Delaware Farmers Learn Risk Management Strategies at Harrington Conference

Local farmers gathered in Harrington for a comprehensive risk management conference hosted by UD Cooperative Extension and Delaware Farm Bureau. The event covered everything from crop insurance updates to mental health resources for agricultural communities.

Delaware farmers attended a comprehensive risk management workshop in Harrington on February 25, 2026, organized by the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension and Delaware Farm Bureau. The educational event focused on helping agricultural producers minimize operational risks while improving their financial stability.

Delaware Agriculture Secretary Don Clifton kicked off the morning session by urging farmers to examine their crop insurance coverage, particularly given recent updates to Crop Insurance Assistance programs. Kent County Farm Bureau President Jim Minner welcomed participants and stressed the value of ongoing agricultural education and forward-thinking planning strategies.

UD Cooperative Extension’s Nate Bruce shared the latest 2026 Commodity Crop Budgets and discussed precision conservation economics. Bruce demonstrated how enterprise budgeting helps farmers assess profitability and calculate breakeven points. He recommended utilizing Excel spreadsheets or specialized farm management platforms like FAST Tools or Ag Decision Maker for improved financial planning.

Fellow UD Cooperative Extension specialists James Adkins and Jarrod Miller explored agricultural technology economics, comparing automated versus data-driven systems and traditional farming methods against precision agriculture approaches. The duo emphasized evaluating capital requirements, labor needs, and time commitments while considering both technology adoption costs and projected return timelines.

USDA Risk Management Agency representative Kevin Wooten delivered a comprehensive crop insurance briefing, featuring recent policy changes for peppers and triticale crops, plus updated premium subsidies for new farmers. Wooten also announced enhanced premium assistance programs and expanded coverage options for producers. Additional details are available at www.rma.usda.gov.

University of Maryland’s Dale Maurice Johnson presented grain market forecasts and analyzed commodity balance sheets. Johnson emphasized the difficulty of market predictions given volatile local supply and demand conditions.

American Farm Bureau Federation Economist Faith Parum addressed agricultural chemical economics, revealing that America consumed 10% of worldwide fertilizer in 2021 while shipping disruptions continue affecting prices. She directed attendees to AFBF’s Market Intel resources at www.fb.org/market-intel for ongoing updates.

Farm Service Agency’s Maryann Reed outlined available agency programs, including the two-phase Supplemental Disaster Relief Program with applications open until April 30. She also promoted the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, which incentivizes long-term conservation contracts by removing environmentally sensitive farmland from production. Reed encouraged farmers to contact county offices about Conservation Reserve Program opportunities. More FSA program information is at www.fsa.usda.gov.

The conference wrapped up with UD’s Kelly Sipple discussing retirement planning strategies, followed by UD’s Laurie Wolinski and Jennifer Ford from the Mental Health Association of Delaware addressing agricultural stress and ambiguous loss. They explained how farming stress accumulates gradually from unclear or multiple sources, with producers facing constant uncertainty and high-pressure decisions. The speakers noted agriculture’s cultural barriers, including strong independence values and few safe environments for discussing personal challenges.