Resource Library

• Building a Farm Risk Management Plan
• Using Crop Insurance to Manage Risk
• Farm Business Planning
• Farm Transfer/Estate Planning
• Farmland Preservation & Land Use Issues
• Farm Labor Issues & Regulations
• Agricultural Marketing

Building a Farm Risk Management Plan

Developing a set of business goals and a strategy to attain those goals is the first step in any farm risk management plan. Sound risk management means reducing the impact of risk and considering all options available to you. The sites listed below will help you review the risks you face and options available to you to manage those risks.

These sites provide general information on farm risk management. Each site opens the door to an array of related topics.

• http://www.ces.purdue.edu/
  Purdue Extension. This site provides an excellent list of publications including but not limited to such topics as making a business better or bigger , value added agriculture and business tools.
• http://www.rma.usda.gov/pubs/2000/PAN-1667-03.pdf
  Risk and Risk Management. This fact sheet defines risk management.
• http://www.agrisk.umn.edu
  Excellent site that provides many useful publications on a variety of management topics. Click on Ag Risk Library.
• http://www.smallfarm.org/
  The New England Small Farm Institute is an excellent site that provides course and workshop information as well as important articles on the subject.
• http://www.smallfarm.org/nesfi_library/index.htm
  Provides a library of publications for purchase.
• http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM1854.pdf
  Roads to the Future of Agriculture. Information presented describes the skills, resources and strategies farmers will need to make their way in the future.

These sites provide specific information on farm risk management. Please refer to the brief web site description for details.

• http://agecon.uwyo.edu/RnRinAg/Default.htm
  Risk and Resilience in Agriculture. Provides description of the five areas of risk farmers face.
• http://www.ces.purdue.edu/extmedia/ID/ID-244.pdf
  Are Your Farm Business Management Skills Ready for the 21st Century? This publication helps you to determine if you are ready to maintain the long-term success of your farm.
• http://ianrpubs.unl.edu/farmmgt/index.htm
  Good list of farm management publications.
• http://www.aec.msu.edu/agecon/blackj/Record_keeping_1097.rtf
  Record Keeping: Essential to Risk Management. Maintaining good records is important to the success of any operation. This checklist helps you to maintain good records.
• http://www.cnr.berkeley.edu/ucce50/ag-labor/7article/article11.htm
  Keeping the Family Farm Healthy
• http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/pdfs/ud010.pdf
  Top 10 keys to building a profitable dairy business.
• http://www.ag-risk.org/NCISPUBS/LAIPPUB/Art2999.htm
  Managing Risk in Fruit and Vegetable Production. This publication discusses the types of risk vegetable farmers face and how to minimize it.