The project addressed: (1) legal risk: environmental regulations; production risks: (2) transition to new production systems; (3) product and enterprise diversification; and (4) insurance products; and marketing risk: (5) branded, certified, or identity preserved marketing.
Participants attended 4 workshops/webinars on managing legal and production risks in organic production systems; 2 webinars on transitioning to organic production; 1 webinar demonstrating diversification and/or utilization of appropriate crop insurance products. 300 participants received direct technical assistance to manage legal, production, and marketing risks. A Crop Insurance Work Group emerged from this project, enabling farmers to identify barriers to existing risk management programs, and self-advocate for changes.
Our audience was certified and transitioning organic farmers in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin. As a part of this project: (1) 206 producers reduced legal risk through better understanding and compliance with regulations; (2) 145 producers transitioned and achieved organic certification; (3) 63 producers increased diversification; (4) 104 producers analyzed whether Whole Farm Revenue Protection was appropriate for their operation; and (5) 71 producers established marketing strategies for certified products.
Managing the legal risk of compliance with environmental regulations is intimately related to how and what farmers produce, which determines their market access.