1. Home
2. Conferences
3. 2021 Extension Risk Management Education National Conference

Teaching Livestock and Horticulture Production and Financial Risk Management to New and Beginning Oklahoma Veteran Farmers

Joshua Campbell and JJ Jones

Summary

This project was funded by the Southern Region ERMEC and is addressing the production, marketing and financial risks experienced by socially disadvantaged, new and beginning, and veteran farmers and ranchers as they seek to establish viable family farm enterprises. The specific emphasis of the program is on the challenges of new farmers navigating business planning and determining the services and support available to them. The program is offered as a block of classes or “boot camp” style programs in both livestock and crop production tracts. These classes provide classroom training and on-farm tours for participants with instruction from Extension specialists in a variety of risk management topics including food safety, marketing, and financial enterprise analysis. The program is working with central Oklahoma beginning farmers and ranchers with a specific goal of recruiting veterans through a partnership with the Oklahoma Department of Veteran Affairs. Participants in the program receive classroom and hands-on instruction to address production, marketing and financial risks. Production risks addressed include integrated pest and disease management, season extension and other diversification methods as well as food safety and handling practices. Marketing risks addressed include marketing strategies, branding and market identification. Financial risks addressed include helping participants with utilizing enterprise budgets to determine the viability of productions methods and developing business plans to establish financially sustainable farm operations. Program evaluations and pre and post tests have been collected during programs indicating high rates of knowledge gain and risk management practice adoption rates by participants.

Details

---