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Two
areas of curriculum development especially important to program delivery
in the next two years are a labor management curriculum and a publication
focusing on the risks of marketing for unusual agricultural enterprises,
a focus primarily on small acreage direct farm marketing enterprises.
The Western Center is fortunate that an environment of collaboration
exists within the Extension system of the West as these material development
activities have already been initiated with seed money from the Farm
Foundation and the effort of a number of Extension Specialists from
across the region. Additional funding is necessary to bring them to
final form so that they can be used in regional RME in a timely manner.
The
labor management issue, so important to western agriculture, is
being addressed by a group of nine individuals, eight Extension
Specialists from the US, and a member from Canada representing seven
Western States. They are completing preparation of a farm employer's
handbook.
The
second materials/curriculum effort of the Center is the effort of
nine extension specialists from seven states. They are developing
a high quality publication using the case study approach that focuses
on managing the risks associated with direct marketing. Marketing
to a niche is often very appealing on the surface. The risk and
return associated with the marketing risks for a niche is not well
understood by most producers. A critical part of risk management
is understanding those underlying risks and rewards. This publication
will provide a resource that can be used across the region with
small and limited resource producers as well as more traditional
producers who are considering diversification from bulk non-differentiated
commodity production to niche markets.
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