Update from Southern
Region Risk Management
Education Center
Southern Outlook Conference- 2008
Ken Stokes
2008 Farm Bill
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
Trade Act
Farm Bill Training
Partnership for Risk Management
Education

Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and
Ranchers Outreach and Technical
Assistance Program – 2501

Beginning Farmer and Rancher
Development Program
Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA)
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
Trade Act of 2002 requires reauthorization
New version introduced in the Senate
Presidential veto of new version expected
No action expected until next Congress
Provide Risk Management
Education on the 2008 Farm Bill

New risk environment
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input/output price relationships
futures based price contracts availability
land rental rates and
New farm bill
$2,000 per state for reimbursing the
cooperative extension services in the
Southern Region for conducting farm bill risk
management education for producers.
Requirements for Receiving Funds

Extension Administrators and Directors


Must agree upon a distribution of the $2,000
between institutions
Sign and return a Contract for Service
Contract for Services - Farm Bill Training
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Conduct risk management training for producers
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Report
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Farm bill provisions
Any published and/or anticipated implementation
regulations
trainings held,
number of attendees, and
risk management skills improved by the trainings
Submit invoice for actual training expenses by
July 1, 2009
Sec. 12026. Risk Management Education for
Beginning Farmers or Ranchers

Requires special emphasis on risk management strategies,
education, and outreach specifically targeted at—
 Beginning farmers or ranchers
 Legal immigrant farmers or ranchers that are attempting to
become established producers in the United States
 Socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers
 Farmers or ranchers that
 are preparing to retire and
 are using transition strategies to help new farmers or
ranchers get started
 New or established farmers or ranchers that are converting
production and marketing systems to pursue new markets
Number of Grants by Special
Emphasis Area, SRRMEC, 2002-2008
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Special Emphasis Area
Beginning Farmers and Ranchers
Immigrants Producers
New Markets
Socially Disadvantaged Producers
Hispanic
Black
Women
Retiring
Estate Planning
Transition Planning
Other
Grand Total
Number
6
1
29
4
21
12
4
6
56
139
Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers
Outreach and Technical Assistance Program - 2501

Provides $75 million in mandatory funding

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$15,000,000 for fiscal year 2009
$20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2012
Amends the program to better meet the needs of
socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers:



Enhances the coordination of the outreach, technical
assistance, and educational efforts authorized under
USDA programs
Assists the Secretary in broadening participation of
socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers
Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to provide
Congress with an annual report on the program’s
operation
Beginning Farmer and Rancher
Development Program

1992 Agricultural Credit Improvement Act


2002 Farm Bill


Established Advisory Committee on Beginning
Farmers and Ranchers
Authorized but did not fund
2008 Farm Bill
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Authorized and funded
Added additional provisions
Beginning Farmer or Rancher
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Has not operated a farm or ranch or
Has operated a farm or ranch for not more
than 10 years and
Meets such other criteria as the Secretary
may establish.
Beginning Farmer and Rancher
Development Program


Provide training, education, outreach, and
technical assistance initiatives for beginning
farmers or ranchers
Competitive grants to support new and
established local and regional training,
education, outreach, and technical
assistance initiatives
BFRDP Programs and Services
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Mentoring, apprenticeships,
and internships
Resources and referrals
Assisting beginning farmers or
ranchers in acquiring land from
retiring farmers and ranchers
Innovative farm and ranch
transfer strategies
Entrepreneurship and
business training
Model land leasing contracts
Financial management training
Whole farm planning
Conservation assistance
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Risk management education
Diversification and marketing
strategies
Curriculum development
Understanding the impact of
concentration and globalization
Basic livestock and crop
farming practices
The acquisition and
management of agricultural
credit
Environmental compliance
Information processing and
Other similar subject areas of
use to beginning farmers or
ranchers.
Eligibility to Receive a Grant
A.
B.
C.
State cooperative extension service
Federal, State, or tribal agency
Community-based and nongovernmental
organization
A.
D.
E.
2008 creates priority to partnerships and collaborations led
by or including NGO and CB organizations with expertise
in new agricultural producer training and outreach
College or university (including an
institution awarding an associate's degree) or
foundation maintained by a college or university
Any other appropriate partner, as determined by
the Secretary.
Term, Size, Matching & Set-aside
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Term
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Size
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Not more than $250,000 for each year (new in 2008)
Matching requirement
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Not more than 3 years
May receive consecutive grants (new in 2008)
in the form of cash or in-kind contributions in an amount
equal to 25 percent of the funds provided by the grant.
Set-aside of not less than 25 percent of funds for



limited resource beginning farmers or ranchers
socially disadvantaged beginning farmers or ranchers
farmworkers desiring to become farmers or ranchers.
Evaluation Criteria (new in 2008)
Relevancy
Technical merit
Achievability
Expertise and track record of 1 or more applicants
Adequacy of plans for the
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participatory evaluation process,
outcome-based reporting, and
the communication of findings and results beyond the
immediate target audience; and
Other appropriate factors, as determined by the
Secretary.
Regional Balance
Secretary shall, to the maximum extent
practicable, ensure geographical diversity in
making grants. (New in 2008)
Priority – New in 2008
Priority in making grants –
partnerships and collaborations that are
led by or include
nongovernmental and community-based
organizations
with expertise in new agricultural producer
training and outreach.
Other Requirements


No funds may be used for the planning,
repair, rehabilitation, acquisition, or
construction of a building or facility.
USDA shall not use more than 4% of the
funds for administrative costs.
Education Teams

General


Secretary shall establish education teams to
develop curricula, and conduct educational
programs and workshops for BFR in diverse
geographical areas of the United States
Curriculum

In promoting the development of curricula, the
Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable,
include modules tailored to specific audiences of
BFR, based on crop or regional diversity
Composition of education team for a
specific program or workshop

Maximum extent practicable


obtain the short-term services of specialists
with knowledge and expertise in programs serving
beginning farmers or ranchers and
use USDA officers and employees with direct
experience in USDA programs that may be taught
as part of the curriculum for the program or
workshop.
Secretary shall cooperate, to the
maximum extent practicable, with
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
State cooperative extension services
Federal and State agencies
Community-based and nongovernmental
organizations
Colleges and universities (including an
institution awarding an associate's degree) or
foundations maintained by a college or
university and
Other appropriate partners, as determined
by the Secretary.
Curriculum and Training
Clearinghouse

The Secretary shall establish an online
clearinghouse

that makes available to beginning farmers or
ranchers education curricula and training
materials and programs, which may include online
courses for direct use by beginning farmers or
ranchers.
Stakeholder Input

Secretary shall seek stakeholder input from
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Beginning farmers and ranchers;
National, State, tribal, and local organizations and
other persons with expertise in operating beginning
farmer and rancher programs; and
Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and
Ranchers
First opportunity for stakeholder input
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Monday, October 27, 2008,
9 am to 1 pm
Waterfront Centre Building
800 9th Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20024
FY 2009 Request for Applications
(RFA)

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CSREES anticipates releasing the FY 2009
Request for Applications (RFA) for the
BFRDP in
January 2009 with a 60-day open period.
Participation by Other Farmers and
Ranchers

Nothing in this section prohibits the Secretary
from allowing farmers and ranchers who are
not beginning farmers or ranchers from
participating in programs authorized under
this section to the extent that the Secretary
determines that such participation is
appropriate and will not detract from the
primary purpose of educating beginning
farmers and ranchers.
Funding

Using funds of the Commodity Credit
Corporation, the Secretary shall make
available to carry out this section


$18,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; and
$19,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2010 through
2012.
In addition to these funds there is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $30,000,000
for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012.
The 2008 Farm Bill:
Beginning & Socially Disadvantaged Producers
George Haynes
Professor and Extension Specialist
Montana State University
Vincent Smith
Professor
Montana State University
2008 Farm Bill Education Conference
Kansas City
July 8-9, 2008
Next Call for Proposals:

November 3, 2008
Call for Pre-proposal
Applications is announced at
http://srrme.tamu.edu/

December 11, 2008
Deadline for pre-proposals
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February 2, 2009
Selection of applications for full
proposals announced

February 26, 2009
Deadline for full proposals

April 23, 2009
Selection of proposals for awards
announced
Thank you.
Ken Stokes
Director
Email: k-stokes@tamu.edu
Website: http://srrme.tamu.edu