30 Minute Breakouts30 Minute Breakouts |
Adapting RightRisk for Maryland Farms |
30 Minute Breakouts |
Shannon Dill, sdill@umd.edu
University of Maryland Extension
Co-Presenters
Jennifer Rhodes, University of Maryland Extension
John Hall, University of Maryland Extension
Wes Musser, University of Maryland Extension
Sudeep Mathew,University of Maryland Extension
RightRisk is an innovative risk research and education effort to help farmers understand and explore risk management decisions and evaluate the effects of those decisions. This program has been utilized in the west and was brought to Maryland in 2009. Farmers make decisions including crop insurance, grain marketing and crop rotations over a two year production cycle to assess risk strategies and evaluate their strategy’s success.
This is a hands-on learning experience where farmers receive a scenario, information and then make choices depending on their appetite for risk. It is a very easy computer program that helps make the decisions and at the end of the scenario it calculates levels of risk as well as potential profits and losses.
Participants report that the workshop was very helpful in learning about their personal risk preference and that it helped them learn about managing risks on the farm. A farmer reports “A great analytic device for making business decisions”.
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Materials
RightRiskDILL
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Adding Income with a Farm Vacation |
30 Minute Breakouts |
Nadine Fox, info@buckvalleyranch.com
Pennsylvnia Farm Vacation Association, Inc.
http://www.pafarmstay.com
Co-Presenters
Marcy Tudor
Pennsylvania Farm Vacation Association, Inc.
The Pennsylvania Farm Vacation provides a win/win situation. It provides women on the farm the opportunity to have more income from farm vacation guests , while providing city women (and their families) the opportunity learn more about life on the farm.
Since it was founded in 1963, PFVA has provided a networking opportunity for farm women across the state. It has also gives them the opportunity to market their farm vacation to interested city slickers.
With many types of farm income at an all-time low, the opportunity to raise additional income through a farm vacation has never been more important. But it is about more than money, farm women and their families get to expand their horizons by meeting folks from all over world.
With a website on-line since 1997, an association brochure, presence at trade shows and press releases, PFVA markets the member farms in a way that they individually wouldn’t be able to do.
With semi-yearly meetings, PFVA also provides farm women the opportunity to talk with one another. Farm vacations provide a unique experience – and unique challenges, so the networking is an invaluable tool for Pennsylvania’s farm women.
PFVA is a volunteer based organization. Through volunteer hours, its members do much more marketing and networking than the association’s $5000 dues would indicate. Action steps are assigned and reviewed at each meeting to make the association more effective. The association occasionally has guest speakers to broaden members perspectives in issues as wide ranging as insurance and grant opportunities.
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Inn Side Look at B&B
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Addressing Injury Prevention in Agriculture - Can You Make a Difference |
30 Minute Breakouts |
Ron Jester, rcjester@udel.edu
University of Delaware / NIOSH Ag Center
http://www.rec.udel.edu
Agriculture is the most hazardous industry in the United States. Last year there were over 651 fatalities and over 240 disabling injuries per day. This makes farming twice as dangerous as construction and more than six times more hazardous than the average industry. It is a well known fact the more children die on farms than in any other workplace.
What can be done to reduce injuries on farms and more importantly can Women in Agriculture make a difference?
This presentation will define the magnitude of the problem, types of injuries in agriculture, discuss accident causation, establish some programming priorities, provide some case scenarios of successful programs implemented by women, and explore resources to support leadership efforts of women in agriculture to address these issues.
There is no question that the role of women has been and can continue to be significant in reducing injuries on farms. This presentation will challenge you to continue providing leadership in injury prevention program in agriculture and provide tools and resources to assure your success.
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Ag Decisions- Tying the Pieces Together |
30 Minute Breakouts |
Camie Janikowski, camie.janikowski@nd.nacdnet.net
Bowman-Slope Soil Conservation District
Co-Presenters
Andrea Bowman
Bowman County NDSU Extension
The Agriculture Decisions- Tying the Pieces Together Project was a series of workshops and programs based off of the Marketing Club concept by getting a group to meet regularly and have ownership in the agenda. This project resulted from requests from our Annie’s Project participants and their families.
A wide variety of risk management subjects were covered through this project period including: Estate Planning & Farm Transfer, Family Business Communications, Rangeland Management, Global Economies and Marketing, Speaking-up for Agriculture, and Management Strategies to Decrease Fertilizer Costs.
This presentation will address how to involve producers in planning an educational agenda and how to give them ownership in the project. We feel it is important to include all members of an operation in these educational opportunities, therefore we took extra measures to include spouses and all generations involved. This project accommodated a variety of producers and operations through risk management education.
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Ag Decisions~ Tying the Pieces Together
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Beginning Women Farmers |
30 Minute Breakouts |
Mary Ahearn, mahearn@ers.usda.gov
Economic Research Service
USDA has several programs designed to support beginning farmers and ranchers (BFRs), and these have expanded under the 2008 Act to address public policy concerns about the availability of safe and affordable food and barriers to entry into farming.
As is true with established farmers, the majority of beginning farmers are white, nonHispanic, and male. However, compared to established farmers, beginning farmers are generally more diverse. Beginning farmers also operate smaller farms than established farmers and are engaged in different specializations. Consequently, they face somewhat different challenges in managing their risks.
More than 40 percent of farms in the U.S. have at least one operator who is a woman but about one-quarter of those farms have principal operators who are women. Women farmers in this presentation will include those who self-identify as the principal operator of their farm or ranch and those that indicate that they are operators, but not the principal operator of the business.
The purpose of this presentation will be to describe how beginning women farmers differ from beginning male farmers in terms of their financial performance and risk management strategies, including debt loads, land tenure, management of the farm, off-farm work, marketing strategies, and participation in government programs. This presentation will build on a 2009 ERS report (i.e., Beginning Farmers and Ranchers) and additional analysis by the author using USDA´s national survey of farmers, the Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS).
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Ahearn_US Women in Ag
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Building Strategic Partnerships with Women in Agriculture |
30 Minute Breakouts |
Melissa Klein, klein@ntc.edu
Northcentral Technical College
http://www.ntc.edu
This presentation will be on how to build partnerships with the women in your area to continue to help agriculture thrive in the future. Attendees will learn how to find these women and get them involved. The women I work with have been successful at implementing an agriculture promotion group in the county. They coordinate the annual June Dairy Breakfast for 3,000 people and create an interactive agriculture education tent at one of the largest county fairs in the state. This group of women began the idea of working with the technical college to create a hand on learning lab farm for students studying agriculture programs. It will also be an outreach for the community to see how a working farm operates. Currently we are in the last stages of getting the initiative completed. Not only will this sustain the educational component at the college, but also will continue to draw the interest of individuals into a related career and provide an overall understanding and appreciation of the industry. Attendees will find out the key to success and how women have a unique opportunity to connect with individuals both inside and outside of the industry.
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Presentation
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Challenges and Opportunities in teaching Crop Insurance |
30 Minute Breakouts |
Sudeep Mathew, samathew@umd.edu
University of Maryland Extension
http://www.dorchester.umd.edu
Crop Insurance is the primary risk management tool to protect farmers against unforeseen losses from natural disasters thereby increasing the viability of farming. Two major USDA agencies, RMA (Risk Management Agency) and FSA (Farm Service Agency) manage the programs where RMA alone covers policies for more than 100 crops. Also there is a crop insurance industry that facilitates the programs and is the key link between farmers and the federal safety net for agriculture. All this make crop insurance one of the most complex services which the clientele has to deal with. So there is an enormous need to educate the stake holders about functionality and applicability of these programs. 2008 Farm Bill changed farm risk management to an entirely different level by introducing two new major programs which has direct relationship with crop insurance. Between different farm programs, premium, coverage levels, subsidies and administrative costs, the process and programs are difficult to digest to make right choices. The presentation will discuss about the experience the educator faced while teaching and conducting crop insurance outreach programs in Maryland.
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Delivering Risk Management Education Electronically |
30 Minute Breakouts |
Willie Huot, willie.huot@ndsu.edu
NDSU Extension Service
North Dakota’s low population density and distance between larger communities makes distance-learning opportunities a desirable alternative for many residents. The state also has an interactive television network capable of reaching audiences in nearly every community with a K – 12 educational systems. The population distribution, combined with the interactive television infrastructure, makes distance learning education well suited for many communities throughout the state.
Utilizing this technology has been vital in the delivery of risk management education. Since January 2006, over 875 farm/ ranch women have participated in Annie’s project in 32 communities throughout the state.
The state project coordinator works closely with extension field staff, specialists and network administrators to schedule and deliver parts of the sessions electronically. Local experts are identified at each location to present information supporting/supplementing the specialists’ presentations. All sessions focus on agricultural risks.
The success with Annie’s Project lead to the implementation of two Women In Ag conferences conducted in March 2009, with two more scheduled for March 2010. These conferences focus on key topics of risk management education identified by Annie’s Project participants. Overall evaluations from participants of these educational programs rank 4.7 on a scale of 5 (highest) to 1 (lowest) with most indicating they plan to become more involved in the business of their operations as a result of these sessions.
This technology, combined with the development and maintenance of a dedicated website:
http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/anniesproject/ has been vital to the planning and implementation of both Annie’s Project and the Women In Ag conferences.
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Materials
Electronic Delivery of Risk Management Education in North Dakota
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Developing and Sustaining a Women in Agriculture Conference |
30 Minute Breakouts |
Megan Voss, mvoss2@unl.edu
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Department of Agricultural Economics
http://wia.unl.edu
2010 brings the 25th year for Nebraska’s Women in Agriculture (WIA) Conference. This conference is statewide and has been a model for many other conferences to follow. This conference is designed and committed to providing opportunities for all participants to develop management skills in every facet of agriculture by providing leadership, learning support, and networking avenues. Conference topics include the 5 areas of risk management, lifestyle topics, funshops and many other things! The WIA Conference also provides the opportunity for friendships to develop, a safe learning environment, a relaxing atmosphere where they are pampered and access to experts where they can ask questions as they learn. This presentation will share conference design, highlights, evaluation data and tips on maintaining a long-lasting tradition.
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Developing and Sustaining a Women in Agriculture Conference, Megan Voss
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Entrepreneurship Center for Women in Puerto Rico’s Agriculture: Years 1 and 2 |
30 Minute Breakouts |
Gladys M. González-Martínez, gladys.gonzalez7@upr.edu
University of Puerto Rico
http://agricultura.uprm.edu/ima/
A program designed with the training needs and cultural realities of women in Puerto Rico´s agriculture has been offered by University of Puerto Rico’s Agricultural Extension Service through a SRRMEC Grant and sponsorship of other public and non- government organizations. With the mission to empower women to contribute to Puerto Rico’s economic development, it started impacting two groups of females of approximately 20 each, one from four municipalities located in the Island’s central mountain range and another from the southwestern region. The topics covered include business management, with emphasis in agricultubusiness risk management as well as self-esteem enhancement activities. Participants are expected to complete a two part sequence: basic and advanced courses. The program has also served as a paradigm shift for UPRs AES educational program due to its transdisciplinary and inclusive nature. Participants are invited by field extension agents from participating offices. Since the second year, the Center has been receiving requests from women who want to participate, making groups bigger than the numbers anticipated and increasing the need to form additional groups. In year 2, twenty four female participants of 4-H and FFA organizations, under mentorship of female extension field agents and agricultural education teachers, respectively, developed an agri-business plan. An unexpected outcome of the program has been the interest shown by regional and Island-wide press, radio, television and newspapers, to cover activities and interview participants. Over 120 women trained by the Center since its inception have experienced transformations in personal, family and business aspects.
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Presentation
Baltimore 2010 Presentation
Baltimore 2010 Presentation
Baltimore 2010 presentation
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Extending the Grazing Season with Unconventional Forages to Reduce Livestock Feeding Costs and Minimize Economic Farm Risks
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30 Minute Breakouts |
Christi Falen, cfalen@uidaho.edu
University of Idaho Extension
Co-Presenters
Laura Sluder, Blue Sage Farm;
Wilson Gray and Glenn Shewmaker, University of Idaho Extension
Modified enterprise budgets and FINPACK were utilized as planning and evaluation tools for managing economic and production risks for Blue Sage Farm, a lamb meat and as of 2009 a sheep dairy operation.
Feed costs are the single greatest expense of livestock operations. Rising feed costs have had a powerful negative financial impact. By planting unconventional forages such as teff, pearl-millet, turnips, turnips/oats, and awnless winter wheat in a Management intensive Grazing (MiG) system owner-operator Laura Sluder could extend the grazing season, reduce dependence on alfalfa hay and decrease feeding costs. Unconventional annual forages also reduced irrigation water requirements compared to alfalfa production.
Perennial pastures of low productivity due to weeds and less desirable forage species were selected for planting the unconventional annual forages. After 1 – 2 years of these annuals she plans to transition back to productive, species diverse, perennial pastures. Cost savings were calculated based on days of grazing season extension multiplied by current hay prices each year. Nutritional feed values of the unconventional forages were compared to alfalfa hay because of uniform pricing and quality standards maintained for hay. To quantify the economic risks and benefits of forage decisions, the feed values of forages in their conventional form and in less common harvesting or storage situations were monitored, such as for stockpiled fall and winter feed.
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Materials
BlueSageFarm Extended Grazing Postcard.pdf
Falen 2010 National Ag Conf - Extended Grazing 2.pptx
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Help Build Disaster Resilient Farm Communities |
30 Minute Breakouts |
Pamela King, pking@umd.edu
University of Maryland Extension
Co-Presenters
David Filson, Pennsylvania State University Extension
Virginia Morgan, Alabama Cooperative Extension System
Fire is one of the most common farm emergencies. But how many farms are well prepared to respond? What would happen if foot and mouth disease were found on a local farm? The impact of emergencies and disasters such as these is felt throughout the community. Do you know what to do to help farm families and communities cope? According to the Institute for Business and Home Safety, about 25% of businesses do not reopen following a major emergency. As educators, you need to understand the potential economic and social impacts of a breach in farm security so that you can help your clients become better prepared and more resilient in the face of the unthinkable.
Emergency preparedness is essential to agricultural risk management education. Being prepared for emergencies or disaster helps farm families effectively manage the financial, production, marketing, legal, and human resource risks associated with their agribusinesses. Many women are concerned about safety for their families and businesses and are a responsive audience for disaster education.
Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) and eXtension offer educational tools that you can use to help producers and their families develop agrosecurity farm plans. Attend this session to learn about these tools and how to access them. You will also learn how you can contribute to the development of additional resources.
When disaster strikes your community will you and your clients be prepared?
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Build Disaster Resilient Farm Communities
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Introduction to AgTransitions, an Online Farm and Ranch Transition Planning Tool |
30 Minute Breakouts |
Dale Nordquist, dnord@umn.edu
Center for Farm Financial Management, University of Minnesota
http://www.cffm.umn.edu
Thousands of farm and ranch families throughout the country are facing major succession issues. Increasing numbers of educators are delivering farm transition planning programs. However, follow-up with individual families is a major challenge. AgTransitions is a new online tool that provides a means for farm and ranch families to develop a written transition plan on the web. Developed by the Center for Farm Financial Management and a team of nationally known educators with extensive knowledge and experience in farm succession planning, AgTransitions is a companion product built on the same framework as the AgPlan business planning tool. It provides users with a built in “curriculum” in the form of an outline for sections that might be included in a plan, tips for each section, web resources, and worksheets. Most importantly, it allows the family members to communicate with reviewers as they develop their plan. AgTransitions is not intended to replace farm succession planning workshops. Rather, it provides a means to deliver them more efficiently and to provide ongoing interaction between producers and educators.
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Introduction to AgTransitions, An Online Farm and Ranch Transition Planning Tool
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Let´s Talk About Who Gets the Farm Before It´s Too Late |
30 Minute Breakouts |
Suzann Knight, suzann.knight@unh.edu
University of New Hampshire Extension
Co-Presenters
Katherine Fredette, University of New Hampshire Extension
Estate planning is a difficult topic to discuss within families and particularly hard for farm families due to the eventual transfer of the farm. Learn how to start the discussion in a family and how to keep it going so that estate planning and farm succession planning can become a reality. Farm families gain value by learning from their own as well as professionals. Watch New Hampshire farm families talk about the process that each of their families took. The farm families share the goals they wanted to achieve, the process taken from family discussions to legal documentation, the outside resources they used and how they overcame their biggest hurdle during the planning. The stories of 3 farm families are divided into multiple 6 minute segments for viewing on the web or use in a workshop. These stories can be used as discussion starters with farm families on their own or with a professional either during a workshop or during follow-up with the family.
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Materials
Let's Talk About Who Gets The Farm Before It's Too Late PowerPoint
Let's Talk About Who Gets the Farm Before It's Too Late Handout
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Linking New and Experienced Women Farmers: Pennsylvania Women´s Agricultural Network |
30 Minute Breakouts |
Carolyn Sachs, csachs@psu.edu
Penn State University
Co-Presenters
Kathy Brasier, Penn State University
Linda Moist, Penn State University
Farmer to be determined
The Pennsylvania Women’s Agricultural Network is developing new educational efforts to link new and beginning women farmers with experienced women farmers. Our efforts focus on meeting the expressed educational needs of new and beginning women farmers and supporting the development of networks through which new and beginning women farmers can gain technical information, business collaboration, and social support. In this presentation, we discuss the findings of our research on the educational needs of women farmers. We also discuss our four new initiatives for educational programs for and with women farmers. First, we are developing on-farm, hands-on, and participatory educational events for new and beginning farmers focused in three areas: business planning and marketing; sustainable production practices and value-added processing; and stewardship of air, land and water resources. Second, we are developing interactive on-line curriculum in the three focus areas, illustrated and supported by examples from the project’s educational events, as well as creating “virtual learning communities” related to the event topics. Third, we are building the mentoring capacity of regional leaders to strengthen networks between experienced and new and beginning farmers, and to facilitate the development of local mentoring relationships. Finally, to create a long-term sustainable educational network for women farmers, we are enhancing partnerships with non-governmental and governmental organizations to deliver educational programs and enhance information access for new and beginning farmers into the future.
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Planning the Future of Your Farm: A Workbook Supporting Farm Transfer Decisions |
30 Minute Breakouts |
Andrew Branan, abranan@gmail.com
North Carolina Farm Transition Network
http://www.ncftn.org
This presentation will overview an innovative process for helping families deal with the difficult decisions related to farm transfer, from initiating the discussion process with the family, through resource assessment, through ultimate decision-making on transfer agreements. NCFTN partners with organizations like Cooperative Extension and non-profit and community-based organizations across the Southeast to develop custom education formats designed to help families reach consensus on important transfer issues. Copies of the 2d edition of the workbook Planning the Future of Your Farm: A Workbook Supporting Farm Transfer Decisions will be available for participants at the conference. This effort is supported by a broad collaborative infrastructure designed to engage landowners (often widows and female heirs) of farmland in an effort to find land access opportunity for beginning farmers. The primary presenter, Andrew Branan, helped lead a pre-conference at a previous conference in Oklahoma City on legal risk management.
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Planning the Future of Your Farm
Planning the Future of Your Farm presentation
Branan Planning the Future of Your Farm
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Risk Management for Producers in the 21st Century |
30 Minute Breakouts |
Michael Roberts, mrob@vt.edu
Virginia Tech University
http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/news/roberts-report.html
The Rural Prosperity Risk Management Initiative was designed to deliver timely and relevant risk management information to producers, Extension educators, and agricultural community influencers consisting of lenders, input dealers, and agricultural commodity processors so producers could make sound risk management decisions; Extension educators and Ag. Influencers could help clients make good business decisions; and extremely limited Extension program delivery resources could be better leveraged.
Changing commodity fundamentals, large speculative influences, and higher input costs have producers, extension educators and agricultural community influencers scrambling for ways to increase agricultural prosperity. Beginning in 2006, this project utilized the internet and other interactive communication tools to bring risk management education to participants. Remote and on-site presentations were made by agricultural economists and experts from many U.S. states and foreign countries. Remote presentations were fully interactive with presenters in real time. Presenters included Extension specialists from land grant Universities, the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Virginia, and other experts from the U.S., South America, and France. Evaluations via survey, focus groups, and personal contact show that the majority of participants are very accepting of this type of extension program delivery method. Over 46,967 producers, educators, and various officials from 41 states and 19 countries participated in the last workshop series alone. Over 1,500 prodcuers have attended one or more workshops. A live streaming video component was added to target women and other business managers so field and livestock chores would not go un-worked. To date, savings in speaker travel costs are just over $281,905.00. Participants surveyed reported increased net profits in excess of $5,166,099.31 as a direct result of attending one or more of the seminars.
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Materials
Mike Roberts_Risk Management Education for Producers in the 21st Century
Mike Roberts_Horse Video that may needed to be re-inserted into presentation on the second slide for it to work
Mike Roberts_We all need help pulling the wagon sometimes video that may needed to be reinserted into the presentation on the next to last slide for it to work
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Sustainable Annie’s Systems in South Dakota for Years to Come (SASSY) |
30 Minute Breakouts |
Robin Salverson, robin.salverson@sdstate.edu
South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service
Co-Presenters
Adele Harty
South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service
Women that participated in Annie’s Project expressed strong desires to continue learning and networking. To continue the enthusiasm, a project was created that focused on developing self-driven, sustainable learning communities that empowered women to take action with their families called Sustainable Annie’s Systems in South Dakota for Years to Come or more commonly referred to as SASSY. Site coordinators worked with existing Annie’s Projects throughout South Dakota to help them become sustainable learning communities. Because women are dedicated to their families, communities and operations their lives are busy, therefore, to help with participation the women determined the structure of the program. A complete curriculum was developed focused on finding balance between the individual and the agricultural operation, marketing, understanding financial documents, implementing record keeping, and future planning.
Henry Ford said “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” Therefore, the second part of SASSY is a planned 2 day Family Business Workshop that focuses on bringing the family unit together working through Sustaining the Legacy workbook. Families will leave the workshop with working documents to help with management and wealth transfer planning of their ranch. Annie’s Project has proven to be a successful program in South Dakota, the question was how do we continue the learning and networking that women value? The continued relationship has been rewarding but challenges still occur.
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South Dakota SASSY Presentation Salverson/Harty
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Tool Time Grain Marketing Workshops |
30 Minute Breakouts |
John Berry, jwb15@psu.edu
Penn State Cooperative Extension
http://www.cffm.umn.edu/wtg
Co-Presenters
Ed Usset, University of Minnesota
usset001@umn.edu
Bob Craven, University of Minnesota
rcraven@umn.edu
To assist agriculture producers interested in improving their grain marketing skills, the University of Minnesota Center for Farm Financial Management developed the Winning the Game series. These workshops simulate real-life grain marketing decisions, enabling farmers to practice marketing without the risk of losing actual money. During the three-hour programs, participants put their marketing skills to work, making grain-marketing decisions based on actual market information.
In response to participants stating – “I want to learn more about the pricing tools are available to grain marketers!” The Tool Time workshops were developed. The Tool Time workshop also simulates real-life grain-marketing decisions, enabling farmers to practice marketing without the risk of losing actual money. Tool Time continues building on the highly successful Winning the Game series. During the 3 1/2-hour program, participants put their marketing expertise to work, making grain-marketing decisions based on actual market information.
Starting your pre-harvest marketing plan can be a challenge. This workshop is filled with practical, easy-to-execute advice to help farmers secure a good average price for their crop. In this workshop, we give farmers an opportunity to develop a marketing plan and practice its implementation, using actual daily market prices.
This session will introduce this new educational opportunity for women farmers, review the workshop agenda and give people a sense of the material covered. The co-presenters will share perspectives gained from delivering these workshops across several states.
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Presentation
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Transferring the Farm and Creating a Retirement “Paycheck” from Farm Income and Assets |
30 Minute Breakouts |
Robin Brumfield, brumfield@aesop.rutgers.edu
Rutgers Cooperative Extension
http:// http://aesop.rutgers.edu/~farmmgmt
Co-Presenters
Barbara O’Neill, Stephen Komar, Robert Mickel
We created an on-line guidebook that contains 10 modules about topics related to retirement planning for farm households. The topics were indicated as areas of concern by two focus groups of farmers above age 50 in New Jersey during the summer of 2008. While many farmers never plan to retire, our goals were to help farmers generate adequate retirement income (i.e., helping farmers make their businesses more profitable so they earn more money to save for retirement) and to create a retirement “paycheck” (i.e., helping farmers convert illiquid assets into cash and plan sustainable asset withdrawals so that savings lasts a lifetime). The overall objective of the modules is to increase the financial security of farmers in later life. Along with investment asset allocation and prudent retirement asset withdrawals to reduce the risk of outliving one’s assets, crop insurance is presented as a risk management and wealth accumulation technique. Like all older workers facing retirement within the next 15 years, many farmers are also making up for lost time and need to learn strategies to jumpstart their savings. Some of the modules are new while others link to other websites and do not “reinvent the wheel.”
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Materials
Women in Ag Conference-Brumfield & O'Neill-03-10.ppt
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Women Marketing Grain & Livestock |
30 Minute Breakouts |
Karisha Devlin, devlink@missouri.edu
University of Missouri Extension
Co-Presenters
Mary Sobba, University of Missouri Extension
This twelve hour (four sessions) course was developed to teach marketing fundamentals to Missouri farmwomen. The major topics of the course include futures, options, cash contracts, marketing strategies, livestock marketing, historical trends, fundamental outlook, and using crop insurance as a tool. In addition, the participants develop a marketing plan for their farm business. Class evaluations show a great interest in continuing learning about marketing. As a result, some participants have furthered their education by taking a field trip to tour the CME Group (Chicago Board of Trade/Chicago Mercantile Exchange) to see firsthand how the future markets operate day to day.
In 2006, a team of University of Missouri Extension Agriculture Business Specialists developed the Women Marketing Grain & Livestock curriculum. The curriculum was designed to be adaptable according to the prevalent type of agriculture in the local area. Therefore, some classes devote two sessions to livestock marketing and other classes spend two sessions on grain marketing. The course has been taught both in a traditional classroom setting as well as via interactive television. The course is evaluated by beginning and ending class surveys, which were developed by the curriculum team. Last year, the curriculum was updated to reflect the needs of the participants.
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Materials
Women Marketing Grain Livestock Handout
Woman Marketing Grain & Livestock Presentation
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60 Minute Breakouts60 Minute Breakouts |
Adapting the highly successful Annie´s Project to diverse east coast farm comunities. |
60 Minute Breakouts |
John Berry, johnberry@psu.edu
PSU Cooperative Extension
http://agmarketing.extension.psu.edu
Co-Presenters
Winifred McGee
PSU Cooperative Extension
PA- Annie´s Project
Different, helpful, and inclusive are all fitting adjectives describing Annie’s Project. Originally developed by University of Illinois to assist mid-west farm women, the reach of this curriculum was broadened when a team of Penn State Educators adapted the materials to more closely fit the needs of Northeastern and Mid Atlantic farmers. PA-Annie’s Project introduces a set of tools and strategies that can be used to proactively lessen the effects of risk on farms and enhance female farmer capacity to make critical decisions that are right for their respective farms.
The program includes a lot of hands-on activities and storytelling, as opposed to other programs, which may depend largely on lecture. In this way, it creates the desired student-helping-student environment. One of the most important outcomes of this program is the women’s realization that taking risks is not always a bad thing. If the research is conducted, and the tools selected are managed effectively, positive growth and diversification can occur. From the first week of this six-session workshop, PA-Annie’s Project focuses on being comfortable with taking certain risks. Throughout the sessions, each farmer is challenged to develop her own plan for growth and change, in order to manage their farms in a more confident way.
This session will describe this newest version of the historically successful Annie’s Project as the PA-Annie’s Project curriculum and support materials are now available for use by others.
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Materials
Adapting the highly successful Annie's Project to diverse east coast farm communities
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American Agri-Women Outreach Program - Farm Women Helping Farm Women Manage Risk |
60 Minute Breakouts |
Christina Wilson, president@americanagriwomen.org
American Agri-Women
http://americanagriwomen.org
Co-Presenters
Chris Wilson, American Agri-Women
American Agri-Women is the national coalition of farm, ranch and agribusiness women with 55 state and commodity affiliate organizations nationwide. We propose a session at the Women in Agriculture Educators Conference which would relate how this organization is working with agencies and universities to provide peer-to-peer educational resources for farm, ranch and agribusiness women.
Through a USDA RMA Outreach Grant, and working with Extension and land grant communications facilities, AAW has produced a weekly half-hour national television program to reach farm women throughout the country with education regarding a wide range of risk management topics. In each program, there is a segment featuring an interview with an expert on that week´s topic, followed by an interview on the farm with a farm woman who is applying what is learned on that topic. This session would describe the tools AAW is using to assist members and other farm women, including live webinars and networking through the internet.
This session would describe the television series and tools available to farm women through the series programming. Clips from the show will be featured. In addition to the television series, the content will be provided through the internet in several ways. This session would also relate other ways farm and ranch women are using to network and share information, including social media.
In addition, this session would provide information about AAW´s outreach to women in agriculture in Canada and Mexico and about a joint conference planned to be held in Canada in October 2010.
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Materials
American AgriWomen Power Point Presentation
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Average Crop Revenue Election Education Program |
60 Minute Breakouts |
Ron Haugen, ronald.haugen@ndsu.edu
North Dakota State University Extension Service
http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/extension
Co-Presenters
Andy Swenson or Dwight Aakre (if available), NDSU Extension Service
Average Crop Revenue Election Education Program
By Ron Haugen, Andy Swenson and Dwight Aakre, North Dakota State University Extension Service.
The 2009 Farm Bill provided an Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE). By electing this provision, producers agree to give up 20 percent of direct payments, all countercyclical payment and have 30 percent reduction in loan rates. They are also locked into the election for the length of the Farm Bill to 2012.
North Dakota State University Extension Service provided an educational effort for producers during the 2009 winter season.
Approximately 30 workshops were held in various locations and venues across the state.
The focus of the workshops was to help producers decide whether or not to elect to enter the ACRE program. It is key risk management decision for the producer.
The workshops included an outline of the rules and stipulation of the program.
Software was developed employing an Excel spreadsheet as a decision tool. The software was demonstrated and hands-on examples were used in several workshops. The software was available for download on the NDSU Extension website.
Producers can elect to sign up for ACRE any subsequent years of the farm bill, so this topic is current and ongoing.
The presentation to the National Women in Agriculture Educators Conference would include an overview of the ACRE stipulations and a demonstration of the software. Educators could use the information and adapt it to their own region.
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Materials
ACRE Analyzer
ACRE Education
ACRE Fact Sheet
ACRE Overview
ACRE Update
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Cattle Backgrounding Marketing Game |
60 Minute Breakouts |
Stacy Hadrick, stacy.hadrick@sdstate.edu
South Dakota Coopertive Extension Service
The Cattle Backgrounding Marketing Game was developed as part of the South Dakota Annie’s Project curriculum. The program was created to help the women better understand what needed to be considered when making decisions about background their calves or selling them in the fall. Many producers do not take an active role in marketing their livestock and often don’t consider all angles before making marketing decisions. This program focuses on discussing the market indicators and takes the participants through a simulated activity of backgrounding calves. The activity has women follow a set marketing plan for the months of October- March that provides them the opportunity to go through the process of marketing livestock by using different tools in a simulated environment. The simulation is based on actual numbers.
This workshop has been utilized in the SASSY (Annie’s Project 2) curriculum in locations throughout South Dakota and has been very successful in stimulating conversation. Utilizing the marketing plan with the game adds another component that helps the women understand how to create and use marketing plans. We have had success in women creating marketing plans for their operations after they participate in the simulation.
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Materials
Cattle Backgrounding Game Powerpoint
Cattle Backgrounding Game Worksheet
Cattle Backgrounding Game Sample #1 Marketing Plan
Cattle Backgrounding Game Backgrounding Livestock Risk Protection Sheet
Cattle Backgrounding Game Sample #2 Marketing Plan
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Communicating With Family Members About Farm Transfer Planning |
60 Minute Breakouts |
Crystal Terhune, crystalt@umd.edu
University of Maryland Extension
http://www.agnr.umd.edu
Behind many aspects of farm transfer planning, people are faced with difficult decisions that are often overshadowed by the complexity of family dynamics, tensions related to estate planning decisions, and the difficult task of knowing how to start conversations about transfer plans. This curriculum was originally developed as part of a full-day statewide estate planning workshop funded by a grant from the Northeast Center for Risk Management Education. Since 2006, the curriculum has been used both as a part of larger educational workshops and as a stand-alone program for various agricultural audiences, including those at regional Annie’s Project sites, Farm Bureau audiences, and at the East Regional Women in Ag Conference.
The curriculum introduces participants to basic communication styles and approaches that can be used to facilitate dialogue among family members. Emphasis is also placed on resources that can be accessed to make communication more comfortable and effective. These resources include information about mediation programs, fact sheets to guide participants through specific aspects of talking with others about farm transfer planning, and handouts pointing them to trusted online sources of information. The curriculum can easily be adapted by educators and agricultural professionals to highlight locally available resources relevant to their target audiences.
After participation in the workshop, initial evaluations indicated that 70% stated an intent to identify farm transfer goals “often” or “always” (opposed to 100% indicating that they “sometimes” or “rarely” identified such goals prior to the workshop). This program could be shared with professionals in a thirty-minute session, a sixty-minute session, or in the format of a poster session.
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Materials
A List of Resources for Retirement and Farm Transfer
Know Your Conflict Management Style
Notes From the Family Meeting
Preparing to Transfer the Farm Business- UMN
Talking and Planning With Your Family-- Falloon and Hastings
What Are My Highest Values?
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Employee Turnover: Symptom or Disease? |
60 Minute Breakouts |
Chuck Schwartau, cschwart@umn.edu
University of Minnesota Extension
http://www.extension.umn.edu/capacity/afe/components/staffpage.asp?ID=32
In most businesses, some employee turnover is inevitable. It is generally accepted as part of being in business. What is not as well understood are the causes of turnover and whether employee turnover is the problem itself, or only the result (symptom) of something else that is causing the turnover.
Research has measured ten primary causes of employee dissatisfaction that eventually lead to employee turnover. The same research show employers have a different perception of why employees leave. It is often believed that employees leave because they are able to earn more from another employer. Research has shown, however, that compensation is not the main reason employees leave a job. There are interpersonal factors that often rank higher as reasons for leaving one job to take another.
There are many positive actions employers can take to minimize employee turnover. Among them are:
• Hire right in the first place!
• Training
• Orientation
• Personal contact
• Positive feedback
• Opportunity for personal and professional growth
• Support some outside activities
• Family and cultural considerations
• Recognition
• Flexibility in work schedules
• Employee engagement
These actions can often be low cost items to the business, but do require employer/managers to invest some of themselves in the process of spending time with the workforce.
A managerial investment of time and understanding can save the cost of replacing employees, which may easily have a cost to the business of 1 ½ to 2 times the compensation of a lost employee.
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Materials
Employee Turnover -- Symptom or Disease?
Employee Turnover:Symptom or Disease
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Empowering Women Through the Locally Grown Food Movement |
60 Minute Breakouts |
Jennifer Williams, JOWilliams@mail.wvu.edu
West Virginia University Extension Service
Co-Presenters
Brandy Brabham
West Virginia University Extension Service
Agriculturalists battle daily to increase awareness and promote positive images for the production of food and fiber. As Americans become further and further removed from their food supplies, there is a growing notion that food comes from the shelf of the local grocery store or a fast food chain. Locally grown food systems provide opportunities for small farmers, especially women, to change the tide of that sentiment. A fundamental shift is occurring in American agriculture. With concerns about food safety, consumers want to know where their food is coming from and who is producing it. As a result, we are seeing a movement from a commodity based food system to a more sustainable locally grown one. This shift enhances the power of women to compete on a smaller, more viable scale. Opportunities abound for a strong educational outreach program that encourages and empowers women to take advantage of the transformational changes in the thought process of our citizens.
This workshop will explore ways in which women can compete successfully on a local level to capture a sizable share of the food dollar. This can be done through the use of crop diversification, season extension production methods, value-added specialty crop production and a variety of other unique and sustainable production, management, and marketing methods. It will also address how to build a strong network of educational resources to promote success and draw important knowledge and expertise.
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Materials
Empowering Women Presentation
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Expanding Annie´s Project In The Northeastern States |
60 Minute Breakouts |
Madeline Schultz, schultz@iastate.edu
Iowa State University Extension
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/annie
Co-Presenters
Shannon Dill, Extension Educator, University of Maryland
Jennifer Rhodes, Extension Educator, University of Maryland
Bob Wells, Field Ag Economist, Iowa State University Extension
Guest Speakers from past Maryland Annie´s Project Classes
Annie’s Project is a teaching methodology that helps bring financial security and well being to women in rural communities where food, fiber, and fuel production are synonymous with family. The first Annie’s Project class was taught in 2003 by Ruth Hambleton, program founder. Demand for the program grew and with the help of an RMA grant, the Annie’s National Network Initiative for Educational Success (ANNIES) was established in October 2008. Through the ANNIES program at Iowa State University, this national network of educators strives to empower farm women to be better business mangers through networking and by managing and organizing critical information. In this session, Schultz will provide an update on the progress and activity of ANNIES. Dill and Rhodes will discuss their experience implementing Annie’s Project in Maryland, serving 47 women in 2008/2009. With the help of NC-RME funding, they have nine regional class sites planned for Maryland and Delaware in 2010 with a goal of 180 participants. This expansion included 20 collaborators who use a team wiki to improve information sharing and will help facilitate the sites. A highlight of this session will be hearing from Maryland Annie’s Project class participants who will share their classroom experiences and talk about how the classes benefited them. There is a strong demand for Annie’s Project in the Northeast and Wells will explain how ANNIES is helping local educators adapt Annie’s Project to meet the risk management needs of women in the region.
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Materials
RhodesDillAnniesProject
ANNIES Expanding in the Northeast
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Fund your Annie’s Project with a Risk Management Agency Small Sessions Grant |
60 Minute Breakouts |
Heidi Carter, heidic@iastate.edu
Page County Extension, Iowa State University
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/annie
Co-Presenters
Tim Eggers, Iowa State University Extension
Are you tired of asking for small amounts of money for your risk management education programs? Here is a chance to compete for $10,000. In this session you will learn specific steps of how to write a Small Sessions proposal for Annie’s Project. Heidi Carter and Tim Eggers will share their documentation so you too can get “free money from the government.”
Heidi Carter, Page County Extension Director, and Tim Eggers, Iowa State University Extension Field Agricultural Economist, will explain how they tore apart the USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) Small Sessions Request for Applications, examined each section for fit to Annie’s Project, expanded Annie’s Project to capture all possible points, and built a model for future Annie’s Project applications.
The North Central Risk Management Education Center started supporting Annie’s Project with a challenge grant in 2003. At the Annie’s Project Gathering held at the 2008 National Women in Agriculture Risk Management Educators Conference in Oklahoma City, Lydia Astorga, RMA Grants and Agreements Specialist, encouraged Annie’s Project facilitators to write Small Sessions proposals for $10,000.
Carter worked with Eggers to deliver an Annie’s Project in Shenandoah, Iowa, in 2006. As they considered a 2010 Annie’s Project in Page County, Iowa, the RMA Small Sessions opportunity was more attractive than seeking local sponsorship. Carter and Eggers landed the grant, and started the tasks in the Statement of Work on October 1. By March 24 they will have completed 36 hours of Annie’s Project Basic and Level II.
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Materials
How to Win (presentation)
2009 Awardees
2010 Request for Applications
2009 Funded Grant
RME Definitions Handout
Evaluation
Timeline Handout
Priority Commodities Handout
Evaluation Results
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Heart of the Farm: Responding to the Risk Management Needs of Wisconsin Farm Women |
60 Minute Breakouts |
Joy Kirkpatrick, joy.kirkpatrick@ces.uwex.edu
University of Wisconsin Center for Dairy Profitability
http://www.uwex.edu/ces/heartofthefarm/
Heart of the Farm is a risk management education program for Wisconsin farm women. It is organized and delivered by UW-Cooperative Extension and the UW Center for Dairy Profitability. The program began in 2002 and has reached approximately 1,000 women farmers over the past eight years. In 2009 there were six sites and seven one-day conferences. Each site’s agenda is developed locally, with the HOF’s mission and goal in mind: risk management education for improved decision-making, connecting farm women with agriculture resources, and providing networking opportunities. In 2008, 2009 and 2010 HOF was supported by a USDA RMA small session grant. In addition to this funding, collaborations with local ag lenders and the WMMB financially assisted the program. Evaluations are conducted at the end of each conference, and a follow up evaluation is used to measure behavior changes. In 2009, one local planning committee requested a presentation on planning for the loss of a spouse or farming partner. This 50 minute session was well attended and participants requested further information on the topic. In response the Heart of the Farm organizers collaborated with the Winnebago and Outagamie county Extension offices to provide a pilot program, "Planning for the Unexpected Tomorrow". This session will provide participants with the background, development, implementation, and impacts of the Heart of the Farm program in Wisconsin. This session will specifically discuss the agenda for "Planning for the Unexpected Tomorrow" and the impacts and future for this spin-off workshop of Heart of the Farm.
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Materials
HOF Kirkpatrick
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Impact Reporting-Stepping Up to the Challenge |
60 Minute Breakouts |
Bob Wells, wellsjb@iastate.edu
Iowa State University Extension
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/annie
Co-Presenters
Tim Eggers, Field Ag Economist, Iowa State University Extension
Ruth Hambleton, Farm Coach, Annie´s National Leadership Team
Lani McKinney, ANNIES Data Resources, Iowa State University Extension
Madeline Schultz, ANNIES Coordinator, Iowa State University Extension
Few times in our role as extension educators does an idea find its way to national prominence. Yet, Annie’s Project has grown to serve agricultural women in 21 states. The reasons are clear; educational methodology helps educators meet critical participant needs; instills in participants a desire for personal growth, addresses relevant local agricultural production and provides applied risk management tools. Annie’s Project participants become empowered to make management decisions increasing the farm businesses success. As Annie’s Project educators, we see these impacts first hand. However, the Annie’s National Network Initiative for Educational Success (ANNIES) must step up to meet the challenge of quantifying program impacts to improve the program and attract funding; both essential components of meeting future client demands. Evaluating a local program offered just a few times is much different than evaluating a national on-going program. In this session, we share how ANNIES is improving our impact reporting. Since establishing ANNIES in 2008, we reevaluated old data sets in new ways and developed a logic model to guide us and continue using stakeholder meetings to ensure new programs meet local needs. ANNIES worked with NIFA/CSREES to compile data from across the country. We also established a relationship with the ISU Research Institute for Educational Studies seeking third party confirmation and new impact reporting skills. This presentation will explain these methods, share the results and include a facilitated audience-participatory discussion on program evaluation and impact reporting.
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Materials
ANNIES Impact Reporting: Stepping Up to the Challenge
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Intersections of Race and Gender: Supporting Beginning Latina Farmers at Nuestras Raices Farm |
60 Minute Breakouts |
Amy Calandrella, amyc@nuestras-raices.org
Nuestras Raices
http://www.nuestras-raices.org
Co-Presenters
Amy Calandrella, Nuestras Raices
Maria Salgado, Nuestras Raices
Learn about the intersections of race and gender at the Nuestras Raíces beginning farmer training program in Holyoke, MA. Join us in a conversation as we collectively explore the unique opportunities and difficulties of Latina farm businesses.
The Latina residents of Holyoke have a rich agricultural history and heritage, but face considerable barriers in starting a small farm business. In addition to the barriers immigrant farmers face; access to land and capital, training, language, and new markets, they also face the challenge of breaking into a male dominated practice.
In our presentation you will learn about the philosophy of the Nuestras Raíces farmer training program, the particular challenges women in our community face, and our strategies in supporting Latina women to start small farm businesses.
Our presentation format will concentrate on storytelling and collective problem solving. We look forward to sharing our experiences with you, and collectively creating strategies to support Latina women become leaders in agriculture.
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Materials
Not Available |
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It Takes Work to be an Employer |
60 Minute Breakouts |
Chuck Schwartau, cschwart@umn.edu
University of Minnesota Extension
http://www.extension.umn.edu/capacity/afe/components/staffpage.asp?ID=32
As agriculture’s structure changes, more and more farmers find themselves as employers, not just operators. Large farms that employee a relatively large number of people are likely to have someone on their management team responsible for the legal aspects of being an employer. The smaller farms, with only a small number of employees are much more likely to assign the record keeping and reporting to someone in the family, who only deals with the task on a periodic basis. Very often this person is the woman in the family business.
This person deals with the legal, tax and insurance forms only on a periodic basis and for a small number of people. It is easy for them to not know some of the requirements or to forget what must be done to stay on the legal side of the ledger as an employer.
This program has been conducted for Annie’s Project groups and for other agricultural workforce management programs. I highlight the federal requirements for employment eligibility, social security filings, tax reports, new hire reporting, non-discrimination and labor laws. For programs in specific states, I have also included subjects required by their state departments of labor or other relevant divisions.
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Materials
It's Work Being an Employer
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Maryland Poultry Educational Program |
60 Minute Breakouts |
Jennifer Timmons, mdchick@umd.edu
University of Maryland Extension
http://www.mdchick.umd.edu
Co-Presenters
Jennifer Rhodes, University of Maryland Extension
Richard Nottingham, University of Maryland Extension
The number of women in poultry production has increased 26% in the Delmarva region (USDA, 2009). Poultry production accounts for 70% of the total economic value of agriculture in the Delmarva area. The University of Maryland Extension has developed an educational program to assist Maryland’s small flock and commercial poultry growers. A small flock program focused on biosecurity and avian diseases. Over 100 small flock growers have attended a three hour workshop discussing several poultry management topics and an 82 page workshop manual was developed and distributed to workshop participants. This manual is a resource for small flock owners seeking flock management, health, nutrition and processing information. A biosecurity tip sheet and contest to promote changes in biosecurity management practices were also developed for small flock growers in Maryland. In addition, a small flock biosecurity resource website was designed (www.healthybirds.umd.edu). A workshop series for commercial poultry growers included such topics as energy efficiency, environmental regulations, avian diseases, and manure handling. Several publications have also been developed. Some of these publications are Broiler Production for Management for Potential and Existing Growers, Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations Guidelines, Common Energy Hogs of a Poultry House and Preventing Fires in Manure Storage Structures. A website for commercial poultry growers (www.mdchick.umd.edu) provides commercial poultry growers with practical knowledge about poultry production practices. The Maryland Poultry Educational program provides women and their families with educational resources to assist with management decisions so they continue to develop, maintain, and operate economically viable and environmentally responsible poultry operations.
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Materials
Maryland Poultry Educational Program
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Opperating an Inovative and Adaptable Small Scale Farm - A Producer´s Story |
60 Minute Breakouts |
Beth Osmund, cdrvalleyfarm@gmail.com
Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm
http://cedarvalleysustainable.com
Beth and Jody Osmund began Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm seven years ago, moving back to family farm land from the suburbs of Chicago. What began as a 30 member vegetable CSA has evolved into Illinois’ first meat CSA. We now deliver a variety of beef, pork, chicken and eggs to more than 250 members each month.
In my presentation I’ll give the “big picture” of how two new farmers/business owners have created a thriving enterprise that meets several goals: provides sustainably raised meat to a growing member base, helps to promote the success of neighboring farms by working in partnership with other producers, and fully supports our family of five.
I’ll share how along the way we have learned to be marketers, grant writers, employers, mentors, teachers, local food activists and farmers. We’ve learned the value of creating mutually beneficial relationships with many stakeholders. I’ll explain our success in partnering with complementary small businesses as delivery locations.
I have spoken at the Illinois Organic Food Conference , the Great Lakes CSA Conference (Guelph, Ontario, Peoria Illinois IDEA (Initiative for Developing Entrepreneurs in Agriculture) and served as farmer faculty at Michael Fields Agricultural Institute and Stateline Farm Beginnings CRAFT program.
I look forward to relating our story to your audience.
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Materials
Cedar Valley Sustainable -A Producer's Story
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Planting Fresh Seeds: Resources, Opportunities & Inspiration for Women Farmers and Ecopreneurs |
60 Minute Breakouts |
Lisa Kivirist, lisa@innserendipity.com
Rural Women´s Project, Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service (MOSES)
http://www.mosesorganic.org; www.innserendipity.com
Co-Presenters
Lisa Kivirist
Director, Rural Women´s Project
Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service
Bio:
A Kellogg Food and Society Policy Fellow, Lisa Kivirist is co-author of the award-winning book, ECOpreneuring, as well as Rural Renaissance and Edible Earth. A national advocate for rural women’s issues, she directs the MOSES Rural Women’s Project and runs Inn Serendipity Farm and B&B with her family outside Monroe, Wisconsin, completely powered by renewable energy.
RME Focus: Marketing
As the number of women-owned farms and businesses continues to grow, opportunity abounds for women of all backgrounds, ages and interests to craft a livelihood that blends meaning with stewarding the planet and transforming our food system. The Rural Women’s Project, a venture of the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES), supports women-owned organic agriculture ventures through resources and networking opportunities. Come hear the successful case study stories of a variety of women farmers and ecopreneurs as they share their experience and challenges within the sustainable agriculture movement. Business and marketing trends will be discussed, with a particular emphasis on opportunities within the growing green and organic market.
Outline:
• Overview of the growth of women-owned farms and food-based businesses; trends and opportunities within sustainable agriculture.
* Case studies of established women farmers and ecopreneurs, identifying specific resources/grants, challenges and successes each of them faced.
* Present “10 Fresh Idea Seeds”: New perspectives and opportunities for women farmers and ecopreneurs as the women in agriculture movement continues to grow.
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Materials
PresentationPDF
PlantingFreshSeedsHandout
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Quicken and QuickBooks for Farm/Ranch Financial Records |
60 Minute Breakouts |
Damona Doye, damona.doye@okstate.edu
Oklahoma State University
http://agecon.okstate.edu
Co-Presenters
Lori Shipman, OSU Extension Assistant
Quicken is an inexpensive, flexible personal finance software tool that offers many producers an easy-to-use affordable starting place for computerized records, with excellent cash flow features plus investment tracking not offered in other packages. However, an increasing number of producers and agribusiness operators have expressed interest in learning about tools with more business applications and different capabilities than offered within Quicken (some prompted by their accountants). QuickBooks is the dominant off-the-shelf package for small business accounting and is a better tool for agricultural producers who want to create invoices, track accounts payable/receivable and manage payroll. Like Quicken, it is relatively inexpensive compared to customized software and can be adapted for use in a wide variety of agricultural businesses. While Oklahoma State University has offered Quicken step-by-step instructions since 1993, complementary materials are now being developed for Quickbooks for use with agricultural producers in “hands on” workshops and for self-study guides. In this session, Quicken and QuickBooks features and user skill requirements will be compared and contrasted. Available educational resources and plans for training and local workshop offerings will also be discussed.
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Materials
Quicken vs QuickBooks for Farm Financial Records PPT in pdf format
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Reaching aspiring, beginning and direct marketing women farmers through Annie’s Project |
60 Minute Breakouts |
Anne Pfeiffer, anne.pfeiffer@ces.uwex.edu
University of WI Extension-Ag Innovation Center
http://aic.uwex.edu
Building upon the demonstrated success of the Annie’s Project model nation-wide, University of Wisconsin Extension staff adapted the Annie’s Project structure to reach aspiring and beginning Wisconsin farm women planning to manage value-added enterprises through the combination of a six-week course and two conference-based abridged sessions. This adapted curriculum emphasizes business/strategic planning; direct marketing analysis, and production strategies for small scale, value-added enterprises.
In the development of this program, the project team collaborated with current and aspiring value-added sector farm women to develop the curriculum for six, three-hour sessions. These women were key advisors, providing valuable input on the content and delivery needs of beginning value-added farm women.
The program was piloted in Dane County, the county with the most female principal farm operators in Wisconsin. Participants gained the skills they need to analyze business feasibility and prepare a marketing plan, learned the steps to secure financing and learned about grants available for sustainable and value-added enterprises. Participants also learned about the organizational resources available to them as they continue to develop their business plans and farm enterprises.
The project team investigated the best method of facilitating networking among and with the participants after the formal six-week workshops series. The project used a tailored marketing strategy to reach the target audience, much different from the traditional marketing of Extension programs to established commodity farmers. This session will discuss the adapted curriculum and marketing and provide the results from the pilot workshop held in January – February, 2010.
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Materials
ValueAddedAnnies
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Risk Management Programming on the Eastern Shore of Maryland: Identifying needs and using a team approach |
60 Minute Breakouts |
Jennifer Rhodes, jrhodes@umd.edu
University of Maryland Extension
Co-Presenters
Shannon Dill, University of Maryland Extension
John Hall, University of Maryland Extension
Wesley Musser, University of Maryland
Delmarva is known as the corn belt of the East Coast. Large commercial grain farms have formed over the years to feed Delmarva’s poultry industry. Since October 2006 feed grain commodities have experienced great fluctuations and uncertainties. These fluctuations have caused a ripple effect in the agriculture industry including increased crop input prices, rental rate increases, crop insurance audits and major grain marketing decisions. Many farmers have had to reevaluate their budgets, lease agreements, and marketing plans to manage these issues.
Risk management workshops were organized and implemented by a team of educators and specialists on the Eastern Shore because of these economic forces. In the past three years over 20 workshops have been held regionally to over 200 farmers and farm families. Workshops included: Surviving the Risk: A look at crop budgets, communication, lease agreements and more; Grain Marketing; Excel for Farm Businesses; Right Risk; Terrapin Couples Retreat: On the court and in the classroom. The goals of these workshops were to address timely risk management issues including the areas of financial, marketing and production risk.
As a result of the workshops, participant intentions include: 81% creating crop budgets, 77% increasing communication with landlord, 55% reviewing lease agreements, 92% having new resources and 60% writing and implementing a grain marketing plan. In follow up evaluations, participants have also created resumes. Farmers who had Excel training feel more comfortable with it and plan to implement spreadsheets in the next year.
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Materials
Risk Management Programming on the Eastern Shore of Maryland: Identifying needs and using a team approach
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Taking Stock--Developing programs for post-startup women farmers. |
60 Minute Breakouts |
Mary Peabody, Mary.Peabody@uvm.edu
UVM Extension - Women´s Ag Network
http://www.uvm.edu/wagn
Co-Presenters
Beth Holtzman, UVM Extension Women´s Ag Network
As farm businesses grow and mature there are critical decisions that need the attention of the farm team. It is important for farmers to understand these decision points and anticipate them in order to plan effectively. Very often, for women farmers, the timing of these growth decisions comes simultaneously with increasing demands of family, community, and/or off-farm employment demands.
The Women´s Ag Network of Vermont(WAgN-VT)has worked with women farmers to identify the critical decision points in the business development continuum, anticipate personal and professional demands, and develop action strategies that will work best given the farmer´s situation and goals.
To address these issues WAgN-VT has been developing teaching materials that encourage women farmers to map out their progress and their goals and identify where tension will occur.
In this session we will introduce some of the tools that we use and explain some of the opportunities and challenges in helping women farmers plan for their future business success.
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Materials
2010 WIA Taking Stock
Goal Planning
Assessment
History Timeline
Time-Value Matrix
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The Investing for Farm Families Curriculum for Educating Farm Families |
60 Minute Breakouts |
Jason Johnson, JLJOHNSON@tamu.edu
Texas AgriLife Extension Service
Co-Presenters
Bob Wells and Tim Eggers, Iowa State University
Farmers and ranchers have numerous resources to enable them to become more skilled at managing critical decisions regarding their agricultural operations. However, few resources exist that provide the same level of empowerment regarding the interrelated nature of family financial management decisions and farm/ranch business objectives. With the support of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Investor Education Foundation, an innovative team comprised of agricultural economists and family and consumer science experts collaborated to develop a curriculum that integrates these financial management issues. This newly available resource is titled, “Investing for Farm Families.” Among the issues identified addressed in this material that has been missing in previous educational curriculums are: land ownership and its role as a financial asset in family financial plans, the asset allocation implications of an agricultural business, and farm family retirement and estate planning issues.
Investing for Farm Families was designed to provide the education and information needed to help individuals assess their current management plan and target future activities that will advance their objectives. The resulting educational materials, decision aids, and resources are an excellent addition to support the popular Annie´s Project curriculum or can serve as a standalone set of materials for educational programming to anyone with internet access through the National eXtension framework. This presentation will highlight navigation of the course, overview curriculum modules and exercises, and discuss how these resources can be used by educators to assist farm/ranch managers and families.
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Materials
Johnson Investing for Farm Families Curriculum for Educating Farm Families
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90 Minute Professional Development Sessions90 Minute Professional Development Sessions |
Assessing the Costs and Benefits of Participation in Community Farmers Markets |
90 Minute Professional Development Sessions |
Diane Holtaway, holtaway@njaes.rutgers.edu
rutgers Food Innovation Center
http://foodinnovation.rutgers.edu
Co-Presenters
Carol Coren, Business Development Specialist, Rutgers Food Innovation Center
Prompted by the dramatic growth of community farmers markets nationwide, as well as in the state of New Jersey, the Rutgers Food Innovation Center conducted a research study to assess the costs and benefits of directly marketing locally grown and value-added farm products at New Jersey community farmers markets. Additionally, the study was designed to identify best practices to communities and sponsors in establishing and operating a successful community farmers market. This presentation will highlight the learnings from the research and provide educators and women farmers with a means to assess the opportunity and requirements for achieving realistic financial goals. Key topics will include:
• Strengthening Farm Viability through Direct Marketing
• Choosing a Market That’s Right for You: Location and Market Characteristics
• Farm Market Participation: Issues Farmers Need to Consider
• Consumer Purchasing Options: Cash, Credit Cards, Vouchers and EBTs
• Health Regulations and Farm Market Products
• Features of Successful Community Farmers Markets
This quantitative/qualitative study involved a variety of research methodologies, including mail surveys to 170 farmers, 52 personal interviews with community farmers market managers, and two focus groups with 22 New Jersey farmers.
We believe the results of this research will be of great interest and benefit to the participants of the National Women in Agriculture Educators Conference since we have observed a high incidence of women participation in community farmers markets. The material will provide a realistic plan to achieve financial goals utilizing a clear road map to success.
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Materials
Assessing the Costs and Benefits of Participation in Community Farmers Markets
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Generations on the Farm |
90 Minute Professional Development Sessions |
Terry Feinberg, feinberg@illinois.edu
University of Illinois Extension
http://www.extension.illinois.edu
Co-Presenters
Terry Feinberg, Curriculum Lead Developer and Community & Economic Development Educator; Margaret Larson, Curriculum Developer & County Director, University of Illinois Extension
Farmers throughout the nation struggle with issues of legacy, marketing to producers and consumers, and finding that necessary understanding of both their internal and external partners. A significant issue driving these disconnects lies in the generational differences within the family, the community and those farmers need to reach in order to both improve and move their product. Generations on the Farm is a part of the University of Illinois Extension´s dynamic Engaging Generations curriculum and has been well-received by SWC Districts, local and regional Women in Ag organizations and furthers the farmer´s knowledge of how to better plan and work together within the family as well as connecting more robustly with the markets, external partners and, equally important, the farm´s bottom line. This interactive session builds keen knowledge of what the audience needs and how to effectively--and quickly--put that knowledge to work.
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Incorporating Investing for Farm Families into a second level Annie´s Project |
90 Minute Professional Development Sessions |
Ruth Hambleton, ruthhambleton@wildblue.net
Annie´s Project--Education for Farm Women
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/annie
Co-Presenters
Barbara O’Neill, extension specialist in Financial Resource Management
Rutgers Cooperative Extension.
Investing for Farm Families (IFF) is an eXtension on-line education course made possible by a grant from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Investor Education Foundation. The 8-lesson course helps farm families meet their business-specific financial and investing needs and plan for a more financially stable future. Farm families can sign up to take the course through eXtension for free and work at their own pace while taking the course. Underlying the on-line course for farm families is an 11 unit basic investment on-line education course called Investing for Your Future (IFYF) Convenient links have been designed into IFF making it possible for participants to study basic investment principles through IFYF. This 90 minute session will first share the background of IFF, and show how it is linked to IFYF. Secondly, instructors will demonstrate how to enroll in the on-line course IFF and give a brief run through of the website highlighting the main resources gathered for IFF. And finally, instructors will show how Annie’s Project incorporates IFF for second level classes. Second level Annie’s Project classes are designed to focus on a specific subject introduced in the basic level Annie’s Project classes. As women complete a basic level Annie’s Project they request additional classes that are more advanced and focused on a particular subject. Participants in this breakout will learn how the on-line resource IFF can be adapted for "Farm Women and Finances", a second level course for Annie´s Project.
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Materials
Using Investing for Farm Families in a Second Level Annies Project
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Online Investing Education |
90 Minute Professional Development Sessions |
Megan O´Neil-Haight, oneil@umd.edu
The University of Maryland Extension
http://agnr.umd.edu/directory/Bio.cfm?ID=oneil
Co-Presenters
N/A
The topsy turvy financial meltdown has left us confused, frustrated and dowright afraid to invest our harder-than-ever earned money.
There are sometimes silver or gold linings to dark clouds.
The nationwide Cooperative Extension system hosts online tools for beginning investors with only small dollar amounts to invest at any one time. "Basics" are covered such as setting goals, understanding risk, finding money to invest, and laying the foundations of how and why to invest, and describing specific types of investments (e.g., stocks and bonds) in detail, how to select professional financial advisors, and information to help you avoid becoming a victim of investment fraud. There is agreement that it is worth the time to learn about investing and to put your money to work for you.
Interactive online resources and classes give farm families the information they need to make strategic decisions while weaving together farm and personal investments... learn how to yourself take a leap into your financial future or to coach others to do the same!
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Materials
Women in Ag Online Investing PPT
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Social Media 101 |
90 Minute Professional Development Sessions |
Jeff Reisdorfer, jreisdor@umn.edu
University of Minnesota / Extension Risk Management Education / Center for Farm Financial Management
http://www.CFFM.umn.edu
What is Social Media all about?
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, blogs... what does it all mean?
This session will help you understand the differences between a variety of Social Media outlets and how each of them can be used to reach and interact with different audiences.
If you have working knowledge of Social Media, this session will provide new insights into these unique tools.
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Materials
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The Emotional Farmer: New Tools for Stress Management & Business Development |
90 Minute Professional Development Sessions |
Chance T. Eaton, M.S., M.B.A., info@emotionalfarmer.com
Dawson Community College
http://www.EmotionalFarmer.com, www.TheOvermanProject.com, www.HR-SolutionsToday.com
Stress management & business development are critical components for healthy farms and ranches, but are rarely addressed, due to an overemphasis on production management.
Stress related problems in the U.S. cost $300 Billion annually, half of Americans report lying awake at night due to stress, and 75% of the U.S. reports living with moderate to extreme stress in their life. It is common for commercial organizations to address stress in the workplace due to the negative effects on productivity, but in agriculture, it is rarely addressed in normal business practices.
Business development presents itself as an additional challenge, as family farms struggle to find ways to offset inflationary costs of production in a commodity business model. Value-added agriculture has provided a new wave of encouragement, delivered with necessary education from University Extension services, Economic Development organizations, and agriculture Colleges and Universities. Despite these tools, agriculture producers’ frame of mind and belief systems often contribute to their inability to follow through with new opportunities.
The following presentation describes three (3) techniques and perspectives which can be used to manage stress in an effective way, as well contribute to all aspects of business development. The first topic addressed is Stress Management. Covered are statistics on stress, contributing factors, and management tools. The second subject covered is Intentionality. Often referred to as vision, goals, or focused thought, intentionality is rarely fully utilized, or even understood. This section covers research on intention, and how focused thought can have dramatic changes to business development, as well as personal development. Last, the subject of Energy Psychology (EP) is introduced. EP is a self administered technique which combines traditional Western talk therapy with Eastern Chinese medicine. EP can be used for top farm/ranch stresses, business development, as well as numerous other issues.
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Materials
The Emotional Farmer: New Tools for Stress Management & Business Development
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Poster Sessions |
Alabama Women in Agriculture Incorporated
Growing New Markets, Cultivating Entrepreneurs, Empower Women and Sustain Alabama’s Future
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Poster Sessions |
E´licia Chaverest, echaverest@hotmail.com
Small Farms Research Center, Department of Agribusiness
http://www.aamu.edu
Co-Presenters
Duncan M. Chembezi,
Small Farms Research Center, Department of Agribusiness
Alabama A&M University
Women in the US continue to forever change agriculture through their impeccable business skills and techniques, and through their passion for farming and agribusiness. Specifically, women are finding their niche in agriculture. According to the 2oo7 Census of Agriculture, over 3,500 farms in Alabama are owned and/or operated by women and the numbers are steadily increasing.
The Alabama Women In Agriculture Incorporated (AWIA, Inc.) was conceived and initiated to educate women engaged in agriculture. The AWIA, Inc. serves as a conduit or vehicle to inform others and increase their awareness about women’s contribution to agricultural and agribusiness. AWIA’s rationale stems from the need to provide recognition for, and credence to the significant role played, and contributions made by women engaged in the agricultural industry, and a need to empower them in order to effectively address issues of farm profitability, viability and sustainability within Alabama’s local and underserved communities.
Since it inception in 2005, AWIA, Inc. has grown and expanded into three chapters throughout the state of Alabama. It provides outreach training, technical assistance, and risk management education to women landowners (and their families), producers, and entrepreneurs. Holistic approach to outreach delivery is employed and advocated. The program has been successful in empowering women and assisting them to learn about the various agricultural programs, services and opportunities available to them and their families.
This poster highlights AWIA, Inc. rationale, objectives, background Information, demographics, educational training efforts, accomplishments, problems, solutions, and success stories.
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Materials
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American Agri-Women - International Education and Outreach to Farm, Ranch and Agribusiness Women |
Poster Sessions |
Christina Wilson, president@americanagriwomen.org
American Agri-Women
http://americanagriwomen.org
Co-Presenters
Chris Wilson, American Agri-Women
American Agri-Women is the national coalition of farm, ranch and agribusiness women with 55 state and commodity affiliate organizations nationwide. We propose a poster at the Women in Agriculture Educators Conference which would relate how this organization is working with agencies and universities to provide peer-to-peer educational resources for farm, ranch and agribusiness women.
Through a USDA RMA Outreach Grant, and working with Extension and land grant communications facilities, AAW has produced a weekly half-hour national television program to reach farm women throughout the country with education regarding a wide range of risk management topics. In each program, there is a segment featuring an interview with an expert on that week´s topic, followed by an interview on the farm with a farm woman who is applying what is learned on that topic. This poster would illustrate the tools AAW is using to assist members and other farm women, including live webinars, networking through the internet, and the use of social media.
In addition, this poster would provide information about AAW´s outreach to women in agriculture in Canada and Mexico and about a joint conference planned to be held in Canada in October 2010.
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Materials
AAW Poster
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Annie´s National Network Initiative for Educational Success |
Poster Sessions |
Madeline Schultz, schultz@iastate.edu
Annie´s National Network Initiative for Educational Success
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/annie/
Co-Presenters
Bob Wells, Tim Eggers, Ruth Hambleton
The ANNIES poster presentation will feature information about how ANNIES is seeking to develop and expand a network of educators who teach risk management to women in agriculture. ANNIES developed a program based at Iowa State University to provide central coordination and assistance to educators around the county. ANNIES implemented educator websites, newsletters, and monthly conference calls to help share information and answer educator questions. ANNIES will also conduct five regional advanced training programs for Annie´s Project educators in 2010. ANNIES is focusing expansion efforts in the Northeast States this year and this display will provide a good opportunity to visit with interested educators attending the conference.
The Annie´s Project educator network is a successful model of program development and educator training. Through this network, educators share best practices, broadly evaluate educational methods and content, and duplicate successful programming. Information is shared which improves the quality of educational programs as well as increases the number of programs available to women in agriculture across the country. Expanding this network and providing training and resources to assist the educators is the goal of the Annie´s National Network Initiative for Educational Success program at Iowa State University.
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Materials
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Annie´s Project in Maryland and Delaware |
Poster Sessions |
Jennifer Rhodes, jrhodes@umd.edu
University of Maryland, Queen Anne´s County
Co-Presenters
Shannon Dill, University of Maryland Extension
Annie’s Project was conducted for the first time in Maryland and Delaware in 2008. The program was offered at one site on the Eastern Shore of Maryland for two years. Seeing the impact and success of Annie’s a grant was written to the NorthEast Center for Risk Management to expand and offer Annie’s Project in Maryland and Delaware at 9 regional sites. This expansion has included 20 collaborators to serve as facilitators and coordinators at these sites. There also was a need to increase communication methods therefore a team wiki was developed for information sharing and the Annie’s Project website was expanded.
The classes cover the 5 areas of risk management. Each site, except one, was conducted simultaneously and had the option of offering their own program or connecting to the home site for presentations to be broadcasted. This allowed sites to bring in local speakers as well as tailor the class to agricultural and educational needs of that region.
The goal is to reach 150 farm women in Maryland and Delaware. The classes will begin in late January 2010 and run through mid March. Past evaluations for Annie’s Project include the following intentions: 70% getting or changing their insurance policy, 65% changing lease or property titles, 96% writing a farm business/marketing plan, 100% using computers and software to improve farm efficiency, 90% checking their credit report, 97% completing farm financial statements and 96% creating or updating their estate plan.
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Materials
Annie´s Project in Maryland and Delaware
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Annie´s Project--Education for Farm Women
Empowering Farm Women for Better Business Decisions |
Poster Sessions |
Ruth Hambleton, ruthhambleton@wildblue.net
Annie´s Project--Education for Farm Women
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/annie
Co-Presenters
Robert Wells, Iowa State Extension; Tim Eggers, Iowa State Extension; et al
Annie´s Project--Education for Farm Women started in Illinois in 2003, crossed the boarders into Iowa and Missouri in 2004 and has been growing ever since. As the program expands into 15 more states, the challenge of delivering fresh and quality programming to farm and ranch women remains a high priority. The national leadership team has been working on new programs and gathering ideas from states where Annie´s Project has been delivered. One new development is incorporating the new eXtension on-line course, Investing for Farm Families into Annie´s Project curriculum. This on-line course was made possible by a grant from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Investor Education Foundation which supports innovative research and education projects that give investors the tools and information they need to better understand markets and basic principles of saving and investing. This online class gives farm families the information they need to make strategic decisions while weaving together farm and personal investments. Developed by Extension educators across the nation, the 8-lesson course helps farm families plan for a financially stable future that meets long-term needs. Participants can work at their own pace, with each lesson taking less than an hour. Expected learning outcomes include:
•Increasing future financial security
•Identifying investment strategies
•Knowing asset allocation basics
•Evaluating investment productions alternatives to agriculture business risks
•Investing for retirement and farm succession planning
Investing for Families is being used in basic Annie’s Project classes and can be offered as a second level course.
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Materials
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Arkansas Women in Agriculture, Inc.: Meeting the Needs of Arkansas Farm and Ranch Women |
Poster Sessions |
Carrie Hirmer, carriehirmer@yahoo.com
Arkansas Women in Agriculture
http://www.arkansaswomeninag.com
According to the USDA 2007 Census of Agriculture, Arkansas has over 6,000 female principal farm operators, an increase of 31% since 2002. The Census also indicates that women compose approximately 48% of all farm operators in the state. Arkansas female farm operators are involved in a wide spectrum of agricultural production as the state is home to a large poultry industry, a cow-calf and cattle ranching community, a significant row crop region, and a thriving fruit and vegetable, organic and sustainable agriculture community.
Arkansas Women in Agriculture (ARWIA), a nonprofit organization, realizes the need to provide these women with educational opportunities tailored to their unique learning styles. To meet this need, ARWIA offers risk management programs including an annual statewide conference and Annie´s Project.
This presentation will discuss Arkansas agriculture, the ARWIA organization, its outreach activities, program offerings, feedback received from former program participants, and how that feedback is utilized to continually adapt programs to the needs of women in Arkansas.
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Materials
Meeting the Needs of AR Farm and Ranch Women: A Poster Presentation
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Characteristics and Risk Management Needs of Arkansas Women in Agriculture Over Time |
Poster Sessions |
Jennie Popp, jhpopp@uark.edu
University of Arkansas
Co-Presenters
Carrie Hirmer
Arkansas Women in Agriculture, Inc.
Women’s on-farm roles are expanding to include more decision-making and hands-on participation. Their roles are expanding off-farm to provide leadership to and participate in organizations that support regional agriculture and rural communities.
The purpose of this poster is to use data collected during six annual (2005-2010) Arkansas Women in Agriculture conferences to compare--across agriculture roles and time--women’s perceptions regarding: 1) the roles in agriculture, agricultural businesses and in rural communities, 2) the successes and challenges they face in these roles, 3) how those roles have changed over time and 4) how these changing roles have influenced their family lives, agriculture and the rural community. To date we have found that women on and off-farm share some of the same problems in business, and in the factors they find important to their success, but their diverse backgrounds and dissimilar job responsibilities likely lead to the differences in importance they place on specific aspects of their jobs. Data have also shown that as women’s roles have changed over time, so have their risk management needs. It is hoped that this set of baseline information can be useful not only to researchers and educators interested in addressing needs of local women but also in illustrating the continuing changes in women’s roles and their needs and thus the need for extended research over time to address these changes.
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Materials
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Electronic Deliver of Risk Management Education |
Poster Sessions |
Willie Huot, willie.huot@ndsu.edu
NDSU Extension Service
North Dakota’s low population density and distance between larger communities makes distance-learning opportunities a desirable alternative for many residents. The state also has an interactive television network capable of reaching audiences in nearly every community with a K – 12 educational systems. The population distribution, combined with the interactive television infrastructure, makes distance learning education well suited for many communities throughout the state.
Utilizing this technology has been vital in the delivery of risk management education. Since January 2006, over 875 farm/ ranch women have participated in Annie’s project in 32 communities throughout the state.
The state project coordinator works closely with extension field staff, specialists and network administrators to schedule and deliver parts of the sessions electronically. Local experts are identified at each location to present information supporting/supplementing the specialists’ presentations. All sessions focus on agricultural risks.
The success with Annie’s Project lead to the implementation of two Women In Ag conferences conducted in March 2009, with two more scheduled for March 2010. These conferences focus on key topics of risk management education identified by Annie’s Project participants. Overall evaluations from participants of these educational programs rank 4.7 on a scale of 5 (highest) to 1 (lowest) with most indicating they plan to become more involved in the business of their operations as a result of these sessions.
This technology, combined with the development and maintenance of a dedicated website:
http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/anniesproject/ has been vital to the planning and implementation of both Annie’s Project and the Women In Ag conferences.
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Materials
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Evaluating Financial Risks of Beginning Women Farmers |
Poster Sessions |
Gregory Ibendahl, ibendahl@agecon.msstate.edu
Mississippi State University
This poster presents the results of a simulation analysis designed to show the financial risks that beginning women farmers face. Beginning women farmers may have borrow a larger percentage of their operating capital than more established farmers. This puts them at financial risk due to production risks. Should these beginning women farmers have a "bad" year, they may not have adequate capital reserves to meet their needs. This poster presents the results of several strategies that these producers might try should they have a "bad" year.
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Materials
Evaluating Financial Risks of Beginning Women Farmers
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Langston University Small Farmer Outreach Programs Assistance to Women in Agriculture |
Poster Sessions |
Sandra Wade-Penn, sywade@lunet.edu
Langston University
Langston University, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), provides free assistance to women in 44 counties in the State of Oklahoma. This assistance is designed to help alleviate the financial problems confronting them.
The mission of the Technical Assistance Project is “To provide outreach services that equip underserved farmers, ranchers, and rural communities with necessary resources to improve their quality of life.”
The Strategic goals are
• To improve farm income of underserved borrowers and other customers.
• To improve underserved farmers’ understanding of and access to USDA programs.
• To develop educational opportunities and services.
• To protect and improve the natural resource base for underserved farmers and ranchers.
• To foster leadership, organization, and problem-solving among underserved farmers, ranchers, and other rural residents.
(The poster will highlight pictures and stories about women who have used Langston University’s services and their successful outcomes.)
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Materials
Langston University Small Farmer Outreach Programs Assistance to Women in Agriculture.pdf
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Ohio Extension Engaging With Women Involved In Agricultural Industry |
Poster Sessions |
Doris Herringshaw, herringshaw.1@osu.edu
Ohio State University Extension
http://wood.osu.edu
Co-Presenters
Julia Nolan Woodruff
Ohio State University Extension
Ag/Natural Resources Educator
Erie County
woodruff.94@osu.edu
The 2007 Census indicated there are 75,861 Ohio farms and at least 40% of total farms had at least one women operator. The data also indicates that 9,127 women are principal operators of farm.
In response to the census data and building upon the long established Northwest Ohio Women in Agriculture Conference, Annie’s Project, and in-depth financial risk management workshops have been conducted. Using the conference attendance list and building support throughout Extension, Annie’s Project expanded from two locations in 2007, to 6 sites in 2008 and finally to 13 locations across the state in 2009 and 2010.
From these experiences, the Ohio Farm Women Consortium was created with the mission is to promote higher value programs, identify gaps in service to farm women and enhance current services for women. The consortium is a collaboration of Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, OSU Extension and an Independent Consultant.
Women in Agriculture programs have made impacts and continues to show impacts in farm families. Evaluations indicate that over 85% of participants made changes in their farm operations as a result of sessions they attended in previous Women in Ag programs. Annie’s Project has had over 200 participants and evaluations indicate 95% of participants gained ideas to eliminate communication barriers, 67% have become more involved in the farm decision making process, 50% adopted at least one new risk management practice. Agri-businesses have supported Annie’s and Women In Ag with over $18,100 in the last four years.
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Materials
Ohio State Universtiy Extension Egaging Women involved in the Agricultral Industry
Ohio Farm Women Consortium Description
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Safeguarding the Lifeblood of the West: Transferring Water Rights for Instreamflow Conservation
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Poster Sessions |
Lisa Hummon, lisa.hummon@yale.edu
Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies
Water is the lifeblood of the west, but burgeoning populations are placing heavy demands on water resources that are already overtaxed. The situation will intensify, as scientists predict that climate change will reduce snowpack, alter snowmelt timing, and change rainfall patterns across the western U.S. As demands rise on increasingly scarce water supplies, ecosystem function and species survival will come into conflict with agricultural and urban needs. Programs that allow for market-based, voluntary transfer of water rights for instream flow offer an innovative win-win solution to this complex problem. My poster will display information on the current state of water rights transfer programs for instream flow conservation across the American West. Viewers will walk away with a greater understanding of the history of water rights in the west, existing legal frameworks, funding sources, key players, transfer structure, lessons learned and opportunities for improvement. It is my goal to inform water managers, conservationists, municipalities, and the agricultural sector as to the current state of transfer programs for instream flow so that key players might take advantage of these programs and take a more active role in helping to move them forward.
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Materials
Not Available |
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Southern Rural Black Women and Organic Production |
Poster Sessions |
Heather Gray, heathergray@federation.coop
Federation of Souther Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund
http://www.federation.coop
The Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund has for years has held it´s annual Women in Agriculture workshop at its annual meeting in Epes, Alabama. Out of that grew the initiative to develop a regional effort of black women producers being trained and growing organic produce for local markets.
The presentation will focus on the importance of the "Women in Agriculture" workshops and an update on the organic produce initiative of women in Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia and Mississippi.
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Materials
"Southern Rural Black Women and Organic Production"
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The Consequences of Farm Stress; Crisis and Chronic Resources |
Poster Sessions |
Wm. Bruce Clevenger, clevenger.10@cfaes.osu.edu
Ohio State University Extension
http://defiance.osu.edu/
Co-Presenters
Chris Bruynis, Ohio State University Extension
Dee Jepsen, Ohio State University, Dept of Food, Ag, Bio Engineering
The owners and workers of farm businesses experience a unique and high level of uncertainty in terms of weather, finances, business structure, legalities, and social changes. These careers also include physical demands, irregular work schedules, and seasonal labor pressures. Stress often occurs at low but measurable chronic levels within the business. Stress can peak during crisis situations such as financial downturns that have impact on individuals, families, and business operations.
Ohio research identifies two schools of thought regarding farm family stress. One holds that farmers are less stressed than other workers because of the idyllic pastoral setting in which they work. A second cites numerous stressors that are unique to the farm environment (e.g., adverse economic conditions and unpredictable weather) and claims that farming is a stressful occupation. The Ohio Farm Family Health and Hazard Surveillance Project (OFFHHS), a survey of 4,860 cash grain farms in Ohio, provides an opportunity to make this comparison, and to study the correlates of stress and depression among farmers.
The signs of stress, including the physical, emotional and behavioral symptoms will be presented. Additionally, healthy coping mechanisms for addressing stress will be discussed.
Learning objectives of the poster and available curriculum are: to increase awareness of stress and the impact on mental health of farm families, to provide available mental health resources for farm and horticulture businesses, to provide strategies to reduce stress among farm families, and to use case studies and/or session activities to demonstrate ways to recognize farm and business stress.
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Materials
ConseqFarmStress
FarmStressEducationSlides
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Tools for Business Success- The Maryland Rural enterprise Development Center |
Poster Sessions |
Ginger Myers, gsmyers@umd.edu
university of Maryland Extension
http://mredc.umd.edu
Objective:
Agricultural and natural resource businesses need be more “business like” if they are to succeed. Unfortunately, other business development agencies and programs often lack the level of expertise in production, management and marketing that the University if Maryland Extension can offer producers.
The Maryland Rural Enterprise Development Center is a new Extension initiative that provides farmers, agricultural entrepreneurs, and new and beginning farmers a much needed business development resource. It is the first agricultural business development web site in the State totally dedicated to agricultural and natural resource business development. It provides both business development resources along with actual production and or /processing advise as they relate directly to agricultural and natural resource-based businesses. It relies heavily on leveraging resources from a variety of Extension specialists both in and out of state. It is a one-stop-shop for the latest and most successful business development innovations and support for Maryland’s agriculture and natural resources enterprises.
Audience:
The Maryland Rural Enterprise Development Center provides an innovative, 24-7 launch pad that providing producers with a wide-variety of web-based University, community, and professional resources for developing profitable, sustainable businesses.
It also provides Extension Educators and others working to support rural agricultural and community development initiatives extensive regional contacts and access to expertise for program development.
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Materials
MREDC Poster
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Understanding OK Women In Ag. Association´s Service to Socially Disadvantage Farmers |
Poster Sessions |
Tammy Steele, info@okwomeninag.org
OK Women In Ag. Association a/k/a Nat´l Women In Ag. Assoc.
http://www.nationalwomeninag.org
Oklahoma Women in Ag Association (WIAA) is the 1st Rural Women in Ag association in the United States designed to serve the needs of the socially disadvantaged. The association is working to create bonds of sisterhood in order to empower, educate and develop rural American women as profitable farm and agriculture related business owners. WIAA is an independent organization and is not a subsidiary of any organization.
WIAA believes that true sustainable rural development can only be achieved when there is an equitable allocation of resources and focuses on the following areas:
1. Sustainable rural community development. Strengthen rural communities and families through sustainable agro-ecological agriculture and economic business development.
2. Food and nutritional Security. Use Sustainable agriculture as a tool to create and enhance rural food security, health and nutritional security locally and globally. WIAA will also use these systems to address the HIV/AIDS crisis from a nutritional standpoint.
3. Address the problems of Global climate change on local and global levels. We will use sustainable agricultural systems to conserve energy and natural resources. We will also assist local and global communities develop food production systems which will address the food crisis.
OK Women In Ag. Association uses a multi-tiered approach to achieve the overarching mission of creating and enhancing successful community food initiatives which strengthen the local food and farm economy.
This highly diversified organization plans to develop a reputation to deliver the highest quality professional service under critical time and budgetary constraints.
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Materials
Understanding OK/National Women In Agriculture Association
National Women In Agriculture Association's outreach education to socially disadvantaged farmers
Pictures - National Women In Ag. Association's unique comprehensive high level outreach education. "The Best for the Less"
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Women Farming Today: Discussion Group |
Poster Sessions |
Bonnie Collins, bsc33@cornell.edu
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oneida County
http://www.cceoneida.com
Presented is a poster on the "Women Farming Today" Discussion Group form central New York. Below is a full article written on and about the group in the July 2009 issue of the Eastern Dairy Business Magazine.
http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/pdfs/pd09jul14.pdf
Since that time the women´s groups have been asked to speak to our county legislators on how extension has sustained their families and their agricultural businesses. The women´s proposed project for 2010 is to continue the dialog with community leaders and consumers on what it is like to live and work in agriculture.
Many members of the group have developed relationships that have grown to support in friendship as well as learning to use different management tools, such as Quickbooks.
My hope is that other educational organizations will start a discussion group, learn how to mentor the group and use evaluation tools to document impact and progress.
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Materials
Women in Farming Discussion Group [1]
Women in Farming Discussion Group [2]
Women in Farming Discussion Group [3]
Women in Farming Discussion Group [4]
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Women in Agriculture Programming Efforts in West Virginia |
Poster Sessions |
Brandy Brabham, brandy.brabham@mail.wvu.edu
WVU Extension Service
http://www.ext.wvu.edu
Co-Presenters
Jennifer Williams, ANR Program Director, WVU Extension Service and Jodi Richmond, WVU Extension Agent-Mercer County
Women always have been an integral part of agriculture. In recent years, their contributions have become more recognized. More state organizations and federal agencies are developing programs that target women in agriculture. Beginning in 2002, the USDA´s Census of Agriculture began recording how many women operated farms either as the principal operator or as a secondary operator. In the 2007 Census of Agriculture, the USDA found that women account for 30 percent of the total number of farm operators, which was up from 27 percent in 2002. Also, the percentage of women who were the principal operators of farms grew from 11 percent of all principal operators in 2002 to 14 percent in 2007.
West Virginia, following the national trend as more women assumed the role as principal farm operators,reported women accounted for 13.7 percent. The number of women operators in West Virginia went up from 7,671 in 2002 to 10,013 in 2007, over a 23 percent increase. The number of women as the principal operators of farms in West Virginia grew to a total of 3,219, an increase of over 27 percent. In West Virginia, as well as on a national basis, women are much more likely than their male counterparts to operate smaller farms (210 acres compared to 452 acres, on average) and farms described as "other livestock or crops." In light of these statistics, our poster will detail the programming efforts occurring in West Virginia for women in agriculture and explore areas for potential growth.
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Materials
Women in Agriculture Programming Efforts in West Virginia
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Women in Boots & Blue Jeans |
Poster Sessions |
Mary Sobba, sobbam@missouri.edu
University of Missouri Extension
Co-Presenters
Karisha Devlin, University of Missouri Extension
This program began in Missouri in 2009 through a RMA grant to target certain risk areas in-depth. This was a spinoff program from Annie’s Project that was developed through suggestions of participants in Annie’s Project, and is targeted towards farm women.
The planning of this program began with a committee of Extension specialists, private professionals and a USDA professional. The program was designed to include three major areas of risk: marketing, financial and legal issues. The marketing session focused on strategies for grain and livestock. The financial session focused on both macro and farm based issues. Legal included estate planning and dealing with legal issues in a modern, instant communication environment. A two day program was developed with four hours of training in each area. Many lessons were learned the first year and improvements are being implemented for 2010.
The concept will remain the same in-depth training on a focused risk area. For 2010, Legal issues dealing with land ownership is the target. The format has changed based on lessons learned and participant feedback. The improved format will be five one day trainings with the same agenda. Two trainings will be completed before the conference and results will be included on the poster.
Each participant completed an evaluation at the conclusion of the conference and 30% participated in an online follow up evaluation six months following the conference.
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Materials
Women In Boots & Blue Jeans: Ag Risk Management Conference (poster)
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