Southern Risk Management Education Center

The 2026 SRMEC Annual Report is now available!

This year’s report highlights SRMEC’s impact across 13 states and 2 U.S. territories through grants, partnerships, and resources that strengthen the resilience and economic viability of farmers and ranchers.

📖 Read the 2026 Annual Report
https://srmec.uada.edu/pdf/SRMEC%202026%20Annual%20Report.pdf

Speaker Spotlight: Savanna Danver

Join Savanna Danver, Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coordinator at Farm Service Agency, for our upcoming Financial Foundations Webinar, Navigating FSA – An Overview of Loans and Farm Programs.

Savanna works directly with producers to help them better understand agricultural financing and navigate the lending process. In this webinar, she'll provide an overview of Farm Service Agency (FSA) loan programs, explain available resources, and share practical guidance to help producers prepare for the application process and identify opportunities that may support their operations.

Whether you're exploring financing for the first time or looking to learn more about FSA programs, this session will help you better understand the tools available to support your agricultural goals.

Register today:
🔗 https://nativeagfinance.org/events/navigating-fsa-an-overview-of-loans-and-farm-programs/

This webinar is hosted in partnership with the Southern Risk Management Education Center.

This recent article from Southern Ag Today explores the 5 Rs of Risk Management and how this framework can help farmers and ranchers better understand risk and make informed decisions.

Read the full article:

5Rs of Risk Management: A Framework for Understanding Risk and Resilience If risk alone determined outcomes, farms facing the same market conditions would experience similar results. Yet, as discussed in my previous article (Part 1), that is clearly not what we observe in practice. Some farms remain resilient during difficult times, while others struggle under the same ec...

🎙️ New FARM Champion Episode: Risk Management Across America

The FARM Champion podcast is launching a special series exploring the nation’s four regional Extension Risk Management Education Risk Management Education Centers—beginning in the South.

This week, Ahlishia speaks with SRMEC Director Dr. Ron Rainey. Their conversation highlights the importance of regional perspectives, collaboration and practical education in helping farmers and ranchers make informed decisions, strengthen profitability and build more resilient operations.

🎧 Listen now:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2606657/episodes/19599208-episode-17-risk-management-across-america-inside-the-southern-extension-risk-management-education-center

We’re proud to share that SRMEC Associate Center Director Erica Barnes Fields contributed the article, “Recognizing and Responding to Signs of Financial Stress: Practical Tools for Farmers, Families, and Communities,” to the recently published Surviving the Farm Economy Downturn: 2026 Update from the Southern Extension Economics Committee.

Beginning on page 136, Erica examines how financial stress can affect farm decision-making, family relationships, physical health and emotional well-being. The article identifies common warning signs and provides practical tools to help farmers, families and agricultural communities respond before challenges escalate into crisis.

Read the full publication here:

Agricultural & Food Policy Center · AFPC Following a similar product that was developed during the most recent downturn (2014-2019), 36 Agricultural Economists from the Southern Extension Economics Committee developed 24 articles that provide valuable information to producers and landowners as they attempt to navigate the current downturn....

Humbled and excited to be humbled by peers within my profession, Agricultural & Applied Economists (AAEA). Thank you all for your words of congratulations.

Congratulations to Center Director Dr. Ron Rainey on receiving the Sustained Contributor Award at the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) Annual Conference! The award was presented by the COSBAE section.

We are proud to celebrate this well-deserved honor 👏

Reopening the Border to Mexican Cattle Imports is the Right Decision Authors: K. Aleks Schaefer and Rylee Smith Last week, the USDA announced it would resume Mexican cattle imports under a phased reopening beginning in August. This is a somewhat controversial, but scientifically sound choice. When the United States suspended imports of live cattle from Mexico, the ob...

In this episode, host Ahlishia Shipley talks with Dr. Tim Woods, Agricultural Economics Professor and State Extension Specialist for Agribusiness Marketing with the UK Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment about preparing farm businesses for larger market opportunities.

Dr. Woods discusses when producers should consider expanding beyond direct-to-consumer sales, what wholesale buyers expect, and the communication strategies needed for long-term success. He also shares how the MarketReady program helps producers confidently prepare to sell to restaurants, grocery stores, schools, distributors, and other wholesale markets. Whether you're considering your next marketing opportunity or looking to strengthen your farm business, this episode offers practical insights to help you grow strategically.

Listen now: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2606657/episodes/19557608-episode-16-growing-beyond-direct-sales-preparing-for-wholesale-success

Check out the MarketReady Producer Training Program for more tips and resources: https://marketready.uky.edu/

Congratulations to Center Director Dr. Ron Rainey on receiving the Sustained Contributor Award at the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) Annual Conference! The award was presented by the COSBAE section.

We are proud to celebrate this well-deserved honor 👏

Organic Farming Pays More... So Why Aren't More Farmers Switching? Organic crops often generate higher profits—but that doesn't mean e...