Completed Project Report


Managing Volatility in Commodity Prices and Input Costs for Montana Producers

  • Award Amount: $50,000
  • Regional Center: Western Extension Risk Management Education Center
  • Grant Program: 2010 Competitive Grant Program

Extension RME Regional Centers
Extension Risk Management Education Region Map

Project Overview

The focus of this project was managing volatility in prices, yields and input costs. Face-to-face training was provided for Montana Ag Extension agents and producers for the use of pricing tools, futures, options and insurance plans and cost of production estimates for diversification of production systems to help prepare overall risk management plans, including making production and input purchasing decisions. Additional in-depth training was provided for Agents interested in working with the core team using face-to-face workshops and electronic communications (email, newsletters and webinars). Eighteen producer workshops were held, see map, tailored to fit regional differences. Attendance included 242 producers who learned how to implement available risk management tools included in the curriculum. Shaded counties indicate counties with agents who attended the training and or taught at one or more of the workshops. Five additional workshops, containing a portion of the original material, were presented to an additional 252 producers. Target audiences included women, beginning, sustainable and traditional commercial producers from the seven major agricultural commodity producing regions of the State. Forty-six percent of producers responding to the final survey indicated they expected to realize some increase in net profit as a result of these workshops.

Number of Participants: 494

Outcomes

Project Steps

PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS

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EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS

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REPORTS & EVALUATIONS

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DELIVERY AREA

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