CAS' Brett Crosby and Clif Parker provided risk management training and tools to dozens of North Carolina Christmas tree growers attending the North Carolina Christmas Tree Association's Winter Meeting held in Boone, NC, on February 29 and March 1, 2008. 

CAS' Clif Parker presented crop insurance information at the 28th Milford Aquaculture Seminar held February 25th through the 27th in Meriden, CT.  The event was coordinated by the NOAA Fisheries Northeast Fisheries Science Center's Milford Laboratory, and CAS' participation was sponsored and coordinated with the USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA).

CAS' John Mangus and K-State's Dr. Terry Kastens and Dr. Kevin Dhuyvetter presented risk management and crop insurance information at the Michigan Farm Bureau Young Farmer Leaders Conference held in Big Rapids, MI, on February 22 and 23, 2008.  The presentation was delivered as part of the CAS - USDA/RMA Risk Management Education Partnership to educate Michigan agricultural producers about risk, risk management, and Federal crop insurance programs.

CAS' Brett Crosby and K-State's Dr. Jim Mintert presented "Improving Your Cattle Risk Management Skills Using BeefBasis.com" at a general session of the 2008 Cornbelt Cow - Calf Conference held in Ottumwa, Iowa, on February 23, 2008. The presentation was delivered as part of the CAS - USDA/RMA - K-State Partnership to develop the BeefBasis.com tool to improve cattle producers marketing decisions.

CAS' Shylea Wingard staffed a crop insurance information booth at the New England Grows Exposition held at the Boston Convention and Exposition Center on February 7 and 8, 2008.  CAS participation occurred as part of the USDA/RMA-CAS Crop Insurance Education Partnership to inform Massachusetts agricultural producers about the availability and benefits of Federal crop insurance programs.

As part of two USDA Risk Management Agency Partnerships, Custom Ag Solutions is working to provide maple producers in five states with risk management information and tools to improve producers' production and marketing decisions.

Custom Ag Solutions' John Mangus presented risk management information to nearly 100 Wisconsin Christmas Tree Growers attending the Wisconsin Christmas Tree Producers Association's Annual Meeting held on January 25, 2008, in Stevens Point, WI.

Custom Ag Solutions' John Mangus and Dr. Mel Koelling (Michigan State University) presented risk management information to 125 members of the Michigan Maple Syrup Association gathered for the organization's annual meeting held in Clare, Michigan, on January 19, 2008.

CAS' Kole Swanser participated in the Orgeon Sheep Growers Association Annual Meeting held in Cottage Grove, Oregon, on December 6 and 7, 2007.  Swanser presented attendees with information about the structure, operation, and availability of the Livestock Risk Protection - Lamb Program offered by the USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA).  

Researchers from Custom Ag Solutions and Kansas State University were recently featured in a Beef Magazine article explaining basis risk considerations in the cattle industry.  The article emphasized the newly available marketing information and tools found on the BeefBasis.com website.  Development of the BeefBasis.com website was funded by the USDA's Risk Management Agency, which also participated in the project's work activities.  The article can be viewed at the following link: http://beefmagazine.com/markets/marketing/basis-risk/index.html.

Custom Ag Solutions, a partner to the USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA), worked with numerous regional producer groups to schedule and conduct  over ten risk management education training events in November of 2007. 

On October 26, 2007, CAS' Clif Parker presented risk management and crop insurance information at the Massachusetts Aquaculture Association's Annual Meeting held in Sandwich, MA.  The CAS presentation was delivered as part of the RMA-CAS Commodity Partnership to reach Massachusetts clam producers with information about the USDA/Risk Management Agency's Cultivated Clam Pilot Crop Insurance Program. 

On October 1, 2007, Custom Ag Solutions began work on ten risk management education partnerships funded by the USDA's Risk Management Agency.  The projects will benefit producers of a wide range of commodities in eleven states.

On September 27, 2007, acting Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner announced awards of nearly $21.2 million in agricultural risk management partnership agreements throughout the United States. Wyoming's Custom Ag Solutions received a research and development partnership award to develop decision-support tools to improve livestock producers' decisions related to participation in RMA's Livestock Risk Protection and Adjusted Gross Revenue-Lite Programs. Calculators, worksheets, data feeds, and organizers will be developed to increase knowledge and participation in the programs.  The USDA announcement can be viewed at the following link: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=2007/09/0268.xml.

On September 27, 2007, acting Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner announced awards of nearly $21.2 million in agricultural risk management partnership agreements throughout the United States. Wyoming's Custom Ag Solutions received 10 educational partnership awards to reach producers in 11 states. The USDA announcement can be viewed at the following link: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=2007/09/0268.xml.