Graduates of the program are expected to assist county Extension agents in establishing marketing clubs in their home county. This workshop provides updates on existing crop and revenue insurance programs and details regarding new crop and revenue insurance programs as they are made available. Futures and Options Workshops - Introductory workshops on the application and use of futures and options contracts in pricing cattle, cotton, wheat, feedgrains, and rice. Group Marketing - Focuses on group marketing efforts including cooperatives, marketing pools, contracts, and other vertical coordination mechanisms. In the Packer-Feeder Simulation workshop, participants try to market cattle during changing market conditions.
Participants learn how their decisions as individuals and as a group impact profitability.
Curriculum Development A Risk Management Curriculum Guide is being developed to provide agricultural producers with added knowledge about the sources of risk impacting their farms and ranches and the tools and options they could consider in managing these risks. To assist producers with quantifying their risks and providing information to enhance their decision-making process, a comprehensive decision support system is being developed. Three workshops are offered utilizing various computerized record keeping systems. A beef cattle business management computerized decision aid addressing budgeting, forage economics, marketing, and retained ownership.