Welcome to the Center
The Western Extension Risk Management Education Center (Western Center) is one of five USDA NIFA Extension Risk Management Education Centers. Partnering with state university Extension educators and public and private sector partners in the west, the Center provides tools and training to support producers in establishing long-term risk management strategies that will strengthen the economic viability of their farm and ranch enterprises.
Our Mission: Serving Farmers and Ranchers Through Targeted Risk Management Education
The Western Center is housed within the Washington State University College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences Extension School of Economic Sciences.
Who are we?
The Western Extension Risk Management Education Center is hosted by Washington State University. We are one of five risk management education centers established in 2001 for the purpose of educating agricultural producers about the full range of risk management possibilities. Our work is primarily accomplished through competitive grants that are awarded to qualified public and private entities.
Who do we fund?
Competitive grants are made to qualified public and private organizations (including land grant colleges and universities and nongovernmental organizations – often referred to as community based organizations) for the purpose of educating agricultural producers (farm and ranch families) about the full range of financial risk management activities including financial records and analysis, business and marketing plans and strategies, food safety liability, farm transfer and other risk management strategies. We do not provide funding to individuals.
How are we funded?
Extension Risk Management Education Centers are competitively awarded through a USDA competitive grants program. The Partnerships for Risk Management Education, Sec. 524 of the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000, directed the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (now the USDA National Institute for Food and Agriculture – NIFA) to establish a competitive grants program for the purpose of educating agricultural producers about the full range of risk management activities.
Where are the other Risk Management Education Centers?
There are three other regional centers, similar to the Western Center, which are located at the University of Delaware, the University of Arkansas and the University of Nebraska. Additionally, there is a Digital Center for Risk Management Education managed by the Center for Farm Financial Management at the University of Minnesota. This center serves a coordinating and support role for the four regional centers and manages the online application and reporting system for all projects funded by the regional centers.
