Risk Management Education and Outreach

Type: Cooperative agreements

Awards: Range from $10,000 to $300,000

Big idea: USDA's Risk Management Agency partners with educational institutions and community based organizations to provide farmers and ranchers (especially minority, limited resource and traditionally underserved farmers and ranchers) with information on new ways to manage risk. This program funds risk management strategies related to production (including crop insurance), marketing, legal, human, and financial issues.

Who can apply: Non-profit organizations, Tribal organizations, State agencies, and colleges or universities.

Possibilities: Managing risk through sound practices is critical to any small business' success, especially for farmers and ranchers. Possible projects could address risk management related to:

• Production practices, including on-farm food safety;
• Insurance, including health insurance;
• Business planning and accounting;
• Marketing and branding;
• Legal and succession planning.

Real example: In North Carolina, the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project received $135,000 to provide limited resource and underserved farmers with the support, knowledge and tools necessary to access and operate successfully in the burgeoning markets for locally grown food.

Get more information: For more program information click here.