USDA organic regulations describe organic agriculture as the application of a set of cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that support the recycling of on-farm resources, promote ecological balance and conserve biodiversity.

These practices include maintaining and enhancing soil and water quality; conserving wetlands and wildlife; and avoiding use of synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, irradiation, and genetic engineering.

The major focus of this bulletin is on crops and livestock, in the category of organic products for which USDA Risk Management Agency insurance products and USDA Farm Service Agency programs may be available to address production, price and revenue risks and losses from natural catastrophic disasters.

Click here to learn more…
 

 
Two questions are central to understanding producer options for risk management and other government programs related to specialty crops and specialty livestock operations. First: what is a specialty crop? Second: what is a specialty livestock operation?

Each of these terms has a legal or administrative definition and a common usage definition.

This bulletin focuses on the management of production, price, and revenue risks for specialty crops and specialty livestock and the farms and ranches that have incorporated such enterprises into their overall enterprise mix. To be inclusive as possible, the terms specialty crops and specialty livestock operations, are given their broadest and most encompassing interpretations.

Click here to learn more…
 

 
Producers include specialty and organic crops and specialty livestock in their farm’s enterprises for many reasons.

Nevertheless, over the longer term, specialty and organic crop and livestock enterprises have to be managed in ways that ensure the farm remains profitable.

Increasingly, many farms are choosing to focus substantial amounts of their available resources, or even the whole farm or ranch, to specialty and organic crop and livestock enterprises.

This bulletin examines the risks associated with specialty and organic farm enterprises and discusses in general terms the various private and federally supported risk management products and programs that can be used to address them.

Click here to learn more…