Our ERME Adventure

What is ERME?
The Extension Risk Management Education (ERME) program was formed out of the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000. While the act was largely focused on amending and expanding the federal crop insurance protection, it also mandated the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation to create research initiatives, pilot projects, funding pools, and an education and assistance program. ERME established four regional extension centers for education, which are located at Washington State University, University of Nebraska - Lincoln, University of Delaware, and University of Arkansas.

The mission of the ERME program is to “educate America's farmers and ranchers to manage the unique risks of producing food for the world's table.” ERME fulfills its mission by funding education and training programs for farmers (typically through university extension services), maintaining an agricultural risk library, and providing grant funding to projects to develop resources, networks, and systems of support in order to mitigate the risks farmers face. ​

Our Adventure
This was our first year attending the ERME conference. Our Farmer Training team was invited to present about our Stateline Farm Beginnings® program, a proven model to help farmers address the five primary areas of agricultural risk: production, marketing, financial, legal, and human. Stateline Farm Beginnings® is specifically for aspiring and beginning farmers who are underserved by traditional farm support services and crop insurance. Rooted in holistic planning, our year-long program helps farmers master the financial and business skills necessary for long-term success and to gain the technical skills which mitigate the risks unique to their products, farm model, and socio-economic circumstances.

Our Farmer Training team, Ritchie Wai (Program Coordinator), Goli Ziolek (Program Manager), and Kate Larson (Program Director) attended the conference. The team attended sessions led by university extension professionals, showcasing their programs and projects, while learning about new programming and partnership opportunities. They also shared the Farm Beginnings model with dozens of educators, extension employees, and agricultural professionals during the poster presentation and networking hour. 

Ritchie discussing our poster

The team saw the musical Hadestown in their free time

The team enjoyed exploring Omaha’s downtown and bonding with one another. Kate says, “We learned a lot about each other which will help us work together as a team more efficiently.” Ritchie enjoyed spending time with the Farmer Training team and "learning about each other’s interests, quirks, and patterns in various circumstances because the better we understand ourselves and each other, the more compassionate we can be and the more effective we will be together.” ​

---

To learn more about our Stateline Farm Beginnings® program, click here. ​