A Risk Management Training Program Designed to Empower Urban Women Farmers

Annie’s Project: Farming in New Jersey’s Cities and the Urban Fringe focused on following five areas of risk identified by US Department Agriculture Economic Research Service: financial, production, marketing/price, legal/institutional, human/personnel. Additional education regarding urban farming topics included securing suitable land, dealing with contaminated soils alternative growing medias, water for crop production. We delivered a series six 3-hour evening classes to 23 producers. administered retrospective evaluation at conclusion distributed an survey 6 months after training. Both evaluations found that participants increased their understanding farm risks. Furthermore, they indicated were better able manage impacts COVID-19 pandemic business activities.