Jackson MS
Recipient: National Crop Insurance Services
Project: Risk Management Planning and Crop Insurance Education for Small, Minority, and Beginning Farmers and Ranchers in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee
Project Description: This project will enable small, beginning, limited resource and socially disadvantaged producers of underserved commodities and specialty crops in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee to understand and respond to production (crop and livestock insurance), marketing (strategies and farmers markets), financial (record-keeping and bench-marking), legal (liabilities and estate planning), and human resource (labor) risks, by developing personal risk management plans. Three sequential workshops (18 hours), supplemented by personal assignments and on-farm visits providing individualized tutoring and counseling (60 hours), will be delivered to 90 producers via a partnership of subject matter experts and local educators. Participants will develop the skills and understand their own operations sufficiently to establish written goals for each of the five areas of risk specific to their farm, delineate three detailed actions to reach each goal, and commit to implement their personal risk management plan. Educators will support and monitor their progress throughout, and interview each participant at the end of the project recording the number of actions completed. This concentrated, participatory approach to education, with sequential workshops and individualized one-on-one follow-up, provides participants with sustained support as they master the skills taught in the workshops, increasing the likelihood of long-term behavioral change.
Award Amount: $177,788
Award Type: RME
State(s): Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee
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Recipient: University of Kentucky
Project: Training Kentucky Farmers How to Implement an Integrated Crop Insurance, Price and Farm Program Risk Management Plan
Project Description: Declining crop profitability margins and liquidity constraints necessitates producers to focus on risk management planning. Implementation of risk management strategies that reduce revenue and working capital risk based on the farm’s financial position and risk-bearing capacity is the overall goal. Crop insurance and risk management strategy decisions are challenging for traditional farmers and daunting for beginning and diversifying farmers. Beyond these groups, women in agriculture and veterans are part of the target audience. Two objectives supporting the goal are: 1) The development and dissemination of material to address “Crop Insurance 101” questions; and 2) The development and dissemination of materials that build a producers understanding and analytical ability required to implement hedging, put options, and cash forward contracting, combined with crop insurance, to manage pre-harvest price risk. These are accomplished through the following. Twelve crop insurance and price risk management workshops providing the education foundation. Eighteen monthly webinars deepen the knowledge and highlight opportunities for price risk management. Nine follow-up workshops provide an opportunity to advance this understand and discuss risk management plan outcomes. Utilization of example farms allows producers to evaluate different crop insurance and risk management plan scenarios for operations similar to their own.
Award Amount: $99,990
Award Type: RME
State(s): Kentucky
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Recipient: AgRAEIS
Project: Risk Management and Crop Insurance Program Training for Beginning and Socially Disadvantaged Producers in RMA's Jackson Region
Project Description: AgRAEIS will work with RMA, Tennessee FFA Association (TNFFA), Kentucky FFA Association (KYFFA), Mississippi FFA Association (MSFFA) and Kentucky State University (KYSU) to improve producers’ awareness, understanding, and utilization of Federal crop insurance programs and other risk management tools. AgRAEIS will reach 2,000 Jackson Region livestock, forage, and specialty crop producers through 19 on-site and 15 on-line training events and 31,300 beginning producers through 12 informational contacts. Content and information will be delivered in English and Spanish. Beginning producers enrolled in agriculture education programs are the future of agriculture and will clearly benefit from training in risk management concepts and crop insurance fundamentals. In targeting beginning producers, the team is also reaching many beginning women producers, who comprise about 50 percent of FFA members. Outreach will improve beginning producers’ awareness of available risk management strategies and tools, including Federal crop insurance programs such as RMA's Nursery, PRF, LRP and WFRP Programs. Producers will also gain expertise in assessing and implementing risk management strategies, including diversification and forward contracting. The training is expected to lead to more frequent and effective utilization of available risk management tools, including Federal crop insurance programs, which should then improve the stability and profitability of agriculture.
Award Amount: $119,848
Award Type: RME
State(s): Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee
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Recipient: Mississippi State University Dept. of Agricultural Economics
Project: Risk Management Strategies for Mississippi Livestock Producers
Project Description: Livestock producers are subject to long production lags and ever-changing market conditions. Recent increases in the volatility of cattle prices have exacerbated the risk faced by producers. Most cattle operations in Mississippi are small and, therefore, hedging using the futures market is often not a viable option due to the large contract size requirement. These producers are often left unprotected from market price risk even when there are other risk management products available to them. The Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) product administered by the Risk Management Agency (RMA) is designed to insure against declining market prices and is not constrained to only be used by large operations. It provides a valuable risk management strategy to producers of all sizes. However, only an extremely small number of producers in Mississippi are using LRP to manage their price risk. Feedback from industry and extension personnel indicates the primary pitfall is a lack of knowledge about the program. Mississippi State University will train Mississippi cattle producers to help them learn how to use the LRP program. This knowledge will allow them to take control of their risks and to have a level of protection against sharp price swings that regularly plague the cattle markets.
Award Amount: $58,529
Award Type: RME
State(s): Mississippi
National
Recipient: Custom Ag Solutions
Project: Market Risk Management Training for Cattle Producers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Missouri
Project Description: Custom Ag Solutions (CAS) will work with RMA and two organizational partners to provide cattle producers with training, information, and support designed to improve producers' market risk management capabilities and pricing decisions. Working across four leading cattle states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and, Missouri), the CAS team will inform and educate producers regarding critical market risk management issues. Producers will also learn about strategies and tools for improving marketing decisions and corresponding operational profitability. Beyond addressing a priority commodity (livestock), the partnership will target other RMA priorities, including training for RMA's LRP, PRF, and WFRP Programs.
Award Amount: $79,990
Award Type: TS
State(s): Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Missouri
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Recipient: AgriLogic Consulting, LLC
Project: Mobile Record-keeping: Bridging the Gap to Whole Farm Eligibility
Project Description: AgriLogic Consulting, LLC (AgriLogic) will develop a free mobile app available in all counties nation-wide to encourage new and beginning producers to record income and expense records as they occur. This will ultimately assist them in completing the Schedule F tax forms necessary for WFRP program eligibility. The target audience includes all producers, with a special emphasis on small, beginning, and diversified specialty crop farms (especially those relying on WFRP for their risk management needs). To help test and market this tool, the app will be featured at the Business of Farming Conference in North Carolina, during spring of 2020. Farmers will learn the importance of record keeping and how it pertains to purchasing crop insurance. Speakers will present on the functionality of the app and have it downloaded on devices for producers to test. The goal of this project is to respond to the tech savvy practices already employed by most young producers today, by providing them with a convenient and user-friendly tool, which will set a foundation of efficient record-keeping habits, and allow producers who wish to protect their farming investment more easily participate in the WFRP and NAP programs by being able to meet program requirements.
Award Amount: $290,430
Award Type: TS
State(s): All States including Alaska, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia
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Recipient: Organic Farming Research Foundation
Project: Updated Risk Management Innovation and Education for Underserved Organic and Transitioning Producers
Project Description: Organic Farming Research Foundation will provide new relevant information on crop insurance products and soil health management to farmers. By incorporating data analysis of farmer feedback, as well as any updates to crop insurance programs in the 2018 Farm Bill, the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) will publish new information to bolster our risk management education and outreach guidebooks. In collaboration with USDA-RMA, OFRF will also host webinars and conduct workshops at conferences around the country to educate organic and transitioning farmers, as well as other underserved farmers.
Award Amount: $99,672
Award Type: TS
State(s): All States including Alaska, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia
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Recipient: USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council
Project: Utilizing Social Media Channels and Peer-to-Peer Interaction to Deliver Pulse Crop Grower Education and Risk Management Information
Project Description: In 2016, the USADPLC created a grower education program funded by an RME grant. The project resulted in 7 webinars and 28 short videos on pulse crops and risk management. This project is the next step of this grower education effort, using social media and peer to peer interaction to disseminate grower education materials, using tested methods to foster a healthy and sustainable online community. The USADPLC will create, foster, and support a social media community receiving an immediate form of education, offering peer-to-peer interaction, as well as feedback from researchers and trade representatives, as a valuable tool to pulse growers in reducing risk.
Award Amount: $81,212
Award Type: TS
State(s): Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington
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Recipient: Utah State University
Project: Risk Management Education for Small Specialty Crop Producers and Underserved Farmers
Project Description: This project will address the needs of underserved audiences in Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico. Primary target audience: small farmers with specific programming for immigrant, Native American and Hispanic producers. The project will reach 2,189 producers through face-to-face presentations, 995 through online materials, 7,537 producer contact hours.
Award Amount: $190,115
Award Type: TS
State(s): Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming
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Recipient: Agrimind LLC
Project: Forage Starts Here: Risk Management Education for Alfalfa Seed Producers
Project Description: Agrimind will work with RMA and the Western Alfalfa Seed Growers Association (WASGA) to improve alfalfa seed producers’ awareness, understanding, and utilization of Federal crop insurance programs and other risk management tools. The outreach will improve these producers’ awareness of available risk management strategies and tools, including other Federal crop insurance programs, such as Rainfall Index: Apiary, and WFRP. In addition, the initial training events will guide developing an economic threshold tool for handheld devices, which will allow growers to see how real-time production practices will affect breakeven yields and/or prices.
Award Amount: $49,950
Award Type: TS
State(s): California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming
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Recipient: National Bison Association
Project: Record Keeping for Risk Mitigation
Project Description: The National Bison Association will provide the Record Keeping for Risk Mitigation project to improve the record keeping skills and utilization for new and existing bison producers. The project will focus on tracking production data to better mitigate risk while educating on the services of the Risk Management Agency. The topic of record keeping impacts all five of RMA's types of risk – financial, legal, production, human and marketing.
Award Amount: $93,219
Award Type: TS
State(s): Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming
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Recipient: Farmer Veteran Coalition
Project: Farmer Veteran Risk Management Education Project
Project Description: In collaboration with its partners, this project will provide crop insurance education and risk management training for beginning farmers who are also military veterans in the states of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. The goal of the project is for participants to make sound risk management decisions. Crop insurance education and risk management training will be provided through six workshops.
Award Amount: $99,969
Award Type: TS
State(s): Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington
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Recipient: The Land Connection
Project: Comprehensive Financial Risk Management for Midwestern Specialty Crop Producers
Project Description: The Land Connection in partnership with an advisory council, consultants, and RMA representatives, will create and implement a comprehensive education program addressing record keeping and business management barriers encountered by farmers. TLC will work with a team of experts to create a reference text, self-directed online course, and online risk management resource platform to deliver the necessary risk management training that specialty crop farmers need for years to come. Further, the reference text and online course will be translated into Spanish, providing accessible financial risk education options for Hispanic farmers in the Midwest.
Award Amount: $83,859
Award Type: TS
State(s): Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin
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Recipient: Southwest Wisconsin Technical College
Project: Dairy Goat Herd Risk Management
Project Description: Southwest Tech will create and deliver an online risk management course focused on the key components of a properly calculated risk management plan. Educational lessons in Whole Farm Risk Management Insurance, Rainfall Index Insurance, and Crop Revenue Insurance policies will be included in this new course titled Risk Management Tools to Protect Your Farm. The primary audience are dairy goat producers, however, the course concepts transcend beyond dairy goat production to include any farmer, regardless of the commodity produced, who needs to better understand the risks that are inherent to farming. This new course will be integrated into Southwest Tech’s annually offered Beginning Farm Management, Farm Operations and Management, and Southwest Tech’s Small Ruminant Management course offered to University of Wisconsin-Platteville agriculture students.
Award Amount: $22,026
Award Type: TS
State(s): Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin
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Recipient: Angelic Organics Learning Center
Project: Minimizing Risk through Whole Farm Planning and Financial Recordkeeping for Beginning Farmers
Project Description: Angelic Organics Learning Center will deliver crop insurance education and risk management training to more than 300 beginning organic and specialty crop producers in Illinois and Wisconsin. The project’s workshops and trainings will be based at the main office in Caledonia, Illinois. Of the total farmers reached, 40 will participate in a year-long business planning class focused on whole farm planning, recordkeeping, marketing, crop insurance, soil health and cover crops.
Award Amount: $98,702
Award Type: TS
State(s): Illinois, Wisconsin
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Recipient: AgSafe
Project: Food Safety Risk Mitigation Outreach and Online Learning Tool
Project Description: AgSafe will be creating educational resources to assist producers in implementing production policies and procedures to mitigate food safety liability. The Food Safety Risk Mitigation Outreach and Online Learning Tool project has two phases: 1)conversion of current AgSafe food safety curriculum into a digital self-paced format and 2) the distribution of the information through in-person outreach sessions and electronically through community and regional partners. To augment the effectiveness of the Online Learning Tool training, videos on sanitation, proper workwear and conducting daily inspections will be provided in English and Spanish.
Award Amount: $77,439
Award Type: TS
State(s): Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee
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Recipient: Center for Rural Affairs
Project: Risk management for diverse farmers and ranchers in Iowa and Nebraska
Project Description: Center for Rural Affairs will connect beginning, diversified, and livestock producers in Iowa and Nebraska with needed information to implement appropriate
insurance options for their operation. With beginning farmers, they will focus on introductory crop insurance topics. For diversified producers, they will provide technical information for adopting WFRP policies. For livestock producers, they will offer materials on livestock insurance options available. Through a series of webinars, factsheet development, media, individual consultations, and a final report, they will share this information with these audiences.
Award Amount: $75,248
Award Type: TS
State(s): Iowa, Nebraska
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Recipient: National Sorghum Producers Association
Project: Assisting sorghum producers in mitigating production and marketing risk during extreme market volatility through training on Crop Insurance 101 and Whole Farm Revenue Protection
Project Description: National Sorghum Producers Association's goal is to equip sorghum producers to manage risk through training on Crop Insurance 101 and Whole Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP). The objective is to reach audience of 15,000 sorghum producers through workshops; training at national Commodity Classic event (150 producers in person; 250 livestream; 50,000 radio); and educational videos/podcasts/mailings. This is a national project, with trainings in Texas and Kansas. The results/impacts include producers understanding: crop insurance options, how different insurance options work, price coverage interaction, and producers implementing risk management plans that integrate crop insurance with marketing decisions.
Award Amount: $137,756
Award Type: TS
State(s): Kansas, Texas
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Recipient: Appalachian Sustainable Development
Project: Educating Central Appalachian Specialty Crop Farmers on the Relationship between Conservation, Nutrient and Risk Management and Farm Profitability
Project Description: Appalachian Sustainable Development will provide a broad range of
education and technical assistance to small and/or beginning specialty crop producers in Central Appalachia. As a result of this project, new/beginning farmers will reduce their risks and increase their profitability and success rates through education and direct technical assistance to help them develop and implement comprehensive business plans that include science-based decisions on the economics of input decisions, appropriate decisions on crop insurance, and which are built on the markets they intend to serve. Participants will begin taking the first steps to viewing their farming operations more comprehensively and will use these tools to continue to evolve their operations.
Award Amount: $78,944
Award Type: TS
State(s): Kentucky, Virginia
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Recipient: TSNE MIssionWorks
Project: Producing and Using Risk Management Educational Resources and Methods for Refugee Farmers
Project Description: TSNE MissionWorks and four refugee incubator partners will co-develop ten 15-20 page refugee-specific resources, covering crop and liability insurance, marketing, beekeeping, cover cropping, FSA access, and recordkeeping. The modules combine instructor guidance and audience content specifically tailored for diverse beginning refugee farmers. The partners will also pilot these modules with a combined 50+ refugee beginning farmers, and provide feedback to improve the content. During the project they will also deliver additional Risk Management education via classroom courses, workshops, and field-based technical assistance.
Award Amount: $99,601
Award Type: TS
State(s): Massachusetts
Valdosta GA
Recipient: Alabama A&M University
Project: Risk Management Strategies and Crop Insurance Training for Alabama’s Socially Disadvantaged Producers
Project Description: AAMU Small Farms Research Center (SFRC) has over twenty years of experience assisting socially disadvantaged limited resource (SDIR) producers and landowners in the state of Alabama. For farmers in the U.S., risk management strategies and crop insurance are essential for producers to remain competitive in the world market. Producers must be educated on these risk management tools to become a more sustainable farm. The project objectives are as follows; 1.) Develop appropriate material for effective training; 2.) Conduct value-added farm tour, workshops, and outreach meeting on risk management strategies and crop insurance 3) Develop a Farmer-to Farmer Mentorship program, and 4.) Conduct farm field days-highlight GAP, food safety plan, and business management strategies. With many obstacles against (SDIR) producers, being informed on risk management strategies is one way to minimize certain risk. This project will take place throughout the state Alabama, with a special interest in strike-force (23-rural area counties). Expected outcome of the project (SDIR) participation 1.)Become more knowledgeable on crop insurance and agricultural risk management strategies, 2.) More confident and make better educated decision for farm operation; 3.) More informed on gap, programs, and USDA programs. The SFRC will utilized outreach meetings, workshops, and F2F to educate SDIR producers.
Award Amount: $99,461
Award Type: TS
State(s): Alabama
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Recipient: National Crop Insurance Services
Project: Risk Management Planning and Crop Insurance Education for Minority and Beginning Farmers and Ranchers in Alabama
Project Description: The outcome of this project is to enable small, limited resource and socially disadvantaged minority producers of underserved commodities and specialty crops in Alabama to understand and respond to production (crop and livestock insurance), marketing (strategies and farmers markets), financial (record-keeping and bench-marking), legal (liabilities and estate planning), and human resource (labor) risks, by developing personal risk management plans. Three sequential workshops (18 hours), supplemented by personal assignments and on-farm visits providing individualized tutoring and counseling (60 hours), will be delivered to 50 producers via a partnership of subject matter experts and local educators. Participants will develop the skills and understand their own operations sufficiently to establish written goals for each of the five areas of risk specific to their farm, delineate three detailed actions to reach each goal, and commit to implement their personal risk management plan. Educators will support and monitor their progress throughout, and interview each participant at the end of the project recording the number of actions completed. This concentrated, participatory approach to education, with sequential workshops and weekly individualized one-on-one follow-up, provides participants with an opportunity for sustained support as they master the skills taught in the workshops, increasing the likelihood of long-term behavioral change.
Award Amount: $106,808
Award Type: TS
State(s): Alabama
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Recipient: The Corporation for Community and Economic Development United, Inc.
Project: Institute for Risk Management Training
Project Description: The Institute for Risk Management Training (the Institute) will deliver crop insurance education and risk management training targeting 300 agricultural producers in North Florida, South Georgia, Southeast Alabama, and South Carolina giving priority to educating producers of crops currently not insured under Federal crop insurance (IE. specialty crops and underserved commodities, including livestock and forage). The Institute will expand on the previously funded project assisting farmers including limited resource, socially disadvantaged, and other traditionally underserved producers. The goal of the project is to assist producers in identifying and managing production, marketing, legal, financial, and human risks. Specific objectives include: 1) Developing business plans to implement in farm businesses, 2) Teaching record keeping tools and best practices, and 3) Whole Farm Revenue insurance education with specific instruction on how Whole Farm insurance works as a crop and/or livestock disaster assistance program tool. The expected impact of the training will be to ensure that producers are better able to use financial management, farm financial benchmarking, understand crop insurance, Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP), marketing contracts, other existing and emerging risk management tools. The Institute will implement a recruitment plan focused on increasing the number and diversity of producers enrolling in the education programs.
Award Amount: $99,900
Award Type: TS
State(s): Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina
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Recipient: North-South Institute
Project: Risk Management Education Using Insurance and Non-insurance Based Tools for Small-Scale Specialty Crops and Underserved Commodity Producers in Selected Counties in Florida
Project Description: This project will enable small, limited resource and socially disadvantaged producers of underserved commodities and specialty crops in Georgia to understand and respond to production (crop and livestock insurance), marketing (strategies and farmers markets), financial (record-keeping and bench-marking), legal (liabilities and estate planning), and human resource (labor) risks, by developing personal risk management plans. Three sequential workshops (18 hours), supplemented by personal assignments and on-farm visits providing individualized tutoring and counseling (60 hours), will be delivered to 30 producers via a partnership of subject matter experts and local educators. Participants will develop the skills and understand their own operations sufficiently to establish written goals for each of the five areas of risk specific to their farm, delineate three detailed actions to reach each goal, and commit to implement their personal risk management plan. Educators will support and monitor their progress throughout, and interview each participant at the end of the project recording the number of actions completed. This concentrated, participatory approach to education, with sequential workshops and individualized one-on-one follow-up, provides participants with an opportunity for sustained support as they master the skills taught in the workshops, increasing the likelihood of long-term behavioral change.
Award Amount: $144,320
Award Type: TS
State(s): Florida
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Recipient: National Crop Insurance Services
Project: Developing Personal Risk Management Plans for Small, Limited Resource, and Socially Disadvantaged Producers of Specialty Crops in Georgia
Project Description: This project will enable small, limited resource and socially disadvantaged producers of underserved commodities and specialty crops in Georgia to understand and respond to production (crop and livestock insurance), marketing (strategies and farmers markets), financial (record-keeping and bench-marking), legal (liabilities and estate planning), and human resource (labor) risks, by developing personal risk management plans. Three sequential workshops (18 hours), supplemented by personal assignments and on-farm visits providing individualized tutoring and counseling (60 hours), will be delivered to 30 producers via a partnership of subject matter experts and local educators. Participants will develop the skills and understand their own operations sufficiently to establish written goals for each of the five areas of risk specific to their farm, delineate three detailed actions to reach each goal, and commit to implement their personal risk management plan. Educators will support and monitor their progress throughout, and interview each participant at the end of the project recording the number of actions completed. This concentrated, participatory approach to education, with sequential workshops and individualized one-on-one follow-up, provides participants with an opportunity for sustained support as they master the skills taught in the workshops, increasing the likelihood of long-term behavioral change.
Award Amount: $76,135
Award Type: TS
State(s): Georgia
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Recipient: Seven Rivers Resource Conservation and Development Area, Inc.
Project: Team Agriculture Georgia: A Statewide Collaborative Project to Provide Outreach and Risk Management Education to Limited Resource, Socially Disadvantaged, and Underserved Producers
Project Description: Led by Seven Rivers Resource Conservation and District, Team Agriculture Georgia (TAG) is a coalition of Federal, state, and public nonprofits that provides and administers agricultural programs and services to landowners and farmers in Georgia. TAG proposes an outreach project to deliver appropriate and comprehensive risk management training to socially disadvantaged, new and beginning, and veteran farmers throughout the state. To accomplish this goal, TAG will host three workshops in south-central, northeast, and east-central Georgia and aggressively promote these events to underserved producers through exhibiting opportunities, social media, and the coalition's extensive network of agricultural clients and collaborators. Approximately 120 attendees are expected at each workshop, based on data from TAG's past efforts. Workshops will innovate on previous outreach by organizing educational programs into three tracks for new, beginning, and established farmers, respectively. In this way, attendees will receive relevant and focused education on risk management strategies and tools — including crop insurance, recordkeeping, organic certification, credit programs, and business and marketing plans — from subject matter experts from USDA Farm Service Agency, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, USDA Rural Development, USDA Risk Management Agency, AgGeorgia Farm Credit, Fort Valley State University Cooperative Extension, Georgia Organics, and other TAG partners.
Award Amount: $59,322
Award Type: TS
State(s): Georgia
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Recipient: Clemson University Extension
Project: Production and Marketing Risk Management Education for South Carolina Livestock Producers
Project Description: This project is a collaboration between Clemson University and two South Carolina livestock producer’s associations to provide production and marketing risk management education. South Carolina livestock producers were chosen for three reasons: there are many of them, their collective economic impact is large, and they are defined an underserved commodity by the USDA RMA. The nine meetings will cover production risk management (including crop insurance), marketing risk management for commercial producers, and best direct marketing practices for retail producers. The outcomes of this project will be as follows: 1)130 producers will learn about production risk management and complete a risk management plan. 65 producers will implement changes in their operations. 2) 130 commercial livestock producers will learn about marketing risk management and complete a marketing plan. 65 producers will decide to make changes in their operations. 3) 155 direct-to-consumer livestock producers will learn about best direct marketing practices and complete a direct marketing plan. 75 producers will implement changes in their operations.
Award Amount: $78,398
Award Type: TS
State(s): South Carolina
Billings MT
Recipient: Montana State University
Project: Risk Management in Montana’s Rural Ag Communities
Project Description: This project's objective is to provide salient risk management education to several Montana groups that have traditionally been underserved by crop insurance and risk management tools. These groups, identified through conversations during a series of workshops during 2016—2018, include livestock producers, Native American communities and small, diversified operations. Montana State University proposes to hold at least eight in-person workshops in several rural and reservation communities across the state, each targeted to a specific group from this list and will develop website resources on crop and livestock insurance, and offer a version of these workshops entirely online. Workshops will address farm management and risk management concepts both broadly and specific to challenges facing each group. Presentations will be accompanied by hands-on activities and exercises designed to reinforce the concepts address by the speakers. Additional online webinars, materials, and interactive quizzes will be available that will qualify participants to receive credits required for Farm Service Agency borrowers.
Award Amount: $98,804
Award Type: RME
State(s): Montana
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Recipient: Custom Ag Solutions
Project: Risk Management Training for Beginning, Livestock, and Native American Producers in Montana and South Dakota
Project Description: Custom Ag Solutions (CAS) will work with RMA and six partner organizations to improve Montana and South Dakota producers' awareness, understanding, and utilization of Federal crop insurance programs and other risk management tools. CAS will reach 2,300 producers through 45 training events and 13,200 producers (52,800 impressions) through 20 informational contacts. The outreach will improve producers' awareness of available risk management strategies and tools, including BeefBasis.com and Federal crop insurance programs such as RMA's LRP, PRF, and WFRP Programs. Building on previous years' efforts, CAS will 1) extend the reach of its Farming is Risky Business workshops and 2) reach additional producers through new partners, social media utilization, and Spanish content translation. Producers will gain expertise in assessing and implementing relevant risk management strategies and tools leading to more effective utilization of Federal crop insurance programs.
Award Amount: $149,890
Award Type: RME
State(s): Montana, South Dakota
Davis CA
Recipient: University of Arizona
Project: Risk Management Education for Arizona's Livestock, Dairy, Forage and Tree Nut Producers
Project Description: The primary goals of this project are to improve the risk management skills and decisions of Arizona’s range livestock, dairy, forage, and tree nut producers. Audiences reached in this project include well-established dairy and forage producers plus small- to medium-scale livestock and tree nut producers that include Native American, limited resource, and socially disadvantaged audiences. University of Arizona expects to provide risk management education to 810 producers through face-to-face trainings and another 750 electronically through a monthly newsletter.
Key subject topics/resources include:
1) Drought Recovery tools and resources for range livestock producers,
2) Livestock Gross Margin and Margin Protection Program for dairy producers,
3) Whole Farm Revenue Protection and complementary Record Keeping resources to all audiences,
4) Pasture Rangeland Forage – Rainfall Index and Livestock Risk Protection insurance for all livestock producers, and
5) APH-Forage, Pecan Revenue, and APH-Pistachio insurance for these respective commodity producers.
It is estimated that over 45% of workshop participants will develop better risk management strategies for their enterprises and that at least 25% of these participants will implement better risk management decisions, verified through audience response system questions during and after trainings and through electronic feedback.
Award Amount: $99,990
Award Type: RME
State(s): Arizona, Utah
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Recipient: California FarmLink
Project: Risk Management Strategies from a Whole Farm Approach: Meeting Farmers Where They Are
Project Description: This project builds on a 2017 RME award using an established education program and network of agricultural assistance providers. California Farmlink will assist over 450 farmers including specialty crop growers from socially disadvantaged groups, and beginning farmers. Responding to lessons learned over decades of working with California farmers, four partner organizations will deliver existing curricula, create and deliver new curricula, and provide technical assistance to meet specific risk management needs. The project will train 450 farmers on strategies to mitigate financial, production, and marketing risk, and to provide an estimated 400 hours of technical assistance to at least 120 farmers to implement risk management strategies including record-keeping systems, cost of production accounting, risk-mitigating production techniques, and crop insurance. To accomplish California Farmlink will deliver at least 20 trainings on topics including: an overview of the multiple recordkeeping needs of California farmers, using financial information to manage risk, risk-mitigating production techniques, crop insurance, and various grower certifications needed to maintain and diversify market access. They will also create and deploy a set of tools and trainings to address a need for integrated financial and cost accounting systems. Technical Assistance relationships will be established as-needed through educational activities and through partner referrals.
Award Amount: $208,000
Award Type: RME
State(s): California
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Recipient: Napa Valley Grape growers
Project: Napa Valley Grape growers 2018-2019 Risk Management Education Program: Soil Conservation; Crop Insurance 101; and Record Keeping as a Risk Management Tool.
Project Description: Though most vineyards were spared from flames during Napa Valley’s 2017 wildfires, the disaster created an urgent need for risk management education for wine grape growers (specialty crop/priority commodity). Fires, toxic ash, smoke taint, & retardant can have lasting detrimental impacts on soil health. Additionally, the fires brought drops in tourism and consumer concern about wine quality, which impact farm financial viability. To combat, producers need education to mitigate risk more than ever. Furthermore, just half of Napa’s wine grape acres are insured; communicating the importance/benefits of crop insurance is timely. Napa Valley Grape growers (NVG) represents most Napa vineyards and with multi-year experience leading results-based projects, is well-equipped to provide training/education in English and Spanish to at least 1,500 wine grape producers on Soil Conservation Practices; Crop Insurance 101; & Record Keeping. NVG will host an expert panel, two seminars, and produce two educational videos, in Napa. Innovative livestreaming of events will expand the reach. Expected results/impacts are producers increasing crop insurance coverage, implementing soil conservation practices, and adopting better record-keeping practices, evaluated through audience-response system/evaluations/phone interviews.
Award Amount: $99,999
Award Type: RME
State(s): California
Oklahoma City OK
Recipient: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension ServiceProject: Risk Management Education and Tools for Improved Decision Making, 2018-2020
Project Description: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Services project targets Texas crop and livestock industries with programs directed at production, marketing, financial, and legal risk
management education. Program highlights include crop insurance education and updates, and available risk management software for decision-making. Programs will train Texas agricultural and horticultural producers to develop and implement effective risk management plans. The variety of offered programs allows attendees to select the depth of training desired. These programs will help farmers and ranchers manage the wide ranging risks they face, protecting their resources and strengthening the rural economy.
Award Amount: $98,931
Award Type: RME
State(s): Texas
Spokane WA
Recipient: RightRisk LLC
Project: Delivering Crop Insurance and Other Risk Management Training to Producers in Alaska, 2018-2019
Project Description: RightRisk is well positioned to deliver crop insurance training and risk management training in Alaska. A multi-pronged approach will be used to help Alaskan producers better understand and implement crop insurance and risk management strategies to improve their opportunities for success. Trainings will be delivered via on-site workshops in Delta Junction and the Peninsula (50 participants), Alaska Peony Growers Association conference (376 participants), Alaska Farm Bureau Conference (240 participants), articles in farm organization’s newsletters (1,752 participants), Interior AK Summer Farm Tour (140 participants), development of two fact sheets
(2,400 Alaskan readers and 11,840 nation-wide), and five on-site and five on-line trainings for beginning farmers (250 participants). Trainings will be targeted to Native Alaskans, veterans, beginning farmers, specialty crop producers, women, socially disadvantaged, and traditional farmers, especially those producers of flowers and other specialty crops.
Award Amount: $88,638
Award Type: TS
State(s): Alaska
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Recipient: Adelante Mujeres
Project: Educating and Empowering Latino Farmers to Establish Sustainable and Profitable Farm Businesses in Oregon
Project Description: Adelante Mujeres will ensure that low-income Latino farmers (i.e., producers) of specialty crops, in Washington County, Oregon, are better equipped to establish sustainable and profitable farm businesses by providing training in the areas of production, crop insurance, legal, financial, marketing and human risk. They will provide advanced-level training, such as HR/OSHA policy, pest management, soil testing, and managing finances, as identified by the farmers we serve, through specialty workshops and a Spanish-language farmer skill development seminar, the first of its kind in the area we serve. Additionally, they will work with the farmers to create paid internships to assist small farmers with the support needed to begin or enhance their business.
Award Amount: $140,790
Award Type: TS
State(s): Oregon
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Recipient: Grow Food dba Viva Farms
Project: Scale and Approach Appropriate Risk Management Education for Beginning and Socially Disadvantaged Farmers
Project Description: Grow Food dba Viva Farms will deliver innovative scale and approach appropriate bilingual outreach, education and training through collaborative partnerships, and increase understanding of risk management and risk reduction for Beginning, Socially Disadvantaged, Hispanic, Organic and Specialty Crop Producers at a rural, urban and agricultural park land based incubators in Skagit County and King County Washington. Group, one on one, and online (video) education, training, technical assistance, workshops and associated bilingual training material will be delivered. Training topics will include business planning, marketing, crop insurance 101, organic certification, Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP), GAP certification, tractor safety, crop planning, irrigation systems, pre-harvest, harvest, and food safety, apiculture, cover crops, and advanced record keeping including information on loan requirements.
Award Amount: $200,000
Award Type: TS
State(s): Washington
Springfield IL
Recipient: Crosshatch Center for Art and EcologyProject: Get Farming, Keep Farming Education Partnerships: Production, Management, and Business Training for Specialty Crops Growers - 2018/2019
Project Description: “Get Farming, Keep Farming Education Partnerships: Production, Management and Business Training for Specialty Crops Growers” is a collaborative initiative designed to mitigate risk to specialty crop growers and small-scale livestock producers. With the support of RMA, this program has offered farmer training in Northwest Lower Michigan since 2008. The project brings together Crosshatch, Grow Benzie, Northwest Michigan Food & Farming Network, Local Food Alliance, North Central Michigan College, and Networks Northwest/Northern Michigan Small Business Development Center. Partners will collaborate to offer more than 100 on-farm workshops, conferences, and classes, as well as innovative learning opportunities, to provide risk management education and tools to growers in the region. Topics include, but are not limited to: financial management, food safety, business development, season extension, soil conservation, value-added production, enterprise diversification, and good farming practices. Funding will also support the 20th annual Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference and the Food and Farming Network Summit. This year, we expect to reach approximately 4,000 farmers, producers, business owners, and new growers across Northern Michigan. As a result, producers will increase their skills and knowledge of growing practices, while forming more sustainable farm businesses, peer-to-peer learning networks, and ultimately, a more connected and resilient community.
Award Amount: $199,999
Award Type: TS
State(s): Michigan
Raleigh NC
Recipient: FamilyFarmed
Project: Cultivating Growth: Best Practices for Risk Management in Food Safety, Wholesale & Direct Marketing and Postharvest Handling for Raleigh Region Specialty Crop Farmers
Project Description: The goal of Cultivating Growth and Risk Management is to build the skills of 470 farmers, enabling them to better understand opportunities and risks in Wholesale, Direct Marketing, and Food Safety while adopting best practices that minimize their risk. FamilyFarmed will work with five partners in Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, and West Virginia to engage beginning, small, limited resources, sustainable, specialty crop farmers who sell products through local food markets. Participants will be invited to 8 training workshops, receive a companion manual (Wholesale Success, Direct Market Success or On-Farm Food Safety Binder); receive two Reducing Risk news and resource e-blasts; be introduced to FamilyFarmed's On-Farm Food Safety website, where farmers can create free food safety plans; and be invited to join an online discussion group where they can find technical assistance answers, new video content and topical discussions. Farmers will make changes to their operations to minimize their risk. Specifically, farmers will increase their understanding of best practices in Direct Marketing, Food Safety and Postharvest-Handling Risk Management, and about available Crop Insurance options including Whole Farm Revenue Protection. They also will develop risk management plans and strategies, and begin to implement specific best practices in their operations.
Award Amount: $123,414
Award Type: TS
State(s): Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, West Virginia
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Recipient: National Crop Insurance Services
Project: Developing Marketing Plans and Strategies for Small, Socially Disadvantaged and Limited Resource Producers of Specialty Crops and Underserved Commodities in Maryland and Delaware
Project Description: This project is designed to enable small, beginning, limited resource, and socially disadvantaged producers of specialty crops in Delaware and Maryland, to understand and respond to marketing risk. Participants will acquire market analysis skills and understand their own operations sufficiently to develop and implement detailed marketing plans at the enterprise level. This education will be especially beneficial to urban farmers. Three sequential workshops (18 hours) supplemented by personal assignments and individualized counseling (60 hours) will be delivered to 50 producers via a partnership of subject matter experts and local educators. Participants will develop, for each decision variable in the Marketing Mix (product, price, place, promotion, people) a written goal, consistent with consumer preferences for their commodities. For each goal they will delineate three specific actions they will take to reach those goals, and commit to implement their specified marketing plans. Extension Educators will support and monitor progress throughout the project recording the number of actions completed. This innovative, concentrated and iterative program, with sequential workshops, hands-on activities and individualized on-farm follow-up, provides participants an opportunity to succeed. This educational approach typically leads to long-term behavioral change, consistent with the philosophy that behavior changes are more likely with sustained personal support.
Award Amount: $93,643
Award Type: TS
State(s): Delaware, Maryland
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Recipient: TSNE Missionworks
Project: Building Pathways Towards Farm Sustainability: Business and Personal Risk Management Planning for Beginning and Specialty Crop Producers
Project Description: New Entry Sustainable Farming Project will provide crop insurance outreach, risk management and financial management education, training and technical assistance (T&TA) to 100+ small, limited-resource and socially-disadvantaged beginning farmers in 9 Eastern Massachusetts counties. 1,000 other producers statewide will access crop insurance education via online resources (www.nesfp.org).
Award Amount: $99,000
Award Type: TS
State(s): Idaho, Illinois, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia
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Recipient: Cultivating Community
Project: Incorporating Permaculture and Other Drought Resistant and Regenerative Agriculture Techniques into Robust Risk Management Planning for New American and Other Small Scale Producers in Maine
Project Description: This project supports beginning small-scale farmers in Maine in learning about soil-building, soil-management, and land-stewardship principles rooted in permaculture and regenerative agriculture as an innovative aspect of an overall educational program on risk and risk-management products/options for diversified operations. Farmers will 1) learn to manage conditions created by unpredictable rainfall patterns; 2) enhance production by understanding/optimizing the potential of marginal soils; and 3) overcome challenges inherent in limited-resource production. The project combines intensive classes/workshops with the establishment of demonstration/teaching/learning installations at Hurricane Valley Farm in Falmouth. Its target-audiences are 1) 36 participants in the New American Sustainable Agriculture Project; 2) 54 other small-scale growers in Southern Maine; 3) and 200 New American producers and 400 other producers across the country. The project's specialized innovations will build upon an incubator model offering beginning and other growers a comprehensive understanding of production, marketing, financial, and insurance tools for managing/mitigating risk. Support from RMA will result in 1) increased overall soil health and productivity for participating growers; 2) increased farm-gate revenues for the 2019 season for farmers directly engaging in this programming; and 3) self-reported skill development in risk management competencies; and more resilient farm-systems in Maine.
Award Amount: $97,186
Award Type: TS
State(s): Maine
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Recipient: Maine Farmland Trust
Project: Implementing Multi-Scale Financial Risk Management Education for Diversified Producers through the Integrated Enterprise Profitability Calculator and Farm Viability Programming
Project Description: The proposed project delivers financial risk management education on multiple scales to benefit diversified producers throughout Maine and beyond. First, the proposed project promotes lowbarrier access to an innovative risk management educational tool through a comprehensive buildout of Maine Farmland Trust’s Integrated Enterprise Profitability Calculator. This tool is innovative in that it integrates livestock and crop enterprise budgets, delivering a financial report that informs production, marketing, and other on-farm decisions. In its current iteration, the tool is a complex spreadsheet that is navigated and interpreted for farmers by trained technical assistance providers. In collaboration with an advisory panel of producers and agricultural service providers, this project will develop a user interface that can be utilized by producers and business advisors with minimal assistance; ensure compatibility with other recordkeeping and service provider systems; and launch the tool on a publicly-accessible platform, Maine Farmland Trust’s web page.
Award Amount: $180,677
Award Type: TS
State(s): Maine
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Recipient: The Pennsylvania State University
Project: Equipping Women, Hispanic, and Small-Scale Specialty Crop Farmers in Pennsylvania and Maryland to Proactively Address Risk
Project Description: Equipping Women, Hispanic and Small-Scale Specialty Crop Farmers in Pennsylvania and Maryland to Proactively Address Risk uses the USDA Risk Management Checklist, inventorying risk management deficits for specialty crop farmers, and building tools empowering producers to effectively address risks. Community Partners will recruit focus group participants to identify “Checklist” items most needing attention. Team members with production, legal, and food safety expertise will aid in framing strategies from focus group findings. Thirty-minute presentations addressing immediate strategies and long-range plans (leading to WFRP and NAP coverage) will be delivered. Fifteen presentations – including Spanish Track at Mid Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention – and table tops at Keystone Farm Show, PA Women's Agricultural Network Symposiums, and Ag Progress Days will disseminate information and handouts; Partners will distribute additional materials and 12,000 will view on-line videos/publications. Second round focus groups (fall 2019) will evaluate impact, initiating fine-tuned educational information for the 2020 “winter meeting season.”
Award Amount: $81,584
Award Type: TS
State(s): Maryland, Pennsylvania
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Recipient: University of Vermont Extension
Project: Increasing Women and Beginning Farmers Use of Risk Management Strategies to Strengthen Livestock and Specialty Crop Farms
Project Description: Through this project, 160 established and beginning women farmers who operate specialty crop and diversified livestock farms will increase their risk management knowledge across all five USDA-RMA risk management areas, and 147, primarily from Vermont and New Hampshire, will adopt record-keeping practices needed to establish eligibility for crop insurance, access credit, manage labor costs, select market channels and comply with legal requirements. Outreach efforts, conducted through e-newsletters and social media, will connect 1200 women farmers with risk management and record-keeping information appropriate for the stage and scale of their operations. Project will engage 184 farmers, recruited from the larger group, for more intensive education via small group sessions and individual technical assistance. Best practices in adult education, incorporating gendered aspects of learning, will guide program development, implementation and evaluation. Content will focus on risk management and record keeping strategies applicable to preparing early stage and non-commodity producers for access to credit, crop insurance (NAP and WFRP) and managing labor. Through weekend retreats, multi-session classes, workshops and webinars, participants will increase knowledge, confidence and skills that will prepare them to identify, communicate, and take action to meet the intersecting risk management needs of their businesses.
Award Amount: $94,094
Award Type: TS
State(s): New Hampshire, Vermont
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Recipient: Virginia State University
Project: Crop Insurance and Risk Management Education and Training for Socially Disadvantaged, Beginning, and Veteran Producers in Virginia
Project Description: Virginia State University (VSU) proposes to deliver crop insurance and risk management education and training programs, with a goal to equip socially disadvantaged, beginning, and veteran farmers (SDBVF) in Virginia, with the tools and skills needed for them to make sound risk management decisions in financial, production, marketing, and human risks; and for them to acquire the ability to utilize available risk management solutions.
Project objectives are:
1) Provide outreach and education, on crop insurance, and risk management tools needed for SDBVF to make sound decision on their crop insurance needs.
2) Increase the knowledge of producers in financial and farm business management skills.
3) Provide SDBVF with the skills needed for them to efficiently produce sustainable, alternative, and profitable crops.
4) Assist producers in developing profitable marketing strategies.
5) Prevent/reduce human risk through training and education.
This project targets SDBVF in Virginia, with specific focus on those in Southside region of the state. Expected outcomes are that SDBVF will have increased access to crops insurance programs, and acquire the knowledge and skills to utilize risk management tools and solutions in preventing/reducing risks in their farm operations. Long-term impact is an improved quality of life for producers, and their communities.
Award Amount: $98,219
Award Type: TS
State(s): Virginia
St Paul MN
Recipient: Iowa Organic Association
Project: Risk Management Training and Tools for Iowa Producers and Beginning Farmers Considering Organic Transition and Product Diversification
Project Description: Iowa Organic Association's project goals are to build upon the current RMA partnership and success to reach Iowa producers with risk-management resources for making sound on-farm management decisions that reduce risk and increase success in organic recordkeeping, diversification, and transition. The expected impact is that these producers will learn about and implement available tools, resources and strategies to manage risks on their farms as they consider organic management and product diversification.
Award Amount: $107,516
Award Type: TS
State(s): Iowa
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Recipient: Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
Project: Improving Risk Management on Family Farms Through Women in Iowa
Project Description: Iowa State University Extension and Outreach goal is to educate and support women in making key risk management decisions. Our objectives are to improve use of crop insurance and encourage use of other strategies to reduce risks on family farms. The team will target women in counties not served in the past three years. A successful project will result in empowered Iowa farm women who can implement risk management strategies leading to improved family farm profitability and a more sustainable agricultural system.
Award Amount: $199,000
Award Type: TS
State(s): Iowa
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Recipient: Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES)
Project: Crop Insurance and Risk Management Education for Women and Underserved Farmers
Project Description: Through 5 hours of workshop instruction in each of 2 major conferences, the 2019 MOSES Organic Farming Conference in La Crosse, WI, and the 2019 Women in Sustainable Agriculture Conference in St. Paul, MN, this project will help 500-600 women and underserved/socially disadvantaged farmers understand what crop insurance options and other risk management tools are available. It will also help them decide which to employ and how to implement them. Additionally, a 10-episode podcast will reach between 4,000 and 6,000 listeners, mainly women farmers, highlighting specific crop insurance and risk management solutions and what has worked for specific farms in managing production, marketing, legal, human and financial risk on farms.
Award Amount: $99,999
Award Type: TS
State(s): Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota
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Recipient: Land Stewardship Project
Project: Fostering resilient specialty crop and livestock farming through innovative approaches to minimizing financial, human and production risks
Project Description: The Land Stewardship Project goal is to improve the resiliency of farmers in Minnesota who are underserved by crop insurance. To achieve this goal LSP and its partners will reach 300 farmers in Minnesota with information, resources, in-person training and support that aid in sound decision making that ultimately reduces risk. The majority of farmers reached through this project will be producers of specialty and non-commodity crops. With our partners, LSP will introduce PRF and provide risk management education through effective trainings for each audience of farmers.
Award Amount: $74,111
Award Type: TS
State(s): Minnesota, Wisconsin
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Recipient: FamilyFarmed
Project: Cultivating Growth: Best Practices for Risk Management in Food Safety, Wholesale & Direct Marketing and Postharvest handling for St Paul Region Specialty Crop Farmers
Project Description: FamilyFarmed will work with one partner in Wisconsin to engage beginning, small, limited resources, sustainable, specialty crop farmers who sell products through local food markets. We anticipate farmers will make changes to their operations to minimize their risk. Specifically, farmers will increase their understanding of best practices in Direct Marketing, Food Safety and Postharvest-Handling Risk Management, and about available Crop Insurance options including Whole Farm Revenue Protection. They also will develop risk management plans and strategies, and begin to implement specific best practices in their operations.
Award Amount: $16,045
Award Type: TS
State(s): Wisconsin
Topeka KS
Recipient: Colorado State University
Project: Risk Management Education for Colorado Farmers and Ranchers
Project Description: Results of a survey of Colorado’s agricultural lenders conducted by CSU in August 2017 suggest Colorado producers have diminished financial ability to withstand risky events, and only acceptable or poor financial management skills. Other data suggests producers lack sound marketing skills, including the ability to develop marketing plans and manage for marketing risks, and many producers are insignificantly informed about crop insurance products, especially WFRP. The 100 producers participating in a series workshops conducted at four locations will develop a greater understanding of record keeping, develop financial statements, and learn to monitor and make decisions based on cash flow projections. The 200 producers participating in the “Outlook and Strategies Forums” (held at five locations) will improve their skills of developing marketing plans, to include crop insurance, and implementing strategies for better managing market risks. The 300 women participating in Annie’s Project will improve their understanding of risk management, crop insurance, transition and estate planning, commodity marketing, and financial management, as well as identifying their role in the farm business operation. The project team will utilize existing materials and tools and will collaborate with agricultural lenders, extension agents, and others to encourage participation in the three different educational programs.
Award Amount: $116,489
Award Type: TS
State(s): Colorado
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Recipient: Master Stockman Consulting
Project: Risk Management Strategies for Livestock Production - Targeting Livestock, Beginning, Women and Traditional Producers in RMA's Topeka Region
Project Description: Master Stockman Consulting (MSC) proposes to work with RMA and five partner organizations to deliver training in risk management and crop insurance topics with target audiences of livestock, beginning, women and traditional producers in Colorado, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska in the Topeka Region. MSC will have direct contact with 850 producers with 23 training events in Colorado, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. MSC will also reach 5,000 producers through 4 informational pieces (articles, mailings, social media). The program and informational pieces will focus on providing producers with tools that enable them to improve their decision making process and mitigate risk. Topical coverage will include LRP for cattle and lamb, Pasture Rangeland Forage, Whole-Farm Revenue Protection and the utilization of economic tools on the Wyoming Ranch Tools website to analyze decisions, including a new visual decision support tool for LRP. Use of these tools will improve producers decision making process and help them make risk mitigation decisions. A Crop Insurance 101 webinar will be recorded in English and Spanish, supplementing each of the program workshops.
Award Amount: $99,759
Award Type: TS
State(s): Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska
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Recipient: Agrimind LLC
Project: Risk Management for Beginning Livestock Producers in Colorado and Missouri
Project Description: Agrimind will work with RMA and the Colorado FFA (COFFA) and Missouri FFA (MOFFA) to improve beginning livestock producers’ awareness, understanding, and utilization of Federal crop insurance programs and other risk management tools. Agrimind will reach 1,000 beginning producers through 10 on-site and 10 on-line training events and 31,900 beginning producers through 4 social media informational contacts. Content and information will be delivered in English and Spanish. Beginning producers enrolled in agriculture education are the future of agriculture in these states and will clearly benefit from training in risk management concepts and crop insurance fundamentals. In targeting FFA members, the team also reaches beginning women producers, who currently comprise over 50 percent of FFA members in the target states. The outreach will improve beginning producers’ awareness of available risk management strategies and tools, including Federal crop insurance programs such as RMA's LRP, LGM, PFR, Wheat, and WFRP Programs. Producers will also gain expertise in assessing and implementing risk management strategies, including diversification and forward contracting. The training is expected to lead to more frequent and effective utilization of available risk management tools, including Federal crop insurance programs, which will improve the stability and profitability of agriculture in RMA’s Topeka Region.
Award Amount: $73,200
Award Type: TS
State(s): Colorado, Missouri
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Recipient: Kansas Rural Center
Project: Educating Specialty Crop Growers and Agricultural Professionals for Improving Risk Managment
Project Description: Kansas Rural Center (KRC) and partners aim to educate Kansas specialty crop producers, including honey producers, and agricultural professionals for the purpose of strengthening Kansas’ specialty crop production and its support systems. Through 11 tailored workshops plus two farm tours, this project will mitigate producers’ financial risk through increased understanding and use of (1) business and financial strategies and tools, (2) crop insurance options and requirements, and (3) additional USDA programs. Follow-up one-on-one assistance will be provided for producers interested in individual farm financial analysis. Additionally, we will conduct two System Dynamics workshops and two farm tours to increase agricultural professionals’ knowledge of specialty crop farming systems to (1) promote improved and sustained support for specialty crop producers, and (2) assist in the development of tailored materials and workshops. Lastly, this project uses a novel approach of integrating workshop content (i.e., record keeping, QuickBooks, business planning, crop insurance information, and USDA programs) into a college-level Sustainable Agriculture program to support adoption of these practices by new and beginning farmers. Project will reach 318 producers including 75 beginning farmers through 1330 hours.
Award Amount: $90,919
Award Type: TS
State(s): Kansas
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Recipient: Kansas State University
Project: Utilizing RMA Insurance Products to Enhance Farm-level Risk Management Strategies for Kansas Producers
Project Description: Kansas State University Agricultural Economics has had a long-running and very successful extension program that addresses farm-level risk management by integrating crop insurance decisions into a marketing plan. These are known as RAM (Risk Assessed Marketing) workshops and have been conducted since 1993. While this program is still relevant, significant time and resources are needed to modernize the material and case farm activity delivery. With the larger variety of RMA insurance products available, stress of low commodity prices causing farmers to look at non-traditional crops, and the idea of computerizing the case farm activity, this program has the potential to become even more impactful to producers. The project team is proposing to hold 3 traditional RAM workshops this coming winter, then invest significant time in the spring/summer of 2019 to enhance the program as previously described. The project team will hold 7 of these enhanced all-day RAM workshops, with smaller "breakout session" versions of the program given at existing large conferences in Kansas, specifically targeting young producers and women in agriculture. An estimated 2,260 participants will gain knowledge of risk management options available to them and be trained in ways to implement these strategies on their own operations.
Award Amount: $97,074
Award Type: TS
State(s): Kansas
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Recipient: University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Project: Risk Management Education for Women in Agriculture, Livestock Producers, and Beginning Producers in the Topeka Region
Project Description: This project will focus on delivering risk management education to three key underserved audiences in Nebraska and Missouri: women involved in agriculture (WIA); beginning producers; and, livestock and forage producers. WIA-The goal is to reach female producers, landowners, students and agriculture industry professionals with specific information and updates on crop, Pasture, Rangeland, Forage (PRF), Livestock Risk Protection (LRP), annual forage (in Nebraska) or Whole Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) insurance products. Nebraska and Missouri will host individual WIA conferences with expected attendance totaling over 375 women. New this year, each conference will develop WIA learning circles (WIALC) to maximize educational impact. Livestock and forage producers - the goal for this audience is mitigation of production, market and financial risk inherent to their operation(s). This includes understanding, evaluation, implementation, and long-term adoption of risk management tools and principles. Education on Whole Farm Revenue Protection, Rainfall Index (PRF and Annual Forage), and LRP insurance programs will be emphasized. Beginning producers - the goal for this audience is an improved understanding of risk sources, tools available to mitigate, sources of information, and a targeted behavior change that promotes risk management over pure profit maximization in agricultural operations.
Award Amount: $99,359
Award Type: TS
State(s): Missouri, Nebraska