Families have a financial as well as educational investment in their success. Through the Center they are able to obtain a line of credit and get technical assistance. The goal is to train the farmers to manage their farms as businesses. RDC farmers reduce their crop management and financial risks by planting between 5 and 15 varieties of various vegetables, mostly with niche markets. Throughout the whole RDC farm, between 30 and 45 different crops are grown throughout the year, of which 95 percent are organic vegetables and berries.
Organic foods are a higher-value product with an expanding market for program participants.
Farming organically also allows the whole family to participate in farming without fear of pesticide exposure. Luis Sierra, Marketing Education Program Coordinator for the Center, is enthusiastic about the RMA contribution to the success of the program. The RMA trainers incorporate risk management education into a small-farm production and management curriculum. Because marketing and managing risk are as important as growing a crop, the training is critical to our farmers' prospects for success. The Center offers evening workshops and weekend classes in Spanish.