
News

Explore the “Fundamentals of Federal Crop Insurance”—a resource designed to empower producers, educators, and stakeholders with a clear understanding of the federal crop insurance system.
This essential guide was expertly edited by our very own Dr. Hunter Biram, Associate Center Director, who also served as the Lead Contributor. Special contributions were made by other SRMEC team members including Dr. Ron Rainey, Center Director, and Dr. Lawson Connor, Associate Center Director.
What’s Inside?
- A breakdown of the U.S. Crop Insurance Industry structure
- An overview of federal crop insurance product types
- And much more!
Whether you're navigating risk management for your operation or sharing knowledge as an educator, this resource simplifies the complexities of crop insurance into practical, actionable insights.
View the workbook here: https://www.uaex.uada.edu/publications/pdf/MP576.pdf

The Fundamentals of Federal Crop Insurance short course brings the concepts from the workbook to life, giving producers, educators, and stakeholders a hands-on approach to navigating the crop insurance system. Led by Dr. Hunter Biram (Associate Center Director), with contributions from Dr. Ron Rainey (Center Director) and Dr. Lawson Connor (Associate Center Director), this course provides:
- A clear breakdown of the U.S. Crop Insurance Industry
- Practical insights into federal crop insurance products
- Real-world applications to strengthen your risk management strategy
Whether you're looking to enhance your operation or equip others with essential knowledge, this course is designed to simplify complex policies into actionable steps.
Ready to deepen your understanding? Enroll today and put knowledge into practice: https://learn.uada.edu/login/index.php
The Southern Risk Management Education Center (SRMEC) strives to highlight outstanding extension outreach programs. Through this effort, the Center seeks to highlight Extension Risk Management Education resources and extension scholarship. The symposium features impactful outreach efforts detailing best practices in program development and stakeholder engagement. The highlighted projects include discussions on innovative program delivery and promotion activities as well as extensive evaluation processes. SRMEC funded projects focus on enhancing farmer behavior and knowledge through risk management education. SRMEC seeks to empower producers to manage risk through exceptional program delivery and evaluation. The featured project’s directors will detail their experiences developing the grant funded activity and keys to successful program delivery. Projects were selected because of successful in-depth delivery and implementation activities, transparent and impactful evaluation, and demonstration of value of the training to the project participants.
Moderator: Ron Rainey Professor & Center Director, University of Arkansas
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Justin Benavidez, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Where’s the Beef? Economic and Legal Considerations for Direct Beef Sales
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William Crutchfield, Virginia State University. Risk Management Education for Socially Disadvantaged, Veteran, and Beginning Farmers and Ranchers in Virginia.
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Charlie Jackson, Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project. Farmer Risk Management Rebound from COVID-19.
The Southern Risk Management Education Center (SRMEC) strives to highlight outstanding extension outreach programs. Through this effort, the Center seeks to highlight Extension Risk Management Education resources and extension scholarship. The symposium features impactful outreach efforts detailing best practices in program development and stakeholder engagement. The highlighted projects include discussions on innovative program delivery and promotion activities as well as extensive evaluation processes. SRMEC funded projects focus on enhancing farmer behavior and knowledge through risk management education. SRMEC seeks to empower producers to manage risk through exceptional program delivery and evaluation. The featured project’s directors will detail their experiences developing the grant funded activity and keys to successful program delivery. Projects were selected because of successful in-depth delivery and implementation activities, transparent and impactful evaluation, and demonstration of value of the training to the project participants.
Moderator: Ron Rainey Professor & Center Director, University of Arkansas
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Megan Leffew, University of Tennessee Extension, Center for Profitable Agriculture. Helping Tennessee Farmers Evaluate and Implement New Enterprises and Marketing Strategies
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John Bovay, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Virginia Sustainable Farm and Agribusiness Education Initiative
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Angie Martin, Texas Corn Producers Association. Who’s Going to Fill My Shoes: Planning from the Beginning to the End for Succession in a Farming Operation
SRMEC held an online training to provide details for applicants interested in responding to the 2020 request for applications (RFA). The webinar provides details on the Extension Risk Management education program, the Southern region's current priorities, and details on budget preparation. Proposals are due within the RVS system November 19th at 5:00 p.m. CST.
Slides from the webinar are available.
SRMEC, in collaboration with Agricultural Marketing Research Center at Iowa State University, addresses common questions and provides available resources to help navigate USDA’s Value-Added Producer Grant Application. The online training was held December 19, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. To view the archived webinar visit the following link:
USDA Value-Added Producer Grant Program Webinar