Supporting Beginning and Specialty Crop Producers to Navigate Employment Risks
Project Director: Jennifer Hashley (jennifer.hashley@tufts.edu)
Trustees of Tufts College for its New Entry Sustainable Farming Project
Award Amount: $100,000
Agricultural producers face challenges related to employment risks, compliance with labor laws, and limited access to crop insurance, which can impact farm viability. This project supports small-scale, beginning, specialty crop, organic, and socially disadvantaged farmers in Massachusetts and New England in mitigating employment-related and financial risks through education on farm labor management and crop insurance options. The program will offer: 1) six online interactive workshops covering topics such as wage laws, hiring, worker safety, recordkeeping, and crop insurance options like Whole Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), with an average of 25 producers per session; 2) a comprehensive online course adapted from the workshop series for ongoing access; 3) an updated resource library; and 4) 50 hours of individualized technical assistance for 15 beginning producers to develop labor plans, navigate safety net programs, and improve farm employment practices. The project will engage over 150 producers, equipping them with improved labor recruitment and retention strategies, encouraging enrollment in crop insurance programs, and supporting 50 producers to improve viability through employment practices. By integrating these elements, the project will help producers mitigate employment risks, enhance workforce management, and contribute to more viable and stable agricultural enterprises.
Crop Insurance Strategies for Diversified Specialty Crop Growers in MA
Project Director: Lisa McKeag (lmckeag@umass.edu)
Co-Project Director: Susan Schedufele (sscheufele@umext.umass.edu)
UMass Extension
Award Amount: $99,277
Massachusetts (MA) production of specialty crops relies on a highly diversified sales model that includes agritourism, pick-your-own, CSAs, and farmers’ markets, rather than predominantly wholesale markets. Direct-market sales allow for higher prices but require growers to produce a diversity of crops. Diverse crop plans and pricing structures do not align well with federal crop insurance programs. While diversification contributes to farm resilience, climate changes including rising summer and winter temperatures, extreme drought, heavy rainfall, and flooding raise production risk across the farm. Northeast growers increasingly need crop insurance products that protect their financial viability. This project will help MA and other Northeast growers understand how to make strategic use of existing insurance programs. Growers will better understand crop insurance programs through a series of at least 6 workshops directed at diversified specialty crop farms, and through the development of case studies of 3 growers who have either successfully used these tools, or determined through analysis of financial records that available products were not appropriate for their operations. An estimated cumulative total of 900 participants will attend workshops, live or through posted recordings. Resources developed will also be shared through UMass and regional collaborator outlets, reaching an additional 4500 Northeast producers.
Growing the Farm Business and Weeding Out Risk for New and Beginning Farmers
Project Director: Allie Staley (astaley@pafarmlink.org)
Co-Project Director: Darlene Livingston (daliving@pafarmlink.org)
PA Farm Link
Award Amount: $93,454
2022 USDA Census of Agriculture reports 24,448 new and beginning farmers in Pennsylvania. The next generation of farmers represents a community that is in need of education and support to grow their expertise and strengthen farm businesses. New and beginning farmers are seeking access to land and financing. They desire to manage risk and improve farm financials. PA Farm Link proposes a multi-faceted project consisting of a workbook resource and a multitude of learning opportunities for new and beginning farmers. A beginning farmer workbook will be developed with four chapters; Planning and Securing Financing and Land, Protecting your Farm: Risk Mitigation and Crop Insurance, Growing your Market, Diversification and additional resource links. The resource will be distributed in hard copy and digital format. The Saturday in-person workshop will include sessions covering the above topics and time for networking. A webinar series will provide learning opportunities for new and beginning farmers who cannot participate in a full day event. Learning modules will be developed from the webinars for broader impact available online viewing 24/7. The project provides education focused on crop insurance, the five risk management areas and land access assistance providing foundational support for beginning farmers and their farm businesses.
