Unique Multiorganizational Collaborative Proves Effective in Delivering 2014 Farm Bill Education

The Agricultural Act of 2014 (Farm Bill) is a critical part of the economic safety net for U.S. crop and dairy producers through 2018. Passage of the Farm Bill marked a change in philosophy regarding producer and landowner decisions about program choices. The shift was away from nearly 20 years of fixed annual payments based on historical production to decisions based on risk management for producers. This change created the most complicated set of decisions producers have had to make in recent decades. Because of these changes, Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack (2014) indicated the need to establish an educational effort to enable all producers to understand their options and make informed decisions related to both the 2015 crop year and the various program choices. The primary focus of the educational effort is on agricultural producers' needs and program outcomes and impacts. This article highlights a unique multiorganizational statewide collaboration that addressed the Farm Bill educational effort in Minnesota.