Agricultural agents from Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE) of Cape May, Essex and Somerset counties have joined forces to offer a program, called “Networks to Reduce Risk: Annie’s Project Builds Viable Farms in Urban and Rural NJ.”
“Farm viability is an annual concern raised by the agricultural community in New Jersey, and farm business management assistance is an often-highlighted area of need. This program will ensure farm business operators have the tools and connections to sustain their operations for generations to come,” said Kate Brown, agricultural agent, RCE of Somerset County.
The program aims to reduce overall farm business risk in the areas of market, production, financial, legal and human resources. Through a series of four field trips and six webinars, the program will connect urban and rural farmers to educational opportunities, resources and each other.
“Building a network of new and experienced farmers and professional agencies and businesses that provide risk management support is the goal of this project,” said Claudia Gil Arroyo, agricultural agent, RCE of Cape May County.
The field trips are designed to focus on various aspects of risk management including market diversification, value-added product development, cost-share program utilization and farm safety enhancement. Locations include Urban Agriculture Cooperative Food Hub, Irvington, on Nov. 1; Rutgers Food Innovation Center, Bridgeton, on Nov. 19; Clover Valley Farm, Vincentown, on April 11; and Rutgers Snyder Research and Extension Farm, Pittstown, on April 28.
Annie’s Project course in session. Photo credit: Courtesy of RCE.
The six-week course will feature in-depth, live presentations on principles of farm business risk management. The course will be offered via Canvas with interactive activities like breakout groups and discussion intertwined with presentations from Cooperative Extension, industry and government agency professionals. At-home activities will help participants connect concepts to their own operations. Recordings of the lectures with Spanish captioning will be made available after the course is complete.
Registration for the field trips and the online course is required. While Annie’s Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing educational programs designed to strengthen women’s roles in modern agricultural enterprises, the program is open to all. View the recording of an information session for the program.
Annie’s Project uses a methodology that builds confidence, develops networks and creates lifelong learners among farmers, ranchers and growers. For more information, email anniesproject@njaes.rutgers.edu.
This work is supported by the Northeast Extension Risk Management project award no. 2024-70027-42540, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
