USDA Invests Nearly $28M for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers

The purpose of the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) program is to address the critical needs of the specialty crop industry by awarding grants to support research and extension that address key challenges of national, regional, and multi-state importance in sustaining all components of food and agriculture, including conventional and organic food production systems.

Through the Agricultural Risk Management Education (ARME) Partnership Program, Extension Risk Management Education (ERME) Centers provide agricultural risk management education for farmers and ranchers in all 50 states and the U.S. territories. A recently published RFA invites proposals to lead this effort.

The ERME program’s purpose is to educate agricultural producers about the full range of risk management activities. These activities include futures, options, agricultural trade options, crop insurance, cash forward contracting, debt reduction, production diversification, marketing plans and tactics, farm resources risk reduction, and other appropriate risk management strategies.