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Risk Management for Ag Families: A Four State Program with Results

Tanya Daniels

Summary

Research suggests that integrated educational programs offered in a number of short educational sessions, coupled with hands-on application between program offerings greatly improves depth of knowledge and significantly changes behavior of individuals. The overall objectives of this project was to develop, present and evaluate a series of educational programs with hands on activities to producers in northeastern Wyoming, northwestern south Dakota, southwestern North Dakota and southeastern Montana. The curriculum concentrated on risk management from the standpoint of a family business, dealing with personal and business risk management as well as the human risks associated with running a family business. Participants completed a pre- and post- workshop evaluation for each of the four workshops, an overall pre-and post- risk management training survey and follow-up mail survey 1 to 3 months after attendance. The overall post-workshop survey indicated a shift of producers who considered the issue of risk management to be more critical in their operation than before the workshop. In the areas of production, marketing, financial, legal, human, and strategic planning tools addressed, there was a shift with producers indicating that they were now more knowledgeable than before the workshop. Producers indicated that they have evaluated ways to reduce family business risks since attending the workshops, with assessing family balance and improving communication about business risks as top priorities.

Details

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