USDA's Risk Management Agency has launched an online resource to help farmers and ranchers protect against downside risks, and take advantage of upside market opportunities. The new site is: http://Farm-Risk-Plans.usda.gov.

Producers are able to complete two exercises online that give them a novel look at their risk management situation. First is the Risk Management Checklist, a three-page list of questions to stimulate conversation among the family or leadership team. The second is a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats Analysis, a commonly used planning exercise in the business world.