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Risk Management Education for Microgreens Producers

Claudia Schmidt and Francesco Di Gioia

Summary

This poster outlines a recently completed NERME project on a multi-modal risk management education program for microgreens. Commercial microgreens production is a rapidly growing specialty crop that presents unique challenges related to production, finance, marketing, and legal issues. The project aimed to assist both established and aspiring agricultural producers in the Northeast by helping them identify and address these risks. The educational strategy incorporated webinars, regional hands-on workshops, and research-based fact sheets, enabling producers to engage through their preferred learning methods.
The program emphasized producer experience, perceived relevance, and intent to apply new practices. Participants reported that the webinar content was directly applicable to their operations, and many indicated that they had concrete plans to adjust their production, food safety, or marketing practices as a result. Hands-on workshops reinforced these outcomes by providing growers with opportunities to practice microgreens production techniques. The fact sheets on production, food safety, legal aspects, business planning, and marketing serve as a lasting reference for producers as they refine their risk management strategies.
The project provides key insights for specialty crops, showing that producers value concise, highly practical content. We found that webinar effectiveness depends on a tight focus on the topic and clear application. Additionally, integrating production training with explicit discussions of marketing, financial, and legal risks may increase perceived relevance. The poster will present this integrated program as a model for reaching specialty crop producers with risk management education, highlighting how intentional use of multiple delivery modes and systematic evaluation can build engagement.

Details

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