Fluctuating commodity prices, rising input costs, threats of inflation, and broader economic uncertainty are just a few of the factors creating risks for Texas farmers and ranchers. While commodity prices have brought some recent encouragement, increasing costs of production have squeezed gross margins. As much as ever, producers need education on risk management, crop insurance, emerging markets, and other tools to manage through the known and unknown dynamics of the coming years. This project targeted Texas crop and livestock industries with programs directed at production, marketing, financial, and legal risk management education.
Program highlights included broad risk management education for traditional producers as well as specific programs designed for under-served audiences. One component targeted new or aspiring landowners and beginning farmers and included legal and financial risk management education. Another new programming effort was designed to reach existing and potential organic producers; providing education on organic transition, obtaining organic certification, using crop insurance with organics, and navigating emerging organic markets. In total, our project was heavy on program delivery ranging from introductory to in-depth training. We included 15 Extension faculty that hosted 144 meetings with a combined attendance of 5,089 and an estimated 24,027 clientele contact hours.