2022 Risk Management Education Partnerships Program
The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC), operating through the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) announces its intent to award up to $2 million to fund the Risk Management Education Partnership Program (RMEPP). Applications are due March 11, 2022.
What is the purpose of the RMEPP? The purpose of this competitive program is to deliver crop insurance education and risk management training to U.S. agricultural producers to assist them in identifying and managing production, marketing, legal, financial, and human risk. The program gives priority to: (1) educating producers of crops currently not insured under Federal crop insurance, specialty crops, and underserved commodities, including livestock and forage; and (2) providing collaborative partnerships to develop and deliver crop insurance education and other risk management training.
- City or township governments
- County governments
- For profit organizations other than small businesses
- Independent school districts
- Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
- Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS (other than institutions of higher education)
- Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c)(3) status with the IRS (other than institutions of higher education)
- Nonprofits registered as 501(c)4 or 501(c)5
- Private institutions of higher education
- Public and State-controlled institutions of higher education
- Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
- Small businesses
- Special district governments
- State governments
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Crop Insurance 101:
- What crop insurance is available; How different kinds of insurance work;
- Benefits for Beginning Farmers;
- What options within each policy are available;
- What if crop insurance isn’t available in a county (written agreements-what they are/how they work/how to get them/when they are available);
- Who the producer buys insurance from;
- How the relationship with the insurance company/agent/loss adjuster/FCIC works; Understanding policy selections;
- Insurance tools available online; Importance of unit selection;
- Importance of record keeping and risk management strategies for perennial/specialty/organic crops;
- How actual production history and production reporting work and what’s important to the producer;
- Price and coverage level interaction with options;
- Maintaining production records, etc.; and/or
- Specific information on crop insurance that is currently available.
- Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) Training:
- What is WFRP;
- How does it work;
- What records are required from the producer;
- How the amount of insurance is determined and expenses are used in the policy;
- How do producers evaluate WFRP for their farm;
- How a loss is determined (including replant payments);
- How do producers buy WFRP;
- Micro farm policy; and
- Recordkeeping for fruit/vegetable producers to meet WFRP requirements.
- Rainfall Index Insurance: Pasture, Rangeland, Forage (PRF)/Annual Forage/Apiculture:
- Training on what PRF is (excluding Alaska and Hawaii), how it works, and how producers can evaluate PRF for their particular farm.
- Training on Annual Forage (for Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and any known new states).
- Training on Apiculture (all states except Alaska and Hawaii).
- For PRF, specific for Arizona, Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming, include how the new Rainfall Index (RI-PRF) model works differently from what policy offered previously (these areas converted from Vegetative Index VI-PRF).
- All Livestock Products: General education on all the livestock products so producers know what their choices of Federal crop insurance are.
- Other Agency Priorities:
- Provide education, assistance, and resources to producers on risk management options such as Whole Farm Revenue Protection and Micro Farm policies
- Equity and Opportunity
- Climate Smart Ag (wildfires, Post Application Coverage Endorsement, Pandemic Cover Crop Program)
- Local Foods and Urban Ag
- Recordkeeping and Marketing Strategies
- Cover Crops and other Soil Conservation Practices
- Crop Insurance Education to Tribes
- New or Emerging Risk Management Tool
Additionally, the agency plans to award a cooperative agreement(s) pursuant to this opportunity. The agency will be substantially involved through RMA’s DC office and RMA’s ten Regional Offices in the work performed under the agreement. Applications that do not address substantial involvement by RMA will be rejected.
What are the funding levels for this program? The estimated minimum award amount $5,000, and the estimated maximum award amount is $200,000. The agency expects to make 20 award(s).
Is there a cost share or match requirement? There is no cost sharing or matching requirement for this opportunity. There is no competitive advantage to applicants who voluntarily provide a match.
Project Duration: Projects will be 12 months in duration. Applicants should plan their projects based on an estimated project start date no later than September 30, 2022.
Applicants can expect to be notified if there application was successful in early June 2022.
The full Notice of Funding Opportunity can be found here.
For more information on this grant or how to apply with Morrison’s assistance, please contact the Morrison Grants Team by email at grants@morrisonco.net or call us at 530-893-4764.