Profitability Benchmarks for NYS Farmers Market Producers as a Risk Management Tool
Project Director: Laura Biasillo (lw257@cornell.edu)
Co-Project Director: Jack Riffle (jriffle@nyfarmersmarket.com)
Cornell Cooperative Extension – Broome County
Award Amount: $70,512
The “Profitability Benchmarks for NYS Farmers Market Producers as a Risk Management Tool” sought to better understand how pricing, labor and marketing impacted the profitability of farmers market vendors across New York State. Data would be gathered at farmers markets across the state focused on pricing models, labor use, and marketing approaches and then used to create benchmarks. Trainings and supporting resources would be created to facilitate the adoption of the benchmark data. Participants would be surveyed at the end of the market season to understand the impact on adoption.
Our proposed audience was direct marketing farmers who sell at farmers markets in New York State. We were very successful in reaching this audience.
Delivery strategies included zoom and in-person trainings. The zoom trainings were successful and well attended. We held one in-person training at the Farmers Market Federation of NY annual conference for market managers, which further helped facilitate the outreach to vendors who might not have known about this project otherwise.
Proposed outcomes included 800 farmers informing the benchmark data, 500 understanding how to apply the data to their operation, 400 conducting an assessment and making changes, and 200 reporting back on the changes implemented. We ran into challenges meeting our goal for number of responses to gather data as many were not aware of understanding the role of benchmarks in business profitability, as well as turnover within our project team. ~ 200 farmers informed the benchmark data, ~200 were trained, and 53% of participants made immediate changes to their farm business because of participating in the benchmark, attending the informational webinar, and/or reviewing the resources. Attendees felt that the information was helpful in evaluating their current pricing models or marketing approaches. Feedback during the trainings indicated that the information provided was helpful in evaluating their current models.
Transition and Estate Planning for Maine’s Aquaculture Sector
Project Director: Christian Brayden (christian@maineaqua.org)
Maine Aquaculture Association
Award Amount: $73,575
This project aims to assist and educate in transition and estate planning for aquaculture farms in Maine, including their roles in goal setting and strategic planning. Project Director Christian Brayden will meet with Maine aquaculture farmers in-person, via zoom, and in webinar format to help begin and progress their transition and estate planning. In initial meetings, Brayden will share the tools and resources that he gathered and created on transition and estate planning for Maine aquaculture farmers. He will then continue to meet with the farmers to provide guidance, share knowledge, and answer questions. Brayden will also host a webinar on transition and estate planning for aquaculture business owners and business professionals who work with aquaculture businesses. Shellfish and seaweed aquaculture farmers in Maine, all of whom operate small farms, many of whom are nearing retirement/transitioning off the farm are the primary target audience for this project. There will be 30 meetings with different farmers and one webinar. The farmers will meet with Brayden multiple times, leading to a total of 40-50 meetings. The webinar and guide created to accompany the meetings will be posted on the MAA website and social media.
Boots to Bushels: Market Garden Training for New England
Project Director: Rebecca Brown (brownreb@uri.edu)
Co-Project Director: Tricia Lourenco-Boucher (telourenco@uri.edu)
University of Rhode Island
Award Amount: $74,879
Boots to Bushels (B2B): Market Garden Training for New England is a three part educational program designed for military veterans, their family members and beginning farmers. This continuation of the UMaine B2B program provides instruction in the five areas of risk management (production, marketing, financial, human and legal risk). The course begins with 10 weeks of online instruction, offered twice per week via zoom. Classes are taught by subject matter experts where participants are introduced to production, marketing, local and national farm resources, best business practices and health and wellness strategies for small market farms. Further instruction and networking is offered through workshops and farm tours.
B2B is formatted to reach a varied audience across New England via online zoom classes, and recorded sessions which are made available to class participants. Most instructors provide a short information session about their qualifications in their field, their organization and what resources the organization provides and then review their risk management topic. The online sessions are well attended and have proven to be an effective method of reaching participants across our New England footprint. Farm tours in the spring and fall are also moderately attended and provide valuable opportunities for learning and mentorship. The workshops offered in summer at the URI Kingston campus were not well attended. Overall B2B had 26 unique participants during the online portion of the program. Farm tours usually had around 8 participants each tour.
While online class attendance and engagement was high, overall written assignment submissions were low. The project team, master gardeners and URI student farm crew cultivated a productive demonstration market garden and developed 10 hands-on educational opportunities. Produce grown at the market garden was kept on campus and used at the Rhody Outpost donation center, URI free farmers market and the URI dining halls.
Heat Risk Assessment and Management for Small, Specialty Crop, and Socially Disadvantaged Farmers in Western Massachusetts
Project Director: Margaret Christie (margaret@buylocalfood.org)
Co-Project Director: Stephen Taranto (stephen@buylocalfood.org)
Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture
Award Amount: $ 74,874
This project will help western Massachusetts and other New England farmers, farm workers, and technical assistance providers identify and address risks associated with increasing and prolonged high temperatures caused by climate change. Participants will learn to use heat risk assessment, management and mitigation tools to address on-the-ground production challenges presented by rising, sustained heat events in the region.
Over two hundred small, specialty crop, and socially disadvantaged farmers and technical assistance providers will participate in a series of webinars, on-farm workshops, and one-on-one support opportunities that will help them take steps to reduce risk to their businesses and the local food supply chain. Topics will include the impacts of increasing and sustained high temperatures on key production and post-harvest practices, related to soils and water quality, pest and weed management, crop variety selection, food safety, farmworker health, and urban farming. Fifty farmers will implement an adaptive practice during the grant period.
Key risk management outcomes of the project include:
Identification and adoption of farm-relevant heat impact management practices
Application by farmers of new and existing heat risk assessment, mitigation and adaptation tools
Increased capacity for technical assistance providers to help farmers identify mitigation and adaptation practices that reduce heat risk
Building Customer Connections: Creative Direct Marketing Strategies to Mitigate Risk and Improve Farm Viability
Project Director: Kelly Coleman (kelly@buylocalfood.org)
Co-Project Director: Kristen Wilmer (kristen@buylocalfood.org)
Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture, Inc (CISA)
Award Amount: $74,926
This project provided direct marketing farmers in western Massachusetts with strategies and tools to address marketing risk by expanding their customer base and strengthening their relationships with customers. Since 2020, farms have had to contend with skyrocketing input costs, market and price instability, and increasing weather variability, all of which pose unprecedented threats to local farm viability. A strong and loyal customer base is critical in enabling farms to mitigate risks such as rising costs, market fluctuations, and weather extremes.
CISA presented a nine-workshop series addressing key branding, digital marketing, agritourism, and customer communication topics. In addition to teaching creative, efficient, and effective marketing strategies, workshops included time for participants to share their experience and ideas and to practice the strategies being taught. Eight farms received additional one-on-one support to help them implement farm marketing improvements. Most one-on-one consultations focused on website improvements, including search engine optimization, and one farmer received advice about setting up an online store. Some one-on-one support was funded through other grants.
One hundred and thirty participants (103 unduplicated) attended workshops and/or received one-on-one marketing support. Ninety-two of the unduplicated partcipants were farmers. The target audiences for this project identified in our application include specialty crop producers, beginning farmers, and socially disadvantaged farmers. Of the farmer participants, 67% produce specialty crops, 42% were beginning farmers, and 58% were socially disadvantaged farmers, including 54% women.
One hundred and eight farmers reported in post-workshop evaluations that they gained knowledge about effective farm marketing strategies; 64 of these gained substantial knowledge. These numbers include duplicates because some participants attended more than one workshop. By the end of the project, 38 farmers verified that they had implemented new marketing strategies that mitigate risk and improve farm viability
Improving Financial Risk Management
Project Director: Ryan Dennett (rdennett@mofga.org)
Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association
Award Amount: $46,456
Our project offered several modes of learning (webinars, technical assistance, educational videos), attempting to meet the diverse time constraint needs and learning styles of farmers.
We produced a series of three webinars and ten videos, introducing financial tools (Cash Flow Projections, Unit Cost Analysis, and the Chart of Accounts), highlighting and demonstrating ways to use these tools to assess risks and opportunities and to plan the long-term viability of the farm. The webinar series was followed by an opportunity for participants to meet one-on-one with a farm financial advisor to develop their financial spreadsheets for risk assessment and mitigation purposes.
We believe we were successful in reaching our intended audience and directing it towards their capacity for learning while farming, allowing for asynchronous learning and time constraints (family, work, time-off, etc). Hosting the webinars in the winter months allowed many farmers to attend during a slower time of year, while recorded videos were made available and remain online for farmers to access education on their own schedule.
Through successful promotion in our farmer program’s newsletter, email listservs and partner promotion, we reached our expected participation level with our webinar series (50 total) and were pleased with the number of viewers to date of our video series (293 views of the 10 videos in the first 3 months). We will continue to share these videos through various channels and 1-on-1 directly with farmers, as well as utilize them in our beginning farmer training programs. We were surprised by the webinar attendees who were eligible for follow-up technical assistance, only 24 of those farmers did so, likely because the timing for that (late spring through the summer) ended up not being convenient. In the future, we will make TA available after each webinar rather than wait until the end of the series.
So You Want to Own Rural Land: Maryland Legal Project Part Deux
Project Director: Paul Goeringer (lgoering@umd.edu)
University of Maryland
Award Amount: $74,999
Rural areas in Maryland continued to see pressure from residents relocating from the state’s urban areas. Many of these new residents did not understand agriculture or the agricultural practices they encountered. As a result of these pressures, many agricultural operators had questions about right-to-farm laws, recreational use, trespass, insurance options, and how to work with an attorney. At the same time, many of these new rural landowners had questions about legal concerns arising from neighboring operations under right-to-farm laws.
This project brought together 11 in-person and 51 online course participants to learn about these issues. We strove to hit our target audience of new and beginning producers and succeeded in the in-person workshops. The online course reached additional members we were not initially considering, new service providers looking to understand agriculture in the state more. Although we did hit our target audience within the online course as well. We believe the ease of learning at your own pace and the absence of meetings made the online course a viable option.
We were able to hit our achieved outcomes, but not at the numbers we initially expected. Similar to previous workshops, we had the high signup expected but unseasonably colder temperatures on the workshop days kept many from attending. We followed up with offers to join the online course which many did take use up on.
Empowering Farmers Adding Value to Manage Risk with Confidence in the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Era
Project Director: Lisa Hall Zielinski (lisa.hall@scranton.edu)
Co-Project Director: Winifred McGee (wwm1@psu.edu)
The University of Scranton Small Business Development Center
Award Amount: $71,159
This project initially targeted small-scale specialty crop producers, teaching the Food Safety Modernization Act’s (FSMA) impact on value-added ventures to keep a larger percentage of the food dollar on the farm. However, it became clear that FSMA’s Preventive Controls in growing, processing and distributing food, were daunting to those hoping to make consumer-ready products themselves. Accordingly, the project target was expanded to include local food processors who could serve as co-packers or retail venders. Selling to vendors or engaging with co-packers is in keeping with the FSMA Produce Safety Rule exemption for farms selling 51% or greater to “qualified end users.”
A set of 11 educational tip sheets and a risk management workbook were developed to reinforce needed practice change to address operation-specific value-added risks. The sheets were provided through an educational presentation, “Your Food Business Recipe” (YFBR), which equipped participants to gain (or retain) their licenses to make and sell selected products and to apply the basic food safety standards of FSMA in the Modernized Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs). The presentation was delivered through two in-person sessions (8 participants), two webinars with subsequent on-demand recordings (48 participants), and 12 tabletop display sessions (292 substantive discussions). In-service and conference presentations for SBDC consultants and agricultural professionals, along with 4 planned case studies demonstrating use of the resources equipped 65 advisors to replicate educational impact of YFBR with their clients. Across Pennsylvania SBDCs, client records documented co-consulting by trained business consultants and project team members, with 87 clients having access to tip sheets and information to start or grow their enterprise. As a result of this grant program, documentation shows 60 farmers using resources gained through educational sessions or consults to recognize, and proactively mitigate, value-added specific risk, empowering them to start or grow their FSMA-compliant value-added enterprise.
Reducing Climate Risks by Diversifying Practices
Project Director: Suzy Hodgson (suzy.hodgson@uvm.edu)
University of Vermont
Award Amount: $71,381
The year 2024 of unprecedented precipitation, floods, and an early frost in Vermont followed by 2025 with extreme persistent drought underscored the risks posed by climate-related extreme weather. Producers needed help understanding and implementing climate smart practices which could reduce the impacts and costs. This project developed and delivered an educational program to 300 producers to provide them with knowledge and tools for climate smart practices focusing on production, marketing, and financial risks.
With our collaborators, our team developed and lead three field walks and two webinars with a follow up deep-dive small cohort visit. Supplemented with fact sheets, a booklet, manuals and tool demos, our program increased producers’ acumen for making decisions about diversification in the face of climate and weather risks reducing the costs of climate related risks and having positive effects on production, marketing, and financial viability.
124 producers increased their knowledge of weather/climate risks and the benefits of diversification to reduce risks. 124 producers gained better understanding and increased their access to resources to help with climate smart practices. 90 farmers/producers increased their knowledge of diversification practices and 24 used a design and planning tool for decision-making for reducing risks in production, marketing, and finances as a result of these workshops. Our end-of-project survey responses showed that 82% of participants had or intended to implement a practice or standard based on what they learned in the workshops they attended.
Building Human Risk Management Know-How Among Women & Beginning Farmers
Project Director: Beth Holtzman (beth.holtzman@uvm.edu)
University of Vermont Extension
Award Amount: $73,338
Through this project, 204 Northeast beginning farmers, farm managers, and farm employees increased knowledge and skills related to managing human risk and 105 reported implementing ergonomic, injury prevention, safety, wellness, communication and/or leadership practices on their farms. Our outreach efforts, conducted primarily through direct email, blogs, and social media, connected over 3,500 farmers, farm managers, employees and aspiring farmers with introductory human risk management information, and 470 received more in-depth information by joining our e-newsletter. Best practices in adult education, incorporating gendered aspects both of learning preferences and topic priorities, guided program development, workshop and learning circle delivery, and outcome evaluation. Flexible attendance options accommodated the multiple farm, family and off-farm employment demands on this audience. Follow-up sessions included small-group, facilitated peer learning and individual coaching to support decision-making and implementation of new practices. By the end of the project, participants reported gains in leadership, communication, decision-making, self-care, employee management, and team- practices that keep everyone on the farm safe, satisfied, and productive.
Leveraging the Livestock Farmers’ Resource Guide
Project Director: Jake Levin (jake@berkshireagventures.org)
Berkshire Ag Ventures
Award Amount: $74,941
The Leveraging the Livestock Farmers’ Resource Guide project strengthened business resilience and risk management for livestock producers in the Berkshire–Taconic region through two main strategies: developing a regional online directory and offering targeted educational workshops.
The Livestock Farming Resource Directory was completed and launched at livestockdirectory.berkshireagventures.org. It now contains 332 listings across 15 categories—ranging from processors and distributors to feed suppliers and grant programs—and has drawn 1,800 unique users and over 10,000 visits since launch. The tool has become a central hub for farmers seeking information and services to support their operations.
The project’s educational component included a three-part virtual “Direct-to-Consumer Meat Marketing Workshop Series” in January 2024, featuring experts from Cornell Cooperative Extension, Good Roots, and ChopLocal. The series had 88 registrants, 67 attendees, and overwhelmingly positive evaluations, with the most valued topics being pricing, point-of-sale systems, and e-commerce.
Cost savings from presenter adjustments allowed the addition of a two-day Live Animal Carcass Evaluation Workshop in July 2024, held at Harrier Fields Farm (Schodack Landing, NY) and The Meat Hook (Hudson, NY). Nineteen farmers learned linear measurement and yield testing techniques to improve breeding and carcass quality.
The project successfully reached its target audience of small-scale, beginning, and socially disadvantaged livestock producers through regional listservs and partnerships, engaging over 100 producers through workshops and the directory.
All proposed outcomes were achieved or exceeded: farmers gained new marketing and production knowledge, improved their ability to evaluate yield and pricing, and now have lasting access to an online regional resource that strengthens decision-making and market access. The project combined practical tools with applied learning, directly enhancing the profitability and resilience of livestock farms across the Berkshire–Taconic region.
Building Social Interaction Among Aging Farmers Provides Value and Encourages Transition Plan Development
Project Director: Darlene Livingston (daliving@pafarmlink.org)
Pennsylvania Farm Link, Inc.
Award Amount: $74,756
Farmer social groups modeled after Ireland’s Farmer’s Yards program anticipated creating an excuse for 50 older farmers to gather for social interaction with local peers. Farmers would develop a place to belong outside the farm. Contributing to their sense of purpose, happiness and self-worth as physical capacities gradually diminished decreasing farming abilities. Three groups would be developed.
Current ag issues, long-term care needs, and farm transition would be discussed. Empowered by the increased knowledge farmers would share aspirations for their farm successions. Three webinars and/or a workshop would provide additional education.
Older farmers would maintain purpose and self-worth through social interaction within Farmer’s Yards groups and farm family succession discussions.
The audience was expanded at the first event when 34 multiple farm family generations attended. They included 16 age 50 – 83, 11 – age 30 – 47, 7 age 15 – 29. The value of several generations hearing the speaker’s succession story was priceless. Younger participants expressed their appreciation even more than the older generation. An expansion of ages was valuable to the program.
In-person social gatherings drew 116 participants and included an evening meal, breakfast and ice cream socials across Pennsylvania. Farm succession workshop and webinar had 55 participants, and the webinar had 65 additional views.
42 farmers created lists of succession concerns, 41 increased awareness of aging concerns, 23 learned of long-term care risks and impact to the farm, 29 identified current ag related risks, 31 farmers developed draft goals for the farm and 23 utilized goals for farm meetings, 19 initiated estate and/or farm succession steps.
The program was very valuable to the farmers. Very local or specific groups of farmers worked best, and those events had the best participation.
The events showed the farmers they were valued. It also provided an opportunity to step away from the daily stress and heavy workload of the farm.
WV Agrimeats Excellence
Project Director: Holly Morgan (executivedirector@wvfarmers.org)
West Virginia Farmer Market Association
Award Amount: $23,279
The WV AgriMeats Excellence Program addressed marketing and legal risk for small and beginning livestock producers, with a focus on West Virginia meat regulations, the 1,000-bird poultry exemption, pricing, and labeling. The project built on a previous ERME-funded initiative and introduced producers to the Cornell Meat Pricing Calculator. The goal was to reach 50 producers, with 15 committing to in-depth participation and data tracking, and to support 5 new poultry processors and 2 new meat producers entering the market.
We reached 27 unique participants, confirmed through sign-in sheets and attendance records. Of these, 19 completed evaluation forms, representing a 70% feedback rate. Participants were aligned with the target audience—small-scale, WV-based producers actively engaged in or exploring direct meat sales.
Delivery Strategies:
The program was delivered through:
-A hands-on on-farm poultry processing demonstration (16 participants)
-In-person outreach at a WV Department of Agriculture event (~80 attendees; 27 relevant to the program)
-One-on-one technical assistance (20+ producers)
A five-part webinar series promoted via YouTube and the WVFMA website (239 views)
Outcomes Achieved:
-16 participants reported improved understanding of WV meat regulations (avg. rating 4.06/5)
-15 rated the Cornell Calculator training a perfect 5.0/5 for helpfulness
-One producer began poultry processing post-training and publicly shared success
-Another is entering the meat market after receiving pricing and labeling support
Several producers adjusted product types or sales methods based on the training
This program successfully improved participant confidence in regulatory compliance, pricing, and marketing, and supported real-world business adjustments aligned with project goals.
Building Grant Literacy and Research Skills Among New York State Tree Fruit Growers
Project Director: Bonalyn Nelson (bjn2@cornell.edu)
Cornell Extension
Award Amount: $22,814
This program addressed financial risks faced by New York State commercial tree fruit growers due to inexperience with grants as a funding source for farm projects. Federal, state, and local entities make business grants available to help farms increase revenues, profitability, and long-term viability. But many New York State commercial tree fruit growers are unfamiliar with farm grants and procedures for identifying the best grant for their needs. Moreover, some growers are skeptical about the feasibility of obtaining farm grants. Consequently, growers often bypass grants despite the high cost of capital and uneven access to commercial loans.
This program addressed the problem by building grant literacy and research skills among commercial tree fruit growers in New York State. The program consisted of five webinars that increased awareness of farm grant opportunities and built skills needed to target grants. The first three webinars consisted of presentations intended to build grant literacy skills, including identifying components of a project plan that qualify for a grant, researching grant opportunities, understanding eligibility criteria and grant requirements, and choosing the best funding opportunity for their farm project. Information was reinforced with weekly skill building assignments that required participants to identify potential farm projects for grant funding, register with state and federal online grant portals, and interpret Requests for Application (RFAs).
The remaining two webinars consisted of panel discussions with representatives from state and local agencies providing farm grants and farmers who had received grants in the past. Agency representatives described their grants in detail and offered tips for success. Farmers described their grant-seeking experiences and described the pros and cons of farm grants as a funding source. A third webinar with representatives from federal agencies was cancelled due to emergent, shifting approval requirements for program outreach. The round table discussions were intended to increase farmer awareness of grant opportunities and overcome skepticism about grants as a funding source. Two post-program surveys measured program impact.
A total of 43 participants, including 21 commercial fruit growers, 10 extension educators, and two agribusiness persons, registered for the program. Participation/attendance varied each week, as described in the Educational Contacts section. Four participants returned program satisfaction surveys, with all reporting that the content and delivery of the program was ‘satisfactory.’
A total of 18 participants returned program impact surveys for a 41% response rate. In general, responses indicated that the program had a positive impact on grant-seeking behavior and attitudes toward farm grants as a funding source. Respondents reported developing an improved understanding of grants and the types of grants available, improved ability to match farm projects with grants, and a better understanding of the application process. More importantly, most respondents reported engaging in grant-seeking behavior as a result of program participation, such as registering with online farm grant portals and notification systems and actively seeking suitable farm grants.
Qualitative feedback from respondents suggested that the round table discussions featuring grant agency representatives and farmers were particularly motivating and insightful. The farmers who presented received multiple grants in the past, which illustrated that obtaining grant funding was feasible and a viable alternative or addition to commercial loans for some farm projects. Investigators who choose to offer similar programs are strongly advised to include farmers who have successfully obtained farm grants in their webinars.
Landowner Rights and Responsibilities in West Virginia
Project Director: Jesse Richardson (jesse.richardson@mail.wvu.edu)
Co-Project Director: Doolarie Singh-Knights (dosingh-knights@mail.wvu.edu)
West Virginia University
Award Amount: $74,172
The project sought to address a broad range of topics under the general topic of property rights and responsibilities in West Virginia. The project developed a landowner rights and responsibilities booklet to update a 1979 publication and held regional workshops within the state to educate agricultural producers and their neighbors on important property issues.
The project was primarily aimed at producers, but also sought to educate agricultural service providers on landowner rights and responsibilities. The response was overwhelming, as we had 261 producers and service providers attend workshops (the vast majority in person, but some online). All of the workshops were full and we had to cutoff registration for some workshops due to a lack of capacity. Producer groups and service providers continue to request workshops.
The manual update was sorely needed as an early review of the 1979 document indicated. Due to the funding from ERME, a manual was produced that is substantively and professionally a huge improvement on the 1979 publication. We were able to produce 1,000 copies, which will go very quickly. However, a pdf version will be available online.
The project sought to educate and raise awareness on the balance between landowner rights and landowner responsibilities. The workshops were very lively, with lots of questions from participants. Participants were often shocked at the limitations on landowner rights. As hoped, the workshops spurred landowners to examine their property and make needed changes. As expected, trespassing and posting of property was a popular topic and the most noted change that landowners made. Somewhat unexpectedly, however, fencing was also a popular topic of landowner changes and inspection.
Landowners also pledged to, or in some cases indicated that they already had, contacted their insurance agent or attorney. Some landowners were able to initiate resolution of disputes.
Cultivating Success: Risk Management Education for Microgreens Producers
Project Director: Claudia Schmidt (czs786@psu.edu)
Co-Project Director: Francesco Di Gioia (fxd92@psu.edu)
The Pennsylvania State University
Award Amount: $74,403
Microgreens production is a rapidly growing sector that has captured the attention of both rural and urban producers. This indoor crop is a promising diversification strategy due to its quick growth cycle, year-round production capabilities, space-efficient cultivation, and strong demand in premium markets. However, commercial production brings challenges: consistently producing high-quality microgreens, food safety, managing disease, budgeting, and securing reliable markets. As the microgreens supply chain matures, producers face marketing and pricing uncertainties due to unpredictable market trends.
This project aims to provide risk management education addressing production, marketing, financial, and legal risks for agricultural producers interested in exploring or improving their microgreens production. We plan to organize local workshops, allowing for hands-on training and information exchange among producers. Additionally, webinars will enable us to connect with current and prospective microgreens producers across the Northeast. Throughout the project, our team will develop factsheets addressing all targeted risks, which will be available on the Penn State Extension and AgriRisklibrary websites. We anticipate over 400 producers will attend webinars, 20 per workshop, and over 1,000 unique website views for ‘learn now’ videos and extension articles. This project is a comprehensive initiative to enhance microgreens production through knowledge sharing and risk management education.
Pricing Education for Producers Using Direct to Consumer Markets
Project Director: Todd Schmit (tms1@cornell.edu)
Cornell University
Award Amount: $74,999
The Pricing Education for Producers Using Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Markets project sought to strengthen farm price-setting confidence, resulting in farms raising prices and improving profitability, through education and new pricing resources. We proposed to train producers on how to “support” higher prices through marketing strategy. We combined trainings with valuable price-setting resources, mainly monthly grocery store (GS) and farmers market (FM) price reports for reference.
Our intended audience was small farms selling through farmers markets and other DTC channels. We reached this audience through 10 in-person workshops across New York State, two webinars, as well as complimentary national and regional presentations and webinars at conferences ultimately engaging 253 farmers (159 from NY) and 192 Extension, university, and nonprofit professionals. Delivery strategies included interactive workshops, printed and online resources, and live demonstrations of the online price reports, MeatSuite pricing tools, and findings from farmers market sales data. Project resources are hosted at farmersmarketresearch.cornell.edu and MeatSuite.com. A new report, 2024 Farm Product Price Reports: Farmers Market & Grocery Store Prices in NY, was published online and printed for distribution at workshops.
Project outcomes strongly aligned with the original objectives. Survey results show that 92% of farmers changed their prices as a result of the project, 57% changed market stall design or packaging, and 47% planned additional changes. Farmers cited improved understanding of how marketing strategy, understanding the target consumer and crafting marketing practices to better serve them, influences consumer willingness to pay.
Unexpectedly, monthly GS price observations also created a valuable time-series database during supply-chain shocks including the 2024–25 avian influenza egg-price spike, supporting future risk management education work. Overall, the project successfully reached and exceeded its goals by equipping DTC farms with pricing confidence, actionable data, and enduring online tools that inform ongoing Extension programming
Expanding WV Agritourism Development through Education, Cluster Development and Promotion
Project Director: Doolarie Singh-Knights (dosingh-knights@mail.wvu.edu)
Co-Project Director: Jennifer Friend (jefriend@mail.wvu.edu)
West Virginia University
Award Amount: $77,724
Agritourism in the United States is gaining traction as a sustainable model for enhancing farm viability and sustainability as consumer demand for farm-to-table connections grow and traditional production economics push producers to explore farm diversification and differentiation. West Virginia (WV) is uniquely positioned to capitalize on agritourism opportunities having the highest family farms/capita in the nation and a traditional tourism product rooted in agrarian heritage and nature-based recreation. Yet, many WV agritourism operators still lack the holistic business skills-set, as well as partnerships/alliances and network support, to benefit from this viable opportunity.
This project will provide whole-farm planning and risk-management training to grow 50 new/expanded agritourism operations and 4 ‘regional agritourism clusters/trails’ throughout WV. Further, we will support these operations through mentoring, community ‘clustering’ partnerships and networking opportunities. This project also provides professional development to 10 agricultural service providers/educators working with agritourism operators in WV.
Our efforts will help WV agritourism operators improve the viability and sustainability of their operations, and the development of the local agritourism sector through comprehensively addressing the following crucial interlinked issues – strengthening rural agribusiness productivity and creativity, building agribusiness and tourism entrepreneurial linkages, promoting sustainable agriculture and tourism, and encouraging agribusiness and rural community resiliency.
Reducing Risk by Reducing Language Barriers
Project Director: Richard Stup (rstup@cornell.edu)
Cornell University
Award Amount: $75,000
Project Overview:
The Agricultural English Mentorship (AEM) program was designed to provide practical, workplace-focused English instruction for Hispanic farm workers while fostering stronger workplace relationships through mentorship. The six-lesson course focused on real-life farm operations, including greetings, alphabet, workplace policies, farm mission statements, and farm culture, with each student paired with a mentor from their farm to reinforce learning.
Audience Emphasis:
The program targeted Spanish-speaking farm workers across multiple farms in New York. We reached 50 participants across four sessions, with representation from both dairy and orchard operations. Mentorship played a key role in sustaining engagement, and farms with highly involved mentors saw near 100% lesson completion. While not all students completed the full program, those who did experienced meaningful engagement, reflecting that the program successfully reached its core intended audience.
Delivery Strategies and Participation:
The program was delivered in six weekly lessons through a combination of bilingual instruction, pre-class videos, small group practice, and mentor-led support. Across all sessions, 50 students participated in in-person or virtual lessons, each paired with a mentor. Nine instructors facilitated the course, and four coordinators managed logistics and quality.
Project Outcomes:
The program aimed to improve English proficiency, enhance workplace communication, and strengthen team cohesion. Of the 50 participants, 23 completed all lessons, with those completing both pre- and post-tests showing an average English improvement of 14%. Students applied learning directly in the workplace through final projects, such as creating bilingual signs, clarifying safety instructions, and translating unwritten workplace values. Survey responses showed high satisfaction, stronger connections with mentors, and interest in continued learning. Outcomes were achieved through practical, farm-specific instruction combined with structured mentor support, demonstrating that targeted language education can yield tangible gains in both skill and workplace relationship
Unraveling Risk in Farm-provided Employee Housing
Project Director: Richard Stup (rstup@cornell.edu)
Cornell University
Award Amount: $75,000
The Unraveling Risk in Farm-Provided Employee Housing project was an initiative designed to improve management practices and financial transparency around employee housing on New York farms. Phase one included voluntary, confidential on-farm evaluations partnering recommendations from the Farm-Provided Employee Housing Guide: focusing on safety, compliance, structural integrity, and management. Phase two introduced the Agricultural Employee Housing Expense Calculator: a spreadsheet-based tool that calculates employee housing costs per hour worked, helping managers assess housing as a benefit and identify financial risks.
The intended audience was farm managers responsible for employee housing. Promotion of the project was through the greater Cornell Cooperative Extension network and targeted in-person engagements. Several hundred potential participants were reached, with over 80 receiving direct contact through demonstrations. From this group, more than 40 farms completed the calculator, and a slightly smaller number participated in the full evaluation process.
Producer participation was accomplished through on-farm visits and zoom meetings. The project concluded with three regional roundtables where the anonymized benchmark data was presented, allowing managers to compare their results, discuss key findings, and develop strategies for communicating housing benefit value to employees and using benchmarking information for planning and risk management. The meetings included a fire safety “train-the-trainer” session, equipping managers to demonstrate proper fire extinguisher and fire blanket use to residents. Each farm received a fire safety blanket funded through the grant.
Managers gained new understanding of housing risks, many previously unidentified. The Agricultural Employee Housing Expense Calculator proved to be both a budgeting and diagnostic tool, prompting cultural shifts in how farms view housing as an asset. This project successfully delivered technical resources encouraging meaningful engagement, and lasting improvements in housing management that will continue to develop and help farms identify and mitigate the risks associated with providing employee housing.
Knowledge, Attitude and Prevention Practices of Agricultural Producers About Ticks and Tick-Borne Disease Risk in Vermont
Project Director: Cheryl Sullivan (cfrank@uvm.edu)
University of Vermont
Award Amount: $69,047
Project Aim: The risk of acquiring tick-borne diseases (TBD) for farmers depends on knowledge about ticks and bite prevention. This project provided education to Vermont farmers (all commodities) about how to reduce tick encounters and TBD on their farms.
Delivery Strategies:
1 website
5 presentations/webinars
1 statewide KAP survey
4 posters
1 tick protection plan checklist
1 listserv
34 on-farm visits/events
4 fair/farm shows
Achievements/Outcomes: This project successfully reached its target audience and extended beyond Vermont. In our survey, participants requested for us to prepare/circulate fact sheets that are occupation specific (63%) and hold educational webinars online (43%) to increase tick and TBD awareness. This project provided these resources. We developed 4 posters about how to check yourself (English/Spanish), horses and cattle for ticks and distributed over 4,000 copies to farmers through farm visits, fairs/field days and other events, distributed 94 ‘tick kits’ that included tick removers, mirrors, a ‘tick protection plan checklist’ and the posters at 34 on-farm visits/events, distributed 1,000 tick removers overall, held 5 presentations/webinars reaching 295 individuals, created a listserv with 20 subscribers, and a website that reached over 7,001 views and events (i.e., file downloads and views). The outreach endeavors had over 1200 educational contacts, collectively, with 535 active participants. Although the project had a strong engagement with its target audience, measuring outcomes was a challenge with low evaluation response rate (N=25). However, 100% of participants found the educational materials useful and 75% are likely to adopt a prevention strategy. The top 3 protections they would likely adopt are daily tick checks (71%), wearing long pants/shirts (67%) and using EPA approved repellents on self (57%). There was a knowledge gain of 30% after taking part in educational activities that will help participants reduce the risk of tick bites and acquiring a TBD on their farms.
Elevating Farm Management Data for Maryland
Project Director: Elizabeth Thilmany (thilmany@umd.edu)
Co-Project Directors: Paul Goeringer (lgoering@umd.edu) and Shannon Dill (sdill@umd.edu)
University of Maryland
Award Amount: $75,000
The “Elevating Farm Management Data for Maryland” project successfully modernized access to farm financial information by developing the user-friendly Grain Budget Planner tool (go.umd.edu/efmd). In collaboration with a “beta team” of farmers and agricultural service providers, we created this resource to be delivered through workshops and webinars, helping producers improve risk management and strategic decision-making in their financial planning.
To reach Maryland grain producers, we employed a multi-pronged outreach strategy. We engaged over 100 producers through presentations at standing University of Maryland Extension Agronomy Winter Meetings. This was complemented by a dedicated in-person workshop at the Wye Research Center with 15 attendees and a webinar for MidAtlantic Women in Agriculture, with five live participants and still available on YouTube. We also created and distributed USB drives pre-loaded with project resources to ensure ongoing access and promotion. While we developed an online curriculum via UMD’s Canvas/ELMS platform, we found our audience engaged more deeply with direct, hands-on educational methods.
Our educational outcomes focused on increasing producers’ understanding and implementation of financial analysis and benchmarking. Pre- and post-workshop surveys from 10 participants measured a significant increase in confidence using enterprise budgets and financial records. More broadly, we documented improved data literacy among 40 producers and increased confidence in 30 producers through one-on-one conversations and direct engagement. A key indicator of success was that 12 producers began actively using the tool to refine their benchmarking and evaluate crop insurance options, demonstrating a transition from understanding to implementation. The project’s relevance was further validated by an invitation to present these resources at the Maryland Farm Bureau Convention, while we successfully sustained our legacy resources for the agricultural community [https://extension.umd.edu/programs/agriculture-food-systems/program-areas/farm-and-agribusiness-management/grain-marketing/].
Intensive Biosecurity Planning Workshops for Beef Producers
Project Director: Hannah Walters (hwalters@pabeef.org)
PA Beef Council
Award Amount: $74,965
The initial plan of this project was to assist beef producers in Pennsylvania with understanding the importance of biosecurity on their operations, develop and implement a daily biosecurity plan. Workshops were intentionally capped at 15 producers to allow for one-on-one assistance.
A total of 8 in-person workshops were held in 7 separate locations across Pennsylvania, one in New York. Participants consisted of mainly beef producers with a few dairy producers attending as well. A total of 54 participants attended the workshops. A “Virtual Stockmanship & Stewardship” seminar was held online with 376 active participants.
Producers were able to leave each workshop with a complete daily biosecurity plan, a biosecurity kit and resource kit to take back to their operations to begin implementing biosecurity protocols.
While the number of participants was lower than expected at workshops, those who attended provided positive feedback and stated they would encourage fellow beef producers to attend future workshops and implement biosecurity practices on their farms.
In addition to the workshops and online seminar, the Project Team was able to produce a series of “Biosecurity Tips” educational videos which will serve as ongoing digital resources to promote the importance of biosecurity for business continuity.
Participants noted lack of capital to implement biosecurity practices. This led to the creation of the Biosecurity Implementation Grant Program launched with funding from the Center for Beef Excellence. The program will financially support producers in addressing biosecurity challenges on their operations.
These workshops established a strong foundation for enhancing animal health, protecting business continuity and improving overall resilience within Pennsylvania beef operations.
Cranberry Succession Planning
Project Director: Brian Wick (bwick@cranberries.org)
Co-Project Director: Bonnie Soule (grants@cranberries.org)
Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association
Award Amount: $36,513
The Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association (CCCGA) designed the Cranberry Succession Planning project to educate Massachusetts cranberry growers on effective strategies for planning the future of their farms. The goal was to help growers understand their available options, thereby supporting the long-term sustainability of the industry during a time of generational transition.
CCCGA invited growers from more than 200 family-owned cranberry farms to participate in an educational workshop and access additional planning resources through emails, newsletters, and a dedicated project website. Of the 38 growers who attended the workshop, 100% rated the sessions on farm business planning, legal considerations, MDAR Farm-Pass, and bog restoration as either “very informative” or “somewhat informative.” Additionally, 96% found the tax and insurance content to be similarly beneficial.
While overall participation numbers were lower than anticipated, this is not unexpected given the unique challenges faced by cranberry growers. Many operate small farms that require year-round attention and often rely on secondary sources of income, further limiting their availability. Despite these constraints, the feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive. Attendees appreciated the breadth of information provided and viewed the workshop as a valuable catalyst for initiating their own succession planning efforts.
The inclusion of subject matter experts in tax, legal, insurance, and farm business planning lent significant credibility to the program. Several participants followed up directly with these professionals to continue their planning processes.
In addition to the workshop, CCCGA conducted a comprehensive grower survey to assess current needs and guide future educational initiatives. Although survey participation was lower than hoped, the responses provided important demographic insights that will help shape ongoing and future outreach efforts.
Exploring Grain Marketing Price-Risk Decisions among Farmers in the Delmarva Region
Project Director: Kofi Britwum (britwum@udel.edu)
University of Delaware
Award Amount: $9,922
Agricultural prices are inherently volatile, influenced by economic, production, and climatic shocks. As a result, the ‘when and where’ of farm sales can have a telling effect on farmers’ earnings. Whereas traditionally selling in spot markets offers limited control over prices, forward contracts and other hedging instruments empower farmers to make strategic sales decisions. Nationally, approximately 10% of corn and soybean farmers traded in futures contracts in 2016 (Prager et al. 2020), suggesting that overall use of futures is minimal, and perhaps more so in some states. Anecdotal evidence from Extension specialists suggests limited use of futures markets by grain farmers in Delaware and surrounding areas, with little known about farmers’ preferences for strategies such as futures and options. This project proposes to explore Delmarva grain farmers’ interest and involvement in risk management strategies such as hedging to enhance financial stability. Focus group discussions will be carried out to determine the extent of utilization of various price-risk management instruments, with findings guiding the development of surveys. The surveys will assess farmers’ interests and potential challenges when utilizing hedging instruments. Findings will guide the development of a robust curriculum on grain marketing alternatives and refine educational outreach opportunities for grain producers.
Building Momentum for the Starting and Improving Farms Conference
Project Director: Megan Chawner (mzc335@psu.edu)
Co-Project Director: Chelsea Hill (cbh5097@psu.edu)
The Pennsylvania State University
Award Amount: $10,000
This grant will build on the success of last year’s Starting and Improving Farms Conference in PA continuing to assist individuals hoping to begin production and existing farms seeking to diversify their operation. This two-day conference will feature four educational tracks-agritourism, horticulture, livestock, and finances- all of which will explore various topics of risk, including production, marketing, financial, legal, and human. The first day will feature tours of farms, agribusinesses, and research facilities to expose attendees to possible business opportunities. The second day will feature a morning plenary covering general business topics. Afternoon sessions will split into four multi-session tracks and provide in-depth training by faculty, educators and specialists. The attendees will be better prepared to handle the risks inherent in their operation, and better informed about the methods and tools available. An evaluation tool will be used to assess the knowledge and skills gained during the conference.
Cut Flower Growers: Initial Risk Management Training and Programming Needs Analysis
Project Director: Jonathan Ebba (jonathan.ebba@unh.edu)
Co-Project Director: Jesse Wright (jesse.wright@unh.edu)
University of New Hampshire
Award Amount: $9,990
UNH Extension’s work shows that cut flower farmers are a rapidly growing group in New Hampshire. While Extension provides direct technical assistance (DTA) to these growers, it has not developed a programmatic focus for this group. Our DTA shows that growers lack basic understanding in Marketing and Financial Literacy and Record Keeping. We will meet twice with a cohort of 6 cut flower growers as a focus group to assist organizing a conference in the Fall of 2024 and to focus our programming at it. This conference is expected to host 50 and will have four educational sessions and a moderated listening session. This will dovetail with the launch of a formal needs assessment and logic model to direct future work with cut flower growers. This proposal fits both objectives of the Exploratory Projects grant in that it utilizes a producer education workshop as a vehicle to explore suitability of a future Standard Education project. This exploration will allow us to: Assess the educational and programmatic risk management needs of this group. Assess the viability of creating a local trade association to amplify future educational efforts. Establish UNH Extension as a valuable source of education and expertise to this industry.
Herds & Her: Empowering Women in Dairy
Project Director: Samantha Gehrett (smr5319@psu.edu)
The Pennsylvania State University
Award Amount: $9,241
The “Herds & Her” workshops in 2024 aim to empower women in the dairy industry through hands-on training. Topics include disease detection, reproduction, financial planning, milking procedures, and milk quality, all with financial implications. Pennsylvania’s dairy industry, ranked 8th in the U.S. for milk production, contributes $14.1 billion to the state’s economy. Of the 5,787 dairy farms in Pennsylvania, 5% are operated by women, who are considered socially disadvantaged farmers by the USDA. They face a wage gap of 40% compared to men. This workshop aims to bridge this gap by providing an inclusive environment for skill improvement.
Mitigating Tar Spot in Southwest New York
Project Director: Katelyn Miller (km753@cornell.edu)
Cornell University
Award Amount: $9,999
Tar spot is an emerging disease in New York State and was identified for the first time in 2021. Four of the five counties in Southwest, NY (Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, and Steuben) have found the disease in their corn production. This creates an additional production risk and profitability risk to corn growers in the SWNY region. All field corn producers are at risk of experiencing this disease on their farm, making this a pertinent topic to discuss and prioritize outreach. With this project, producers will gain an understanding of how the pathogen develops, the scouting efforts involved in identifying this disease, and management options that are available to them. Information will be presented through a meeting, a newsletter article, and a press release. The total estimated reach is 6,440 producers and industry representatives.
