Safeguarding the Nation’s Farmers

The troubling fact is that some farms fail because of poor financial management. Supported by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the Extension Risk Management Education program educates farmers and ranchers about managing the risks of producing food and fiber - enhancing rural prosperity. 

Extension Risk Management Education (ERME) is managed by four regional centers, supported by an electronic support center, housed at Land-grant Universities that provide competitive grant funding and leadership within their regions. 

Focused on farmers, ranchers and producers, ERME projects encourage public-private partnerships. Projects must clearly identify how they will help producers, including those underserved by crop insurance, manage risk associated with farming and ranching.  

Funding is available to both public and private organizations. Projects supported by ERME provide tools and training enabling producers to establish new strategies that will strengthen their operations’ economic viability.

Since the program’s creation by the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000, almost 800,000 people have participated in more than 1,700 projects. Consider the results demonstrated in the five general types of risk associated with farm and ranch businesses. 

• Production Risk: 16,006 farmers implemented new productions systems or technologies.
• Price or Market Risk: 31,038 farmers put a marketing plan into action to better take advantage of pricing opportunities.
• Financial Risk: 22,606 farmers developed a business plan to improve their farms’ success.
• Legal/Institutional Risk: 6,776 farmers implemented a food security plan to assure their products’ quality.
• Human Risk: 9,159 farmers developed transition plans to help the next generation on the farm.
   

The program has funded innovative programs that have generated tangible outcomes for producers in every state.

2025 Outstanding Regional Projects

• North Central—Iowa farmers and agribusinesses are increasingly concerned about cybersecurity threats. An Iowa State University project brought together cybersecurity experts and industry leaders to educated farm managers about cybersecurity and provided practical steps to reduce risks. Participants emphasized that cyber threats are real and can be managed and expressed interest in further cybersecurity education on the topic. By raising awareness and promoting proactive risk management, the project has helped the farming community strengthen its defenses against cyber threats, ensuring a more resilient agricultural industry and improving food security.
• Northeast—Legal issues are often top concerns for Maryland agriculture operations. A University of Maryland project educated nearly 300 new rural landowners and existing agricultural operators on legal issues such as the importance of written leases, early estate planning and how to protect one’s operation from liability. Some farmers developed legal risk management plans while others implemented farm succession plans. Through online modules that enabled landowners to work at their own pace and workshops providing access to experts, Maryland farmers and landowners now have a more comprehensive understanding of legal issues impacting them.
• Southern— Ranchers often struggle to implement new ideas and technologies. A Texas A&M AgriLife Extension project brought together ranchers from north Texas and Oklahoma in peer advisory groups to address production risks and improve financial, economic and organizational aspects of their businesses. During the project, more than 350 producers met monthly, leading to tangible benefits such as reduced production risks, lower costs, improved grazing efficiency and increased profits. The group is thriving beyond the grant period and has inspired two new groups.
• Western—More frequent heat waves and drought can be economically devastating to small Washington State forest landowners. A Western ERME project managed by Northwest Natural Resource Group addressed these barriers with three in-field workshops for producers and conducted site visits with forest landowners. As a result of the project, participants created risk management plans and implemented new practices to reduce risks in their forests. One group even received cost-share funding to support implementing risk-reduction activities.