Why Farms Fail and What to Do About It

Why Farms Fail and What To Do About it

Risk Management Strategies Whole Farm Revenue Protection

$30 per person

This pre-conference workshop will address the most common reasons why a farm fails and then present strategies for reducing these risks. Twenty-year farm advocate Scott Marlow will share his knowledge for managing risk using smart business practices, available federal programs, and other resources. Also part of this workshop will be information about the new Whole Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) program and the Noninsured Assistant Program (NAP) and how these programs can assist farmers in protecting their operations.

Who should attend:

Family farmers - of all kinds, especially diversified producers
Farm advocates
Farm support organization staff

Information on registration:

Register for both Conference and Why Farms Fail Workshop click here for the registration page and follow the form.

The pre-conference workshop will be a selection to add onto your conference registration.

You will need to select the "Pre-conference workshops Only" option which is down toward the bottom of the registration types. The Farm to School Round Up will be an option in the list of pre-conference workshops, be sure to select this option as you move through the form.

Scott Marlow currently serves as RAFI’s Executive Director. He previously directed the organization’s Farm Sustainability Program, providing in-depth financial counseling to farmers in crisis, education on disaster assistance programs and access to credit, and addressing the needs of mid-scale farmers seeking to increase the sustainability of their farms by transitioning to higher-value specialty markets.

His specialty is financial infrastructure, including access to credit and risk management for value-added producers.

Scott has served:

on the steering committee of the National Task Force to Renew Agriculture of the Middle,
the Organization Council of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition,
the Board of the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group,
the Board of the North Carolina Farm Transition Network, and
currently serves on the NC Agricultural Advancement Consortium and the Advisory Committee of the NC Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund.

Scott holds a Master’s degree in Crop Science from NC State University and a BA in Political Science from Duke University.