The pandemic of 2020 provided opportunity for specialty producers in Iowa to expand production and sales. But managing risk for specialty production is critical to capitalizing on new market opportunities.
The Farm, Food and Enterprise Development program of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will sponsor a series of free webinars for specialty crop producers. They will feature new tools and resources on how to manage risk. The webinars will take place on consecutive Wednesdays over the noon hour. The last scheduled webinar is March 10.
The 10 sessions will cover various risk management topics, each featuring different speakers. Topics will include why risk management is important, types of insurance policies and options for specialty crops, whole farm revenue protection, developing a diversified market and profitable crops, and weather patterns and management tools.
Sessions are presented live, with time for Q & A. They will be archived for viewing on the FFED Small Farms page.
Dates and topics
Below is a partial list of dates, topics and speakers for each webinar. The full list is available on the FFED Small Farms page.
January 27, 2021 | Risk Management for Perennial Crops | Joe Hannan–Commercial Horticulture Specialist, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach |
February 3, 2021 | Risk Management in Vegetable Crops | Ajay Nair–Extension Vegetable Specialist, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach |
February 10, 2021 | Food Safety on the Farm | Dan Fillius–Food Safety Educator, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach |
February 17, 2021 | Ag Decision Maker Resources and How to Access Them | Ann Johanns–Economics Extension Program Specialist, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach |
February 24, 2021 | Weather Patterns and Management Tools | Justin Glisan–State Climatologist of Iowa, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship & Joe Hannan – Commercial Horticulture Specialist, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach |
March 3, 2021 | Farm Finance | Craig Chase–Farm, Food and Enterprise Development Program Manager, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach |
March 10, 2021 | Risk Management for Organic Production | Kathleen Delate–Extension Organic Specialist, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach |
For more information contact Olivia Hanlon, FFED extension education specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach, at ohanlon@iastate.edu.