Developing a Training Program on Surviving Disasters Through Risk Management Preparation and Best Management Practices for Farm Families

Commodities

Practices

More than any other type, small-scale farms are particularly vulnerable to not having a plan to mitigate various risks and have less access to resources to respond and recover. Therefore, their well-being is undoubtedly influenced by the extent to which they can bring their risks under control and make the right decisions in challenging environments. Risks in the agricultural sector involve things that are hard to predict, such as weather, prices, government policies, accidents, and illness, that can impact a person’s farm. Some risks are everyday business risks, while other risks are brought on by changing climate effects. There is an urgent need to build practical tools that involve mitigating risks on small farms. The pilot project proposed in this application seeks to strengthen the capacity of 1890 Agricultural Extension staff to deliver practical disaster educational programs and train farmers and their families using various participatory training methods.

The primary objective is to help small and limited-resource farmers and their families learn how to prepare for, respond to, and mitigate the impacts of disasters through disaster risk management planning. Focusing on this group is critical because they are often the least prepared, lack resources, and/or need to receive the timely assistance necessary to promote resilience. This project will be piloted in four states, namely Texas, Tennessee, Arkansas, and North Carolina, in partnership with university and Extension faculty and staff at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU)  Tennessee State University (TSU), University of Arkansas at Pine-Bluff (UAPB) and North Carolina A&T State University (NC A&T).

The goals are as follows:

• To identify the agricultural risks faced by small farms and ranchers, with special emphasis on those who considered to be socially disadvantaged, limited resource (SDLR). Concerns about risk vary across types of producers. Although the sources of risk in agriculture production have been well cited, less is known about what risks SDLR farmers are concerned about, what factors determine how those inherent risks are perceived, and how they choose among alternatives to reduce the effects of the diverse types of risk.
• To train agents to deliver an instructional program on risk management for small-scale farmers, supporting them in making decisions in uncertain environments. The program will follow a train-the-trainer approach where agents will be trained in an instructional program on risk management and provided with tools to deliver this program to their respective farmers.
• Supervise specific assignments that farmers can complete to determine their proficiency in the content shared during the training. After each workshop session, homework assignments will be provided to the farmer participant. Extension agents/educators will make regular personal contact with the participants, answer questions, and ensure that participants try to complete their homework assignments.
• Determine appropriate government programs and other supports that help farmers mitigate risks in their business.