Outreach and Education

 

RMA is making Federal crop insurance available and accessible to as many producers as possible by engaging with communities that have historically lacked access to risk management resources. To make this connection, every year, RMA funds partnerships, known as cooperative agreements, with nonprofits, universities, industry groups and others to deliver risk management education and training across the country. RMA’s cooperative agreement activities primarily serve:

• Historically underserved and limited-resource producers
• Beginning farmers and ranchers
• Climate-smart agriculture
• Urban agriculture
• Livestock, dairy, and aquaculture producers
• Specialty crop and organic operations
• Regions with historically low participation rates in crop insurance

Farming is a risky business. As such, training youth to understand risk management strategies before they take over the farm can support the future of America’s farms. The USDA Risk Management Agency has funded a 2-year pilot project called “Planting with Confidence” to support this goal. Through this project, an online platform (https://frbweb.com/) has been developed to provide simulations to help youth learn about risk in farming. The coursework available on the platform is freely available to Ag-Ed instructors, 4-H chapters, and other educators to introduce to introduce beginning producers to an array of risk management and crop insurance topics.

The deadline for 2024 funding was March 4, 2024. If you have any questions about your application, please email rma.risk-ed@usda.gov. We are in the process of reviewing applications and expect to announce the next notice of funding early 2025.

RMA announced up to $3 million is available for cooperative agreements to educate underserved, small-scale, and organic producers on farm risk management and climate-smart farm practices. The funding provides partnerships for organizations, such as nonprofits and land grant universities, to develop training and resources for producers about risk management options. This $3 million investment builds on the $13 million that RMA has already provided in partnerships since 2021.

RMA offers assistance to entities serving underserved agricultural producers and communities with completing applications for funding opportunities.

This service can assist applicants with:

1. Formulating statements of work, performance work statements and statements of objectives.
2. Completing cooperative agreement award and grant applications.
3. Project management for those applicants receiving a cooperative agreement award or grant so that recipients meet all the milestones and reporting obligations, abide by proper funds management and burn-rate, and demonstrate successful execution, monitoring and controlling, and project closeout.   

This service is available to underserved communities, ag-related non-profits, Tribal colleges and universities, Tribal higher education programs, 1890 Land Grant Universities, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and Hispanic-Serving Agricultural Colleges and Universities.

RMA encourages interested parties to email rma.risk-ed@usda.gov for more details.

RME outreach agreement training for potential applicants

Webinar training covering the application process for organizations and entities applying for Risk Management Education outreach agreements - Watch the webinar.

RMA engages with producers and grower groups at national conferences, local town halls, meetings, and listening sessions. This dialogue helps address barriers that may hinder some producers from participating in Federal crop insurance. RMA analyzes data and feedback from these interactions to improve services and insurance products.

Groups requesting to meet with RMA should contact their local RMA Regional Office, or email rma.risk-ed@usda.gov.

In states where participation in Federal crop insurance has been historically low, RMA provides funding to help growers manage financial risk through diversification, marketing, or natural resource conservation practices. The Agricultural Management Assistance program, or AMA, is available in 16 states, including Hawaii, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

Producers in these states can enroll in AMA through their local USDA Service Center. For more information email rma.risk-ed@usda.gov.