Completed Project Report

Helping farmers create innovative, profitable, and flexible employment opportunities, while staying on the right side of the law.

  • Award Amount: $49,163
  • Regional Center: North Central Extension Risk Management Education Center
  • Grant Program: 2015 Education Projects

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Extension RME Regional Centers
Extension Risk Management Education Region Map

Project Overview

Good employee practices hold back farms from expansion to new markets, while others turn to risky informal labor. Few affordable resources guide farmers through the regulations, contracts, liability and taxation for workers. The situation is especially complex as diverse activities such as packing, delivery, and sales may not qualify for agriculture exceptions. On a proven track record, we reached 5650 farmers in six North Central states with education on the legal risks of labor regulations. We reached 740 directly through our program offerings and an additional 4900 farmers by recruiting Chris Blanchard of the Farmer to Farmer podcast to do an episode on the project materials. Most importantly, 91% of those reached directly through Farm Commons planned to reduce legal risk by doing at least one of the following: purchase appropriate insurance, pay minimum wage, use written employment manuals, manage employment tax liability, and comply with labor regulations. We accomplished this by producing 3 federal employment law regulations guides, 6 state-specific checklists, 2 federal employment law webinars, 6 state-specific webinars, and placing one podcast episode. Our state-specific webinars and workshops used an innovative and interactive approach to help farmers learn from each other, alongside an expert attorney.
 

Number of Participants: 5650

Outcomes

Project Steps

PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS

There are no promotional materials available for this project.

EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS

There are no educational materials available for this project.

REPORTS & EVALUATIONS

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DELIVERY AREA

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