WASHINGTON, May 5, 2016 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) today announced $8.7 million in cooperative agreements for risk management education and training programs. The funding would give organizations needed resources to develop training and education tools to help farmers and ranchers, especially those traditionally underserved or with limited resources, learn how to effectively managing long-term risks and challenges.

Through these partnerships, producers will receive assistance in understanding and using crop insurance programs and other tools so they can make the best risk management decisions for their agricultural operations. Past award recipients have included universities, county cooperative extension offices and nonprofit organizations.

“These partnerships help educate producers on the many new crop insurance options available,” RMA Administrator Brandon Willis said. “Federal crop insurance can help keep farmers and ranchers in business when affected by events beyond their control, and USDA has developed new options over the past few years to assist more types of operators who make up the diverse American agricultural community.”

Available funding includes $4.4 million for the Crop Insurance in Targeted States Program. The program backs development of crop insurance education programs where there is a low level of federal crop insurance participation and availability. The targeted states are Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

Additionally, $4.3 million in funding is available for the Risk Management Education Partnerships Program, which provides money for the development of general nationwide crop insurance education as well as other risk management training programs for producers.

A broad range of risk management training activities are eligible for funding consideration. Training can also focus on educating producers on the federal crop insurance program and options resulting from Farm Bill provisions. The agreements will also help train farmers at all levels on risk management options that help secure local food systems and strengthen rural communities. In particular, RMA seeks to fund projects that include innovative approaches in product delivery toward the priorities – such as Whole-Farm Revenue Protection and Farm Financial Benchmarking – listed in each funding opportunity.

The request for applications is available through Grants.gov. Visitors can search by catalog of federal domestic assistance (CFDA) number 10.460, Risk Management Partnership program, or CFDA number 10.458, Crop Insurance in Targeted States.

Applications for the Crop Insurance in Targeted States Program and Risk Management Education Partnerships Program are due by 11:59 p.m. EST on July 3, 2016. All applications must be submitted electronically through the Results Verification System website by the deadline.

A strong farm safety net is important to sustain the success of American agriculture. USDA's crop insurance program insured more than 298 million acres, with 1.2 million policies and $102.3 billion worth of coverage in the 2015 crop year. Visit RMA’s website to learn more about the agency and its programs.

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