The “Guiding Risk Management Strategies for Producers Growing Cover Crops” project provided risk management education to producers underserved by crop insurance. The major focus was to address producers’ perceived risk to crop insurance when using cover crops and develop benchmark data that enables producers to make informed decisions that reduce financial and production risk.
MN FBM delivered educational programming to producers on the costs and returns from cover crops, crop insurance incentives for growing cover crops, mitigating potential risks to crop insurance from cover crops, risk management benefits with cover crops, and financial benchmarking. Findings were shared through individualized instruction, at over 10 statewide annual FBM analysis meetings, during two train-the-trainer seminars, on multiple webinars, and by producing a state cover crop report and executive summary report.
200 producers better understood cover crop costs and benefits. Economic analysis data from 32 program participants was used to develop the cover crop reports, analyze costs and returns from growing cover crops, analyze risks, decide on which cover crop incentive programs to access, and to implement risk management plans for cover crop practices.