USDA Invests about $6.5 Million in Risk Management Education for Farmers, Including Underserved and Organic Producers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced it is awarding about $6.5 million to 22 organizations to educate underserved, small-scale, and organic producers on farm risk management and climate-smart farm practices. The funding from USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) provides assistance through its Risk Management Education (RME) partnerships for organizations, such as nonprofits and land grant universities, to develop training and resources for producers about risk management options.

“This funding and these partnerships are integral to our outreach efforts in communities that historically have not had access to training about risk management options. Our Risk Management Education partnerships are part of USDA’s broader efforts to ensure equity and access to programs,” said RMA Administrator Marcia Bunger while visiting the University of Nevada, Reno, a 2023 RME recipient. “As a farmer, I know first-hand that agriculture is a risky business. We need to work with growers, and livestock producers to provide them training and resources about risk management options and how to apply them to their farming businesses.”

This almost $6.5 million investment builds on the $6.5 million that RMA has already provided in partnerships since 2021. RMA advertised available funding in January 2023, and this year’s recipients include nonprofits, historically black colleges and universities, and university extensions, among others.

To learn more about the specific projects approved see here.