Fridays on the Farm: Building a Stable Foundation with Risk Management

This Friday, meet Jim Dupont, a third-generation cattleman in Beauregard Parish, Louisiana. Jim owns and operates a 2,700‑acre cattle operation rooted in family tradition, resilience and thoughtful risk management. Ranching isn’t just an occupation for Jim. It’s a way of life.

“You have to love it to do it,” said Jim. “I grew up in this industry as a kid, being on the rice farm with my grandparents, having cattle and milking cows every day of the week.” 

Protection in Uncertainty

While Jim has owned and raised cattle for more than 35 years, market changes, feed costs and unpredictable weather can challenge even the most seasoned producers. Having Federal crop and livestock insurance has helped stabilize Jim’s operation during uncertain years.

“You really need to be careful that you take all the protection you can, because you never know where the price is going to be,” Jim said.

Federal crop insurance is managed by USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA). RMA serves America’s agricultural producers through effective, market-based risk management tools to strengthen the economic stability of agricultural producers and rural communities. 

Approved Insurance Providers sell and service Federal crop insurance policies in every state through a public-private partnership with RMA. Through the RMA Agent Locator, RMA provides insurance agent and provider information to customers in all 50 states.

A Stronger Bottom Line

RMA’s Livestock Risk Protection-Feeder Cattle (LRP-Feeder Cattle) and Pasture, Rangeland, Forage (PRF) are key to his risk management strategy. While LRP-Feeder Cattle insures his cattle against declining market prices, PRF is an area-based insurance plan designed to help provide coverage for forage loss due to the lack of precipitation.

“We try to feed all of our own cattle and take all the protection we can get along the way,” said Jim. “The amount of money you have to borrow today, and the amount things cost, it’s crucial. The only way you can protect some of that is with the insurance programs out there.”

By purchasing a policy through a crop insurance agent, farmers are financially protected if they experience an eligible loss. Jim encourages his fellow farmers and ranchers to research their risk management options to understand how Federal crop and livestock insurance can help strengthen their bottom line. 

“All farming activities are risky, and insurance is just a way to protect yourself to make sure you can be here again next year doing the same thing,” Jim said.

With the help from RMA’s risk management programs, Jim is building a stable foundation that keeps his operation strong.

“We’re raising beef at this operation and, at the end of the day, it’s going to the consumers of the world,” he said. “It's very important that we stay in business to feed them.”

More Information

Visit local farms, ranches, forests, and resource areas through our Fridays on the Farm stories. Meet farmers, producers, and landowners who are working to improve their operations with USDA programs. 

USDA offers a variety of risk management, disaster assistance, loan, and conservation programs to help producers weather ups and downs in the market, recover from natural disasters, and invest in improvements to their operations. Learn about additional programs. 

For more information about USDA programs and services, contact your local USDA service center.

Lauren Moore is a public affairs specialist for USDA’s Risk Management Agency.