Risk Management Agency (RMA)
Dairy Options Program
In early 2000, Congress issued a mandate that the USDA must provide workers with Web-based courseware or classroom-based learning to support the USDA's initiatives. Although farmers were instantly interested in the Web-based option, they found that it did not produce the ease of use or benefits they experienced in the classroom, such as collaborating with classmates and discussions with teachers and other industry experts. >>more

Risk Management Agency (RMA)
Crop Monitoring Program
The USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) supports U.S. agricultural production through
a variety of programs and initiatives. In existence since the Depression, RMA, formerly
known as the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, was created as a direct result of the
fact that commercial insurance carriers associate a high level of risk with the issuance
of crop insurance. RMA supports a nationwide program that underwrites the policies of
commercial insurance companies and is, therefore, able to provide farmers with the ability
to insure their crops and income, as well as their farms. >>more

Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
Veterinary Training Program
The Animal Plant Heath Inspection Services Agency (APHIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) protects the United States $5 trillion in imports and exports. In Spring 2002, driven in part by the aftermath of September 11, APHIS began to research enterprise systems that would be able to train, manage and track veterinary personnel, temporary employees and Department of Justice subcontractors on how to handle incident response issues associated with rare, infectious animal diseases that pose a threat to the U.S. food supply. In order for this program to be successful, an average of 200 people from each state, approximately 10,000 total, would need to be trained and tracked at the state, local and private levels on an ongoing basis. >>more