are also reviewed and approved by the USDA for consistency with Federal guidelines.
- NCRCRD Funding Opportunities: List of all grants and fellowships offered by NCRCRD.
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The North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD) is one of four Regional Rural Development Centers in the United States. NCRCRD’s work links the research and educational outreach capacity of our region’s 34 land-grant universities with rural communities to help address a wide range of development issues unique to our 12-state region.
The Center’s work is supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy.