Conferences
Developing Personal Risk Management Plans for Socially Disadvantaged Producers in North Carolina StrikeForce Counties
Nelson Brownlee, James Hartsfield, Laurence Crane, and Dr. Albert Essel
Summary
Small and limited-resource farmers are faced with many challenges as they attempt to manage risks associated with farming. They need the ability to deal with risks that come with new attractive farming opportunities. The poster will show how educators in Southeastern North Carolina assisted farmers in responding to the challenges.
Project goal was to assist Limited Resource and Socially Disadvantaged farmers in North Carolina StrikeForce counties in responding to risk, by developing their own personal risk plans. Applied education consisting of three sequential workshops in both the Lumberton and Clinton (6 total) supplemented by personal assignments and individualized counseling was delivered via a partnership of subject matter experts and local educators.
The primary outcome was for participants to develop the skills and to understand their own operations well enough to establish a written goal for each of the five areas of risk specific to their farm, delineate for each goal at least three specific actions to reach those goals, and commit to follow through and implement their personal risk management plan.
There were 43 participants who accomplished all actions they had specified in their Personal Risk Management Plans. Follow-up Interviews and surveys with 25 of these participants showed that they increased their income collectively by $78,350. Some of the changes included: adding high tunnel greenhouses, installing new irrigation systems, improving swine breeding stock, reducing input costs and increasing crop yields. With these tools local farmers can build the confidence they need to deal with future risks and opportunities.
Details
| Conference | 2017 Extension Risk Management Education National Conference |
| Presentation Type | Poster |