Today's american farmers, ranchers and producers face an unprecedented and challenging environment in all five agricultural risk management categories including production, marketing, financial,…

The University of Delaware received a $2.12 million Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the Agriculture Risk Management Education Partnerships Competitive Grants Program (CFDA 10.520), effective September 30, 2025 through September 29, 2028. This award funds the Northeast Center for Risk Management Education (NERME) to serve agricultural producers across thirteen northeastern states—Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. The center will administer competitive subgrant programs to support organizations and individuals conducting innovative agricultural risk management education and outreach activities.

NERME's grant-funded activities address production, marketing, financial, legal, and human resource risks facing farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers. Program priorities include protecting America's food, fuel, and fiber supply; supporting safe food production; expanding domestic markets; training the next generation of agriculturists; and advancing agricultural productivity through innovation. The center will distribute subgrants to eligible applicants whose activities demonstrate measurable positive outcomes in risk management education, including instruction on crop insurance, futures and options trading, debt reduction strategies, production diversification, marketing planning, and farm business transition planning, with particular emphasis on beginning farmers, socially disadvantaged producers, and farmers transitioning to new markets.

Today's american farmers, ranchers and producers face an unprecedented and challenging environment in all five agricultural risk management categories including production, marketing, financial, legal, and human. The northeast center (NERME) seeks to align with the USDA, to be a resource to ensure a financially sustainable and competitive economy to support programming that addresses the needs of the agricultural producers in the region. The northeast region includes maine, new hampshire, vermont, massachusetts, rhode island, connecticut, new york, new jersey, pennsylvania, maryland, delaware, west virginia, and the district of columbia. While the region is small in area, as compared to the southern, north central and western regions, the agriculture industry is vital and contributes significantly to the economy and labor force.by adhering to the program's legislative authority - 7 U.S.C. 1524 and 7 U.S.C. 1524 (a)(3), the northeast center will provide funds to help farmers, ranchers and producers solve the pressing challenges they face. Additionally, NERME funds will support efforts toward 1) protecting america's food, fuel and fiber supply to enhance national security, 2) supporting production of healthy and safe food for consumers, 3) expanding and developing domestic markets, 4) training the next generation of agriculturists and 5) fueling innovation to keep american farmers at the forefront of productivity. The purpose of the northeast (REGIONAL) centers is to conduct REGIONAL- and multi-REGIONAL-based competitive grants programs. The competitive grants (SUBAWARD) programs will support organizations and individuals who can carry out innovative, impactful and timely agricultural risk management education and outreach activities, while also demonstrating positive outcomes as a result of the activities.