Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this project was the diverse groups of agricultural producers in the Northeast, including, but not limited to: beginning farmers or ranchers, legal immigrant farmers of ranchers attempting to become established producers in the U.S., socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers, farmers or ranchers that are preparing to retire or using transitions strategies to help new farmers or ranchers get started, and new or established farmers or ranchers converting production and marketing systems to pursue new markets. The Center particularly encouraged potential project directors to consider the risk management needs of military veteran farmers (identified in the 2014 Farm Bill) and address those needs in their applications. Changes/Problems:The Producers Underserved by Crop Insurance projects were first funded in the spring of 2020. The second round of funding for this target audience as announced just 4 months after the first round. This second round of fudnig came on the heels of the first round, and likely applicants were in the midst of conducing projects from the first round. The year, 2020, chaotic with COVID-19 interruptions and shutdowns. This was a huge problem for the project directors who had planned in-person educational oppotunities and exasperated by participants trying to navigate virtual meetings. As a result, many of the funds that were awarded were unspent. We received special permission from our NIFA Program Leader to utilize some of these funds in appropriate yet alternate ways, and to maintain the educational purpose of education for those underserved by crop insurance. We participated and supported the Food Marketing Summitt in 2022. A special Dairy project was supported by the Northeast Center as well. The project includes a five-chapter resources on dairy risk management tools. The chapters were written by dairy experts in several states. Currently, the publication is under final review. National Conference facilitation - During this time project period, ERME was awarded additional funds for Ethe purpose of educating Producers Underserved by Crop Insurance. With that funding, the Northeast Center also increased their workload. The National Program Leader directed the Northeast Center to focus on grant funding with two pools and pass the national facilitation onto the Electronic Support Center at the University fo Minnesota (aka the Digital Center). The Northeast and Digital Centers experienced a smooth transition process. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?• The Northeast ERME Center maintained contact with the grant recipients involved in all projects funded during this Award period to inform them about professional development opportunities in the Northeast region, as well as those offered through the national ERME Program. The Center maintains and utilizes regional and national list-servs, a website (www.nerme.org), and a Facebook page to communicate these opportunities. • On behalf of the four regional ERME Centers and the Digital Center, the Northeast Center coordinated the annual National ERME Conference in 2019, 2020 and 2021, although the 2020 conference was cancelled due to COVID-19. This conference brings together public and private sector educators, crop insurance agents, lenders, and other agricultural professionals from all four regions. Our annual conference allows this diverse group to share on-going and emerging successful risk management education efforts that target agricultural producers and their families. Attendees include ERME grantees and other ag professionals. The Northeast Center is responsible for all aspects of this conference - from site selection to convening a planning committee, to coordinating publicity and managing all arrangements with the conference facility, the conference speakers, and the concurrent session and poster presenters. The national conference is held in a different city each year and typically attracts 150 - 200 participants. During this Award period, the conference was conducted in the following cities: 2019 - Louisville, KY; 2020 - Denver, CO (cancelled); 2021 - virtual. The Proceedings for each conference are made available to participants and the public via the Ag Risk and Farm Managment Library (https://agrisk.umn.edu/conferences). • In October of 2022, the Northeast Center, along with the other regional ERME Centers partnered with the National Ag Marketing Summitt Conference, providing support and sponsoring a track session. • During this award period the Northeast Center conducted a Grantee Orientation Training each year - required for new grantees, and encouraged for experienced grantees. The orientation covers the management and reporting requirements for their sub-awards. This meeting often includes a professional development component, and serves as a valuable networking and stakeholder input opportunity for Project Directors. • When new members joined the Northeast ERME Center's Advisory Council, training was provided by the Center Director as appropriate. • The Northeast Center Director often participates in opportunities to reach new audiences. As such, during this Award period she participated in the following conferences: National Association of County Agriculture Agents in 2019, 2020, 2021. • Grant application training is available during the open period for each Request for Applications. This was offered via both Zoom and and in-person during this project period. The announcement for this training is distributed widely via email list-servs and are open to the public. • The Northeast Center sponsored the creation of a Dairy risk management manual, in which dairy experts from around the country wrote specific topic chapters on Milk Pricing, Milk Futures Contracts, Dariy Margin Coverage, Livestock Gross Margin, and Dairy Revenue Protection. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?• Final reports for all completed projects in the Education and Underserved Projects categories are made available to the public via the Extension Risk Management Education website (www.extensionrme.org), under the "Completed Projects" button. The reports include project results, project steps, participant testimony, and valuable educational materials that were developed utilizing the grant funds. • The national ERME Infographic was published annually during this project period. It is a summary of the numbers of producers reached with each are of risk management education (production, marketing, financial, legal, human). It has been shared with a variety of stakeholders, including Congressional delegations, university Deans and Extension Directors, and USDA Risk Management Agency staff. In addition, this publication has been utilized as a resource for educational exhibits at conferences and other appropriate venues. ERME's Digital Center publishes the report and makes it available in both hard copy and digital format. • The Northeast Center highlights exemplary projects on an ongoing basis. During this Award period, seven (7) Success Stories have been written, printed, and shared with Project Directors and other stakeholders. They have also been made available on both the ERME Program website (www.extensionrme.org) and the Northeast Center's website (www.nerme.org - under Available Funding --> Success Stories). • Annual ERME National Conferences were held in a different region of the U.S each year and have been reported in each of the progress reports. This annual conference serves as a gathering of public and private sector educators, crop insurance agents, lenders, and other agricultural professionals. The annual conference allows this diverse group to share ongoing and emerging successful risk management education efforts that target agricultural producers and their families. Previously funded Project Directors used this opportunity to showcase the impacts of their completed projects so that others can take proven educational program methods to their respective regions in an effort to create further impacts for the agricultural community. ERME National Conference Proceedings, which include both the concurrent session presentations and the poster exhibits from the National ERME Conference have made available for participants and the public in the Ag Risk + Farm Management Library (https://agrisk.umn.edu/). • Outstanding Project Awards have been made in each year beginning in 2019. The stories about these awards are posted on the ERME Program website and NERME's website, too (http://www.nerme.org/erme-oustanding-project-award/). The award winners are awarded for their successful projects during the ERME national conference. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
This Prime Award funded new educational projects in 2019, 2020, and 2021. During the course of this award, fifty-eight (58) projects were funded by the Northeast Center via the Extension Risk Management Education (ERME) Competitive Grants Program. Of those, thirty-five (35) were in the "Education" category, with a maximum amount of $50,000. Twenty (20) were in the "Producers Underserved by Crop Insurance" category and the remaining three (3) were categorized as Exploratory Projects with a maximum amount of $5,000. The total number of participants reached through the delivery of all 58 projects was 16,010 and the total number of dollars funded was $2,301,999. The Project Directors were required to submit both quarterly Progress Reports and Final Reports. These reports were reviewed by the Northeast Center staff at each reporting interval, and revisions were requested as necessary prior to final approval. Thus, through this NIFA Award, over 16 thousand agricultural producers were reached with educational programming that provided tools and training enabling them to evaluate and/or establish risk management strategies to strengthen the economic viability of their farm enterprises.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/22 to 08/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this project was the diverse groups of agricultural producers in the Northeast, including, but not limited to: beginning farmers or ranchers, legal immigrant farmers of ranchers attempting to become established producers in the U.S., socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers, farmers or ranchers that are preparing to retire or using transitions strategies to help new farmers or ranchers get started, and new or established farmers or ranchers converting production and marketing systems to pursue new markets. The Center particularly encouraged potential project directors to consider the risk management needs of military veteran farmers (identified in the 2014 Farm Bill) and address those needs in their applications. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The project's impacts and results are made viewable to the public on the Extension Risk Management Education webpage: http://extensionrme.org/. This page is searchable and includes all the funded projects across all the ERME regional centers. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The Northeast Center's website is primarily a resource for non-producer stakeholders and potential grant applicants. It is used to share news about the ERME Competitive Grant Programs, annouce the newly funded grant projects ans share impacts of the completed projects. The website also provides information for Project Directors regarding appropriate award management procedures. It is a resource for producers and those serving producers to learn about the tools for managing farm and family stress (http://www.nerme.org/farm-stress-management/). There is a specific section dedicated to Farmer Verteran Resources (http://www.nerme.org/links/). The 2021 cohort consisted of 26 successfully completed projects in northeast region. The projects included 17 in the Education category (http://www.nerme.org/funding/funded-projects/) and nine in the category of Producers Unserved by Crop Insurance (http://www.nerme.org/2021-producers-underserved-by-crop-insurance-projects/). The project's impacts and results are made viewable to the public on the Extension Risk Management Education webpage: http://extensionrme.org/. This page is searchable and includes all the funded projects across all the ERME regional centers. The Northeast Center maintains a "Storymap" to illustrate where the projects are conducted and managed. the direct link to the Story map is: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/68c83de1d40240d88374626ab0cd0cbb, but it can also be accessed throught the Center's webpage (http://www.nerme.org/northeast-extension-risk-management-education-storymap/). The Northeast Center's 2023 Outstanding Project Award went to Kelly Coleman of Community Involved in Sustaning Agriculture, located in Vermont. The project title "Putting the Tools to Work: Strategies and Support for Sound Business Decision Making" was a 2020 project. a link to the success story is: http://www.nerme.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Coleman-ERME-2023-DE-OPA-FINAL-1.pdf. The Northeast Center maintains regional and national list-servs to send news, announcements and other appropriate and timely information several times during a year, for example to announce the Request for Applications. The Center maintains a Facebook page to share news and announcements in effort to reach a broad and diverse audience.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this project was the diverse groups of agricultural producers in the Northeast, including, but not limited to: beginning farmers or ranchers, legal immigrant farmers of ranchers attempting to become established producers in the U.S., socially dis-advantaged farmers or ranchers, farmers or ranchers that are preparing to retire or using transitions strategies to help new farmers or ranchers get started, and new or established farmers or ranchers converting production and marketing systems to pursue new markets. The Center particularly encouraged potential project directors to consider the risk management needs of military veteran farmers (identified in the 2014 and 2018 Farm Bills) and address those needs in their applications. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
• The Northeast Center's website is a resource for non-producer stakeholders and potential applicants. It is used to share news about the ERME Competitive Grant Programs, announce the newly funded grant projects and share impacts of the completed projects. It also provides information for Project Directors regarding appropriate Award Management. In addition, it is a resource for producers and those serving producers to learn about tools for managing farm and family stress (http://www.nerme.org/farm-stress-management/). There is a specific section dedicated to Farmer Veteran Resources on the Links page (http://www.nerme.org/links/). • The Center maintains a Facebook page which is utilized to disseminate timely information to large and diverse groups of individuals. • The Center maintains both regional and national list-servs to send news, announcements and other appropriate information. • Outstanding Project Awards - The 2021 Outstanding Project Awards were presented during the virtual national conference. The purpose of these awards is for ERME to feature excellence in Extension programming, highlighting producer impacts, as well as promoting ERME programs and resources. A single winner from the 2018 Project Director cohort was selected from each region to demonstrate Extension scholarship across the country. • Project Director Follow-up Interviews - Due to workplace changes and challenges related to COVID-19, the Northeast Center staff did not ask its Advisory Council members to conduct follow-up interviews with Project Directors who had just completed their projects and submitted their final reports. The purpose of this activity is to gather stakeholder input and also to collect general feedback about the ERME grant process - application through final reporting.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this project was the diverse groups of agricultural producers in the Northeast, including, but not limited to: beginning farmers or ranchers, legal immigrant farmers of ranchers attempting to become established producers in the U.S., socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers, farmers or ranchers that are preparing to retire or using transitions strategies to help new farmers or ranchers get started, and new or established farmers or ranchers converting production and marketing systems to pursue new markets. The Center particularly encouraged potential project directors to consider the risk management needs of military veteran farmers (identified in the 2014 and 2018 Farm Bills) and address those needs in their applications. Changes/Problems:In April of 2021, the Northeast Center had a staff retirement. Through advertsing on the University of Delaware website, we were able to hire a part-time staff member. COVID-19 interrupted many of the Center's typical activities. We worked through most of them and look forward to future opportunties to engage with colleagues, project directors, stakeholders and producers. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?• Request for Applications Webinar - October 2020. NERME conducted a one-hour grant applicant webinar to interested educators and potential sub-awardees for the Extension Risk Management Education Competitive Grants Program and for the Risk Management Education for Producers Underserved by Crop Insurance Competitive Grants Program. • Project Director Training - April, 2021. Training for newly funded sub-awardees provides a primer for ERME award management. The training includes the timetable for reporting, a demonstration of reporting in the Results Verification System for progress reports and final reports, the proper use of the funding acknowledgment (statement and logos), budget revisions, and the importance of a project's final report. This training was held via webinar. • Professional development activities were planned for the 2021 Extension Risk Management Education National Conference. This national conference was coordinated by the Northeast Center on behalf of the ERME Program. The conference typically attracted over 300 educators and included 3 keynote sessions, three 75-minute professional development sessions, 35 concurrent sessions, and a poster session with 28 presentations. The conference proceedings are available via a link at: www.extensionrme.org. • Stakeholder Listening Session - July, 2020. This activity helped shape the regional priorities section of NERME's 2021 Request for Applications. In addition to the Northeast Advisory Council members, there was representation from local and regional Cooperative Extension Services including the Northeast Extension Farm Management Committee, farmers, non-profit and private entities, crop insurance educators, and other nonproducer stakeholders. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?• The 2020 Projects were funded for an 18-month period. Those projects are currently being conducted according to project steps identified within each of the projects. Progress reports have been submitted and are closely monitored by Northeast Center staff. When those reports have been submitted and approved, they will be available to the public via the Extension Risk Management website (www.extensionrme.org). The reports demonstrate results and impacts, and include access to the educational materials that were developed utilizing the grant funds. The materials also become available through Ag Risk & Farm Management Library (www.agrisk.umn.edu). Because of program interruptions due to COVID1-9 restrictions, NERME offered (on a case by case situation) the opportunity for Project Directors to extend their projects. 3 Project Directors in the Education grant cohort and 2 Project Directors in the Underserved grant cohort requested a 6-month no cost extension and we granted that. Regular progress reporting for these projects will continue. • The 2021 Extension Risk Management Education Competitive Grants projects are funded for an 18-month period. Therefore, final reports for all completed projects will be available at a later date, as the end date of the projects is not until September 2022. When those reports have been submitted and approved, they will be available to the public via the Extension Risk Management website (www.extensionrme.org). The reports demonstrate results and impacts, and include access to the educational materials that were developed utilizing the grant funds. The materials also become available through Ag Risk & Farm Management Library (www.agrisk.umn.edu). • The 2021 Risk Management Education for Producers Underserved by Crop Insurance Competitive Grants Program projects are funded for an 18-month period. Therefore, final reports for all completed projects will be available at a later date, as the end date of the projects is not until September 2022. When those reports have been submitted and approved, they will be available to the public via the Extension Risk Management website (www.extensionrme.org). The reports demonstrate results and impacts, and include access to the educational materials that were developed utilizing the grant funds. The materials also become available through Ag Risk & Farm Management Library (www.agrisk.umn.edu). • National ERME Progress Report - The ERME Progress Report is a whole program effort. It is a compilation of select successful projects funded by each of the four regional Centers. This report is published with the intention of emphasizing the impacts that the ERME funds have made for producers and their families in each region. NERME Project Success Stories are developed for most successful projects in the year following the final report. They are similar in that they highlight the project results, as well as producer impacts. This report is shared with stakeholders, funders and decision makers to demonstrate the work that as being done, and it is available on the NERME website. • NERME Project Success Stories - Project Success Stories are developed for most successful projects in the year following the final report. They are similar in that they highlight the project results, as well as producer impacts. These stories are shared with stakeholders, funders and decision makers to demonstrate the work that as being done. During this FY, the writing for reports and stories are in progress for both the 2018 projects 2019 projects. The completed stores will be available on the NERME website. • The ERME National Conference provides a professional setting for Project Directors to highlight the results and impacts of funded ERME projects through concurrent sessions and poster exhibits. The proceedings of the virtual national conference are available to the public, online at www.extensionrme.org. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?• The 2021 Extension Risk Management Education Competitive Grants Program Project Directors are expected to submitted their first Progress Report on July 1, 2021. This is the first of 6 reporting requirements, with the sixth being the Final Report (due October 2022). • The 2021 Risk Management Education for Producers Underserved by Crop Insurance Competitive Grants Program Project Directors are expected to submit their first Progress Report on July 1, 2021. This is the first of 6 reporting requirements, with the sixth being the Final Report (due October 2022). • When a specific educational need arises, the Northeast Center will seek to ensure that it is promptly met. The Center is committed to staying abreast of current economic volatility, to taking a pro-active approach, and to being prepared to respond appropriately to risk management education needs in the Northeast region.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
• Regional Priorities for Request For Applications. In August of 2020, NERME's Advisory Council met (via conference call conducted by Laurie Wolinski) to discuss the regional priorities to include in the appropriate section of the Request for Applications. This activity is held each year to identify any new topics or issues that may be specific to the region and its producers, including beginning farmers and ranchers, legal immigrant farmers and ranchers, socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, veteran farmers and ranchers, and farmers and ranchers that are preparing to retire or transition their farm. Additionally, stakeholder input is also continuously sought through the Northeast Center's website (www.nerme.org), as well as the RFA itself. The Advisory Council considered the feedback from the Stakeholder Listening Session that was conduted virtually, by Laurie Wolinski, on July 2020. • Response to the 2021 Request for Applications - The Northeast Center received 27 applications for the Extension Risk Management Education Competitive Grants Program - in the Education Category for a total of $923,791. NERME funded 17 Education Projects for a total of $668,379. NERME also received 9 applications for the Risk Management Education for Producers Underserved by Crop Insurance Competitive Grants Program totaling $746,288. NERME funded all projects for the amount requested - $746,288. Projects from both pools of funding included those targeting special emphasis audiences. Information (including an overview and the proposed results/impacts) for each project is available at this link on the Extension Risk Management Education website: www.extensionrme.org. This information is also available on the Center's website: www.nerme.org. The Project Directors represent both public and private organizations in the Northeast, and are considered experts in educating agricultural producers to effectively manage the risks associated with their agribusinesses. In compliance with the Northeast Center's Streamlining Authority, a listing of all 2021 sub-awards, including the project overview were submitted directly to our NPL, Dr. Brent Elrod, and to our Administrative Point of Contact, Mr. Douglas Bielenberg. • Activities that Serve Veteran Farmers or Ranchers - NERME specifically mentions veteran farmers and ranchers in its annual RFA. In 2021, two funded projects - "2021 Risk Management Education for West Virginia Beginning and Veteran Farmers"; and "Boots-2-Bushels: Improving farm viability through comprehensive education and hands-on training for veterans and farmers with a disability" included veteran farmers as part of their targeted audience. A section of NERME's website includes links to Veteran Farmer Resources • 2021 ERME National Conference contract negotiation and extension (due to COVID-19) was completed with plans to hold the 2022 conference in Omaha, NE. • The Northeast Center's website is a resource for non-producer stakeholders and potential applicants. It is used to share news about the ERME Competitive Grant Programs, announce the newly funded grant projects and share impacts of the completed projects. It also provides information for Project Directors regarding appropriate Award Management. In addition, it is a resource for producers and those serving producers to learn about tools for managing farm and family stress (http://www.nerme.org/farm-stress-management/). There is a specific section dedicated to Farmer Veteran Resources on the Links page (http://www.nerme.org/links/). • The Center maintains a Facebook page which is utilized to disseminate timely information to large and diverse groups of individuals. • The Center maintains both regional and national list-servs to send news, announcements and other appropriate information. • Outstanding Project Awards - The 2021 Outstanding Project Awards were presented during the virtual national conference. The purpose of these awards is for ERME to feature excellence in Extension programming, highlighting producer impacts, as well as promoting ERME programs and resources. A single winner from the 2018 Project Director cohort was selected from each region to demonstrate Extension scholarship across the country. • Project Director Follow-up Interviews - Due to workplace changes and challenges related to COVID-19, the Northeast Center staff did not ask its Advisory Council members to conduct follow-up interviews with Project Directors who had just completed their projects and submitted their final reports. The purpose of this activity is to gather stakeholder input and also to collect general feedback about the ERME grant process - application through final reporting. This exercise will resume with in 2021.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this project was the diverse groups of agricultural producers in the Northeast, including, but not limited to: beginning farmers or ranchers, legal immigrant farmers of ranchers attempting to become established producers in the U.S., socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers, farmers or ranchers that are preparing to retire or using transitions strategies to help new farmers or ranchers get started, and new or established farmers or ranchers converting production and marketing systems to pursue new markets. The Center particularly encouraged potential project directors to consider the risk management needs of military veteran farmers (identified in the 2014 and 2018 Farm Bills) and address those needs in their applications. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Request for Applications Webinar - October 2019. NERME conducted a one-hour grant applicant webinar to interested educators and potential sub-awardees for the Extension Risk Management Education Competitive Grants Program and Feburary. 2020 for the Risk Management Education for Producers Underserved by Crop Insurance Competitive Grants Program. Advisory Council Orientation - In September 2019 Center Director, Laurie Wolinski, facilitated an Advisory Council Orientation session for new Advisory Council members for the Extension Risk Management Education Competitive Grants Program. In April 2020, Center Director, Laurie Wolinski, facilitated an Advisory Council Orientation session for new Advisory Council members for the Risk Management Education for Producers Underserved by Crop Insurance Competitive Grants Program. In October 2019, NERME collaborated in delivering a Reading the Farm Tour and educational session at the National Farm Viability Conference in Red Wing, MN. This on-farm tour provided hands-on agriculture risk management education to educators from across the country. A busload (45 educators) traveled to the participating farm to take part in the 4 hour training. Project Director Training - March 31, 2020. Training for newly funded sub-awardees provides a primer for ERME award management. The training includes the timetable for reporting, a demonstration of reporting in the Results Verification System for progress reports and final reports, the proper use of the funding acknowledgment (statement and logos), budget revisions, and the importance of a project's final report. This training was held via webinar. Professional development activities that were planned for the 2020 Extension Risk Management Education National Conference, included a pre-conference seminar. This national conference is coordinated by the Northeast Center on behalf of the ERME Program. The conference typically attracts over 180 educators and includes 3 keynote sessions, 5 professional development sessions, 40 concurrent sessions, and a poster session with 30 presentations. The pre-conference seminar planned for 2020 was on the topic of Resources and Opportunities to Address Climate Risks. The conference proceedings are available via a link at: www.extensionrme.org. Stakeholder Listening Session - Summer date and location TBD. This activity has been planned to help shape the regional priorities of NERME's 2021 Request for Applications. In addition to the Northeast Advisory Council members, it is anticipated that there will be representation from local and regional Cooperative Extension Services including the Northeast Extension Farm Management Committee, farmers, non-profit and private entities, crop insurance educators, and other non-producer stakeholders. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? The 2019 Projects were funded for an 18-month period. Those projects are currently being conducted according to project steps identified within each of the projects. Progress reports have been submitted and are closely monitored by Northeast Center staff. When those reports have been submitted and approved, they will be available to the public via the Extension Risk Management website (www.extensionrme.org). The reports demonstrate results and impacts, and include access to the educational materials that were developed utilizing the grant funds. The materials also become available through Ag Risk & Farm Management Library (www.agrisk.umn.edu). The 2020 Extension Risk Management Education Competitive Grants Program projects are funded for an 18-month period. Therefore, final reports for all completed projects will be available at a later date, as the end date of the projects is not until September 2021. When those reports have been submitted and approved, they will be available to the public via the Extension Risk Management website (www.extensionrme.org). The reports demonstrate results and impacts, and include access to the educational materials that were developed utilizing the grant funds. The materials also become available through Ag Risk & Farm Management Library (www.agrisk.umn.edu). The 2020 Risk Management Education for Producers Underserved by Crop Insurance Competitive Grants Program projects are funded for an 18-month period. Therefore, final reports for all completed projects will be available at a later date, as the end date of the projects is not until November 2021. When those reports have been submitted and approved, they will be available to the public via the Extension Risk Management website (www.extensionrme.org). The reports demonstrate results and impacts, and include access to the educational materials that were developed utilizing the grant funds. The materials also become available through Ag Risk & Farm Management Library (www.agrisk.umn.edu). National ERME Progress Report - The ERME Progress Report is a whole program effort. It is a compilation of select successful projects funded by each of the four regional Centers. This report is published with the intention of emphasizing the impacts that the ERME funds have made for producers and their families in each region. NERME Project Success Stories are developed for most successful projects in the year following the final report. They are similar in that they highlight the project results, as well as producer impacts. This report is shared with stakeholders, funders and decision makers to demonstrate the work that as being done, and it is available on the NERME website. NERME Project Success Stories - Project Success Stories are developed for most successful projects in the year following the final report. They are similar in that they highlight the project results, as well as producer impacts. These stories are shared with stakeholders, funders and decision makers to demonstrate the work that as being done. During this FY, reports and stories were completed for 2017 projects, and 2018 project stories have begun. The completed stores are available on the NERME website. The ERME National Conference provides a professional setting for Project Directors to highlight the results and impacts of funded ERME projects through concurrent sessions and poster exhibits. While the conference was cancelled for 2020, the abstracts and presentations are available to the public, online at www.extensionrme.org. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? The 2020 Extension Risk Management Education Competitive Grants Program Project Directors are expected to submit their first Progress Report on July 1, 2020. This is the first of 6 reporting requirements, with the sixth being the Final Report (due October 2021). The 2020 Risk Management Education for Producers Underserved by Crop Insurance Competitive Grants Program Project Directors are expected to submit their first Progress Report on September 1, 2020. This is the first of 6 reporting requirements, with the sixth being the Final Report (due December 2021). 2021 ERME National Conference - Contingent on funding, we plan to coordinate the 2021 ERME National Conference in Omaha, NE on Mach 24 - 25, 2021 (including a pre-conference seminar - topic TBD). Stakeholder Listening Session - Summer 2021. While the specific timing and location of this session is not yet planned the activity will be conducted during summer of 2021 to help shape the regional priorities of NERME's 2021 Request for Applications. In addition to the Northeast Advisory Council members, it is anticipated that there will be representation from local and regional Cooperative Extension Services including the Northeast Extension Farm Management Committee, farmers, non-profit entities, crop insurance educators, and other non-producer stakeholders. When a specific educational need arises, the Northeast Center will seek to ensure that it is promptly met. The Center is committed to staying abreast of current economic volatility, to taking a pro-active approach, and to being prepared to respond appropriately to risk management education needs in the Northeast region.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Regional Priorities for Request For Applications. In September 2019, NERME's Advisory Council met (via confrence call conducted by Laurie Wolinski) to discuss the regional priorities to include in the appropriate section of the Request for Applications. This activity is held each year to identify any new topics or issues that may be specific to the region and its producers, including beginning farmers and ranchers, legal immigrant farmers and ranchers, socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, veteran farmers and ranchers, and farmers and ranchers that are preparing to retire or transition their farm. Additionally, stakeholder input is also continuously sought through the Northeast Center's website (www.nerme.org), as well as the RFA itself. The Advisory Council considered the feedback from the Stakeholder Listening Session that was conduted by NERME in Enfield, CT on August 22, 2019. Response to the 2020 Request for Applications - The Northeast Center received 27 applications for the Extension Risk Management Education Competitive Grants Program - all in the Education Category for a total of $1,076,395.19. NERME funded nine Education Projects for a total of $298,205. The Education Projects were funded in the range of $29,000 - $46,000. NERME also received 16 applications for the Risk Management Education for Producers Underserved by Crop Insurance Competitive Grants Program totaling $1,328,397.04. NERME funded eleven projects for a total of $877,657. Projects from both pools of funding included those targeting special emphasis audiences. Information (including an overview and the proposed results/impacts) for each project is available at this link on the Extension Risk Management Education website: www.extensionrme.org. This information is also available on the Center's website: www.nerme.org. The Project Directors represent both public and private organizations in the Northeast, and are considered experts in educating agricultural producers to effectively manage the risks associated with their agribusinesses. In compliance with the Northeast Center's Streamlining Authority, a listing of all 2020 sub-awards, including the project overview were submitted directly to our NPL, Dr. Brent Elrod, and to our Administrative Point of Contact, Mr. Douglas Bielenberg. Activities that Serve Veteran Farmers or Ranchers - NERME specifically mentions veteran farmers and ranchers in its annual RFA. In 2020, two funded projects - "Marketing and Legal Risk Management for Beginning Farmers Accessing Wholesale Markets"; and "Mastering Farm Risk Management ("MyFaRM")" included veteran farmers as part of their targeted audience. A section of NERME's website includes links to Veteran Farmer Resources 2021 ERME National Conference RFP process and site visit - Fall 2019 through Winter 2020. A portion of NERME's funding is designated to conduct the annual ERME National Conference on behalf of the national program - from initial planning through facilitating all aspects of the conference. Due the fact that this is a national program, rotating regions for the conference is important. NERME sends a request for proposals to two or three cities in a specific region in the fall -approximately 18 months before the actual conference time frame. After carefully reviewing proposals from three cities - Birmingham, AL; Omaha, NE; and San Antonio, TX - Omaha was selected as the city to host the 2021 conference. NERME staff traveled to Omaha to site visit several venues to select a conference site. 2020 Extension Risk Management Education National Conference was scheduled to be held in Denver, CO on April 1 - 2, 2020. Due to the many restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 conference had to be cancelled. Following many months of planning and preparation, the conference was scheduled to be held in Denver, CO on April 1 - 2. One hundred seventy-five participants from across the country had registered for the conference. Included in the conference activities were over 40 educational concurrent sessions, 3 keynote presentations, and 30 educational posters presented during the poster and networking session. This event also included a pre-conference seminar on the topic of Resources and Opportunities to Address Climate Risks. The Northeast Center's Website is a resource for non-producer stakeholders and potential applicants. It is used to share news about the ERME Competitive Grant Programs, announce the newly funded grant projects and share impacts of the completed projects. It also provides information for Project Directors regarding appropriate Award Management. In addition, it is a resource for producers and those serving producers to learn about tools for managing farm and family stress (http://www.nerme.org/farm-stress-management/). There is a specific section dedicated to Farmer Veteran Resources on the Links page (http://www.nerme.org/links/). The Center maintains a Facebook page which is utilized to disseminate timely information to large and diverse groups of individuals. The Center maintains both regional and national list-servs to send news, announcements and other appropriate information. Outstanding Project Awards - 2020 was the second year for the Outstanding Project Awards, which were to be presented at the national conference. The purpose of these awards is for ERME to feature excellence in Extension programming, highlighting producer impacts, as well as promoting ERME programs and resources. A single winner from the 2017 Project Director cohort was selected from each region to demonstrate Extension scholarship across the country. Project Director Follow-up Interviews - During the Spring of 2020 NERME's Advisory Council conducted follow-up interviews with Project Directors who had just completed their projects and submitted their final reports. The purpose of this activity is to gather stakeholder input and also to collect general feedback about the ERME grant process - application through final reporting. During this FY, 2018 Project Directors were interviewed. Stakeholder Listening Session - Planned for Summer 2020. This session is scheduled to take place in a location TBD. This activity has been planned to help shape the regional priorities of NERME's 2021 Request for Applications. In addition to the Northeast Advisory Council members, it is anticipated that there will be representation from local and regional Cooperative Extension Services including the Northeast Extension Farm Management Committee, farmers, non-profit and private entities, crop insurance educators, and other non-producer stakeholders.
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Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this project was the diverse groups of agricultural producers in the Northeast, including, but not limited to: beginning farmers or ranchers, legal immigrant farmers of ranchers attempting to become established producers in the U.S., socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers, farmers or ranchers that are preparing to retire or using transitions strategies to help new farmers or ranchers get started, and new or established farmers or ranchers converting production and marketing systems to pursue new markets. The Center particularly encouraged potential project directors to consider the risk management needs of military veteran farmers (identified in the 2014 Farm Bill) and address those needs in their applications. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Request for Application Webinar (Output) - October 2018. NERME conducted a one-hour grant applicant webinar for interested educators and potential sub-awardees. Advisory Council Orientation - In September 2018 Center Director, Laurie Wolinski, facilitated an Advisory Council Orientation session for new Advisory Council members. In September 2018, NERME collaborated in delivering the Linking Farm Vitality & Health Forum in Delaware. Agriculture risk management was an important underlying theme in this forum. The forum was conducted in an effort to raise awareness regarding physical and mental health issues and access to health care in rural communities. Many impacts from this event will not be realized until a much later date. However, NERME provided support for a publication titled Health & Farm Vitality that was circulated as a special supplement in the regional agriculture newspaper - The Delmarva Farmer. The Delaware Division of Libraries created a "LibGuide" for Delaware Farm Families and the Organizations that Support them. Additional outputs that resulted from the forum included coordinated efforts with local medical facilities to offer health screenings at the Delaware winter producer meetings. Strengthening Health and Farm and Ranch Vitality National Webinar. In October 2018, NERME participated and presented during this webinar. The webinar provided an overview of USDA and shared recent research findings. It introduced some practical tools educators and advisers can use to help farmers and ranchers make informed decisions for their health and farm vitality. As a result, participants learned about impacts of stress on the mental, physical and financial health and well-being of farmers and ranchers. In addition, they learned about tools to use in supporting farmers and ranchers, including videos, fact sheets, and a guide to conducting state Farm Vitality and Health Forums and Smart Choice-Smart Use Health Insurance™ programs. Project Director Training - April 2, 2019. Training for newly funded sub-awardees provides a primer for ERME award management. The training includes the timetable for reporting, a demonstration of reporting in the Results Verification System for progress reports and final reports, the proper use of the funding acknowledgment (statement and logos), budget revisions, and the importance of a project's final report. This training was held in conjunction with the annual ERME National Conference. Professional development activities included the 2019 Extension Risk Management Education National Conference, held in Louisville, KY, April 2-4, with an optional pre-conference seminar. This national conference is coordinated by the Northeast Center on behalf of the ERME Program. The conference attracted over 180 educators and included 3 keynote sessions, 5 professional development sessions, 40 concurrent sessions, and a poster session with 30 presentations. The pre-conference seminar provided educational programming on the topic "Behavioral Economics". The conference presentations/proceedings are available via a link at: www.extensionrme.org. 2018 Farm Bill Education Conference - On May 22-23, 2019, this event, hosted by the National ERME Program in collaboration with the Farm Foundation, National Crop Insurance Services, and the Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Policy Research Center at Alcorn State University, provided information and training for university and ag professionals that serve producers and provide education and insight on new farm program details, opportunities, and decisions. The conference covered multiple Farm Bill Titles and other components of the 2018 Farm Bill with a focus on producer decisions and management implications. Stakeholder Listening Session - August 22, 2019. This session is scheduled to take place in Enfield, CT at the Farm Credit East Office. This activity has been planned to help shape the regional priorities of NERME's 2020 Request for Applications. In addition to the Northeast Advisory Council members, it is anticipated that there will be representation from local and regional Cooperative Extension Services including the Northeast Extension Farm Management Committee, farmers, non-profit and private entities, crop insurance educators, and other non-producer stakeholders. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? The 2018 Projects were funded for an 18-month period. Those projects are currently being conducted according to project steps identified within each of the projects. Quarterly Progress Reports have been submitted and are closely monitored by Northeast Center staff. When the final reports have been submitted and approved, the will be available to the public via the ERME website (www.extensionrme.org). The 2019 Projects are funded for an 18-month period. Therefore, Final Reports for all completed projects will be available at a later date, as the end date of the projects is not until September 2020. When those reports have been submitted and approved, they will be available to the public via the Extension Risk Management website (www.extensionrme.org). The reports demonstrate results and impacts, and include access to the educational materials that were developed utilizing the grant funds. The materials also become available through the Ag Risk & Farm Management Library (www.agrisk.umn.edu). National ERME Progress Report - The ERME Progress Report is a whole program effort. It is a compilation of select successful projects funded by each of the four regional Centers. This report is published with the intention of emphasizing the impacts that the ERME funds have made for producers and their families in each region. NERME Project Success Stories - Project Success Stories are developed for most successful projects in the year following the final report. They are similar in that they highlight the project results, as well as producer impacts. These stories are shared with stakeholders, funders and decision makers to demonstrate the work that as being done. During this FY, reports and stories were completed for 2016 projects, and 2017 project stories have begun. The completed stories are available on the NERME website (www.nerme.org). The ERME National Conference provides a vehicle for Project Directors to highlight the results and impacts of funded ERME projects through concurrent sessions and poster exhibits. These presentations are also made available online - www.extensionrme.org. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The Northeast Center staff plan to conduct similar activities throughout the coming year to accomplish our project goals. The 2019 Project Directors are expected to submit their first Quarterly Progress Report on July 1, 2019. This is the first of 6 reporting requirements, with the sixth being the Final Report (due October 2020). 2020 ERME National Conference - Contingent on funding, we plan to coordinate the 2020 ERME National Conference in Denver, CO on Mach 31 - April 2, 2020 (including a pre-conference seminar). Stakeholder Listening Session - Summer 2020. While the specific timing and location of this session is not yet planned, the activity will be conducted during summer of 2020 to help shape the regional priorities of NERME's 2021 Request for Applications. In addition to the Northeast Advisory Council members, it is anticipated that there will be representation from local and regional Cooperative Extension Services including the Northeast Extension Farm Management Committee, farmers, non-profit entities, crop insurance educators, and other non-producer stakeholders. When a specific educational need arises, the Northeast Center will seek to ensure that it is promptly met. The Center is committed to staying abreast of current economic volatility, to taking a pro-active approach, and to being prepared to respond appropriately to risk management education needs in the Northeast region.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Regional Priorities for Request For Applications. In September 2018, NERME's Advisory Council met (via conference call conducted by Laurie Wolinski) to discuss the regional priorities to include in the appropriate section of the Request for Applications. This activity is held each year to identify any new topics or issues that may be specific to the region and its producers, including beginning farmers and ranchers, legal immigrant farmers and ranchers, socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, veteran farmers and ranchers, and farmers and ranchers that are preparing to retire or transition their farm. One change in the Northeast Center's regional priorities was made - to increase the amount of funds available for the Exploratory category from $2,000 to $3,500. Additionally, stakeholder input is also continuously sought through the Northeast Center's website (www.nerme.org), as well as the RFA itself. Response to the 2019 online Request for Applications - The Northeast Center received 25 applications (three Exploratory totaling $9,782 and 22 in the Education category totaling $807,436). NERME funded all three Exploratory projects and nine Education projects for a total of $323,469. The "Education Projects" category are funded in the range of $25,000 - $49,000. The projects include those targeting special emphasis audiences. Information (including an overview and the proposed results/impacts) for each project is available at this link on the Extension Risk Management Education website: www.extensionrme.org. This information is also available on the Center's website: www.nerme.org. The Project Directors represent both public and private organizations in the Northeast, and are considered experts in educating agricultural producers to effectively manage the risks associated with their agribusinesses. In compliance with the Northeast Center's Streamlining Authority, a listing of all 2019 sub-awards, including the project overview were submitted directly to our NPL, Dr. Toija Riggins, and to our Administrative Point of Contact, Mr. Jeffrey Jacobs. Activities that Serve Veteran Farmers or Ranchers - NERME specifically mentions veteran farmers and ranchers in its annual RFA. In 2019, one funded project - "Annie's Project: Farming in New Jersey's Cities and the Urban Fringe" included military veterans as part of their targeted audience. 2020 ERME National Conference RFP process and site visit - Fall 2018 through Winter 2019. A portion of NERME's funding is designated to conduct the annual ERME National Conference on behalf of the national program - from initial planning through facilitating all aspects of the conference. Due the fact that this is a national program, rotating regions for the conference is important. NERME sends a request for proposals to two or three cities in a specific region in the fall - approximately 18 months before the actual conference time frame. After carefully reviewing proposals from three cities - Phoenix, AZ; Omaha, NE; and Denver, CO - Denver was selected as the city to host the conference. NERME staff traveled to Denver to site visit several venues for conference. 2019 Extension Risk Management Education National Conference was held in Louisville, KY for over 180 participants. This confernence is coordinated by the Northeast Center on behalf of the ERME Program. The conference speakers and program content are selected by a diverse Conference Planning Committee comprised of members from each of the 4 regions. The conference offered 3 keynote sessions, 5 professional development sessions, 40 concurrent sessions, and a poster and networking session with over 25 presentations. During the 2019 conference, a specail presentation was made to recognize Outstanding Projects (one from each of the four ERME regions). Conference presentations/proceedings are available via a link at: www.extensionrme.org. The Northeast Center's Website is a resource for non-producer stakeholders and potential applicants. It is used to share news about the ERME RFA, announce the newly funded grant projects and share impacts of the completed projects. It also provides information for Project Directors regarding appropriate Award Management. In addition, it is a resource for producers and those serving producers to learn about tools for managing farm and family stress. http://www.nerme.org/farm-stress-management/ The Center maintains a Facebook page which is utilized to disseminate timely information to large and diverse groups of individuals. The Center maintains both regional and national list-servs to send news, announcements and other appropriate information. Outstanding Project Awards - 2019 was the inaugural year for the ERME Outstanding Project Awards, which were presented at the national conference. The purpose of these awards is for ERME to feature excellence in Extension programming, highlighting producer impacts, as well as promoting ERME programs and resources. A single winner from the 2016 Project Director cohort was selected from each region to demonstrate Extension scholarship across the country. Project Director Follow-up Interviews - During the Spring of 2019 NERME's Advisory Council conducted follow-up interviews with Project Directors who have just completed their projects and submitted their final reports. The purpose of this activity is to gather stakeholder input and also to collect general feedback about the ERME grant process - application through final reporting. During this FY, 2017 Project Directors were interviewed. Stakeholder Listening Session - Planned for August 22, 2019. This session is scheduled to take place in Enfield, CT at the Farm Credit East Office. This activity has been planned to help shape the regional priorities of NERME's 2020 Request for Applications. In addition to the Northeast Advisory Council members, it is anticipated that there will be representation from local and regional Cooperative Extension Services including the Northeast Extension Farm Management Committee, farmers, non-profit and private entities, crop insurance educators, and other non-producer stakeholders.
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