NSAC's Blog
Risk Management Education Funding Available
May 16, 2014
Risk Management Education Partnership Program
The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC), operating through the Risk Management Agency (RMA), has announced available funds totaling approximately $2 million for the Risk Management Education Partnerships Program. The deadline for applications is June 30, 2014.
The Risk Management Education Partnerships Program is a competitive cooperative partnership agreement program that provides crop insurance education and risk management training. It aims to help agricultural producers identify and manage production, marketing, legal, financial, and human risk.
The program prioritizes educating producers of crops currently uninsured under Federal crop insurance, specialty crops, and underserved commodities, including livestock and forage. It also prioritizes collaborative outreach and assistance programs for limited resource, socially disadvantaged, new and beginning and other traditionally under-served farmers and ranchers.
The minimum award for a cooperative partnership agreement is $20,000 and the maximum award is $99,999. The awards will be distributed on a competitive basis up to one year from the date of the award.
Eligible applicants include non-profit organizations, State Departments of Agriculture, State Cooperative Extension Services, Federal, Sate or tribal agencies, groups representing producers, community-based organizations, colleges and universities, faith-based organizations, and similarly appropriate partners.
For the 2014 fiscal year, the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) Board of Directors are seeking projects that:
(1) address one or more of the Priority Commodities (uninsured crops and livestock, under-insured crops and livestock, and specialty crops)
(2) provides Crop Insurance Education on current federal crop insurance policies; or
(3) address one or more of the five areas of risk — Production, Legal, Financial, Marketing, or Human Risk.
Among the specifically mentioned as topics for which projects are being sought are:
- AGR/AGR-Lite insurance or the newly proposed Whole Farm revenue insurance product;
- organic production practices and organic price selection;
- specialty crops;
- pasture, rangeland, and forage insurance;
- recordkeeping practices;
- reaching producers in Strikeforce states or Promise Zones; and
- translating risk management brochures into Spanish, Hmong or Navajo language.
In contrast to last year’s RFA, the new RFA does not include a wide variety of conservation risk reduction strategies, including cover crops, irrigation management, erosion control, and conservation approaches to returning Conservation Reserve Program acres to production. Also excluded were last year’s priority for farm and food safety eduction for farmworkers as well as local food and value-added marketing.
Only electronic applications will be accepted, and they can be submitted here.
Crop Insurance Education in Targeted States
In a separate Request for Applications, FCIC announced approximately $5 million in available funds for the Risk Management Education in Targeted States Program. The targeted states are Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Applications must demonstrate how the proposed crop insurance education activities will help producers in the targeted states understand the following:
- the kinds of risk addressed by crop insurance;
- the features of existing and emerging crop insurance products, including AGR/AGR-lite or Whole Farm;
- where applicable, the proper use and application of cover crops;
- the use of crop insurance in the management of risk;
- how crop insurance can affect other risk management decisions, such as the use of marketing and financial tools; and
- how to make informed decisions on crop insurance prior to the sales closing date deadline
Applications for this program must be submitted here electronically, and are also due on June 30, 2014.
Categories: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs