CAS' John Mangus presented risk management information and crop insurance program details to Delaware beginning producers in four locations during the week of April 20, 2009.  The presentations were coordinated with local vocational agriculture classes and FFA Program advisors affiliated with the Delaware FFA Association.

The presentations were coordinated with assistance from the Delaware FFA.  Events were held in the following Delaware locations: Milford, Bridgeville, Middletown, and Smyrna.  The events were conducted as part of the USDA/RMA Delaware Targeted States Partnership, which exists to improve Delaware producers' awareness of the availability, benefits, and limitations of Federal Crop Insurance Programs.

Mangus presented “Crop Insurance Education for Delaware's Beginning Producers” using a PowerPoint presentation and an Excel-based risk management/crop insurance simulation tool.  The content focused on basic risk management and crop insurance principles, with attendees learning how crop insurance can be an important tool for managing agricultural risk.  Attendees were first taught general principles of risk and risk management.  Mangus then explained how crop insurance can be an effective mechanism for transferring away some agricultural production and pricing risks.  Attendees next learned about Federal Crop Insurance Programs available in Delaware, including RMA’s Forage and Nursery Programs.

To illustrate the challenges of managing risk and the role of Federal Crop Insurance Programs in agricultural risk management, attendees participated in an interactive learning simulation that illustrated uncertainty and risk in a simulated Delaware farming operation.  The outcomes of the game varied by student depending on uncontrollable chance and the risks chosen by a given student over a simulated six-year period.

Attending producers’ agricultural experience and interests were widely varied.  Attendees were generally engaged in the presentation and actively participated in discussions and the simulation.  CAS received positive feedback about the presentation from both students and participating student advisors.  Hard-copy crop insurance handouts were made available to all attendees.  CAS also promoted the RMA / FFA Risk Management Essay Contest to the attendees and to the advisors.