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program Presentations 30 Minute Sessions | 60
Minute Sessions | Panel Sessions Add Your Educational Materials to the National Ag Risk Education Library Kevin Klair Add your educational materials to the National Ag Risk Education Library. A few simple steps is all it takes to have your documents added to this National Online Library. Learn how to upload and manage your documents in the Ag Risk Library. Over 1,000 people visit the Ag Risk Library each day, start sharing your publications with them! Adding the Internet Marketing to Your Farm Business Recipe Beth Holtzman AgPlan - A New Online Business Planning Tool Kevin Klair AgPlan is powerful new online tool designed to help rural businesses develop
a business plan. AgPlan is free of charge for anyone to use individually
or in educational programs. Annie´s Project - Women Marketing Grain Tim Eggers This session will address successes and failures in the implementation of Annie’s Project-Women Marketing Grain (AP-WMG) in Iowa. AP-WMG teaches both strategic and tactical grain marketing and the tools for each. The program continues the Annie’s Project model of question any thing at any time group discussion, time for private discussion at breaks, encouragement of mentoring, and participant ownership of the learning environment. AP-WMG builds on the success of Annie’s Project and Winning the Game (WtG). When Annie’s Project participants were surveyed about their desire for additional risk management education, eighty-one percent of participants indicated a preference for additional in-depth market risk management training. Winning the Game is an intense three-hour program in either its pre or post harvest versions. We will discuss the results of simply doubling the contact time for a Winning the Game session and adding another three hours for a discussion of relevant marketing tools. Can effecting programming for women in agriculture be this simple? Census of Agriculture Resources Damona Doye The purpose of this session is to increase participant’s familiarity with Census of Agriculture demographic resources available on the NASS website, particularly as they relate to women and minorities in agriculture. This information is invaluable in increasing awareness of the diversity in agricultural operations, in identifying potential target audiences and in preparing project proposals. Examples of statistics that are available at the national and state level include Selected Farm Characteristics by Race of Principal Operator; for Women Principal Operators; for Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino Origin Principal Operators; for Women Operators; for Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino Origin Operators; Age and Primary Occupation of Principal Operator; Tenure of Principal Operator and by Operators on Farm; and American Indian and Alaska Native Farm Operators. At the state level other data tables include Tenure, Number of Operators, Type of Organization, and Principal Operator Characteristics; White Operators; Black or African American Operators; American Indian or Alaska Native Operators; Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander Operators; Asian Operators; Operators Reporting More Than One Race; Women Principal Operators; Women Operators; Women Principal Operators by Tenure; and Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino Origin Operators. Finally, U.S. Agricultural Atlas Maps include ones showing the percent of farms with female principal operators by county across the nation. Specialty products and specialty studies include minority and women principal operators. Communicating Farm Family Values: What´s Important and Who Cares? Margaret Viebrock Each farming generation has plans for the future generation, but are they realistic? Will the younger generation come home and what if they don’t? Will the farm be managed the same? Will they work from dawn to dusk and listen to advice? Expectations related to decision authority, family security, generational problem solving and daughters coming home to farm offer many dilemmas to ponder. All of these issues can make a difference in prioritizing values and setting goals. An experiential activity will give ideas to help farm families examine their expectations for communicating what’s important as they consider retirement and the transfer of their assets. County faculty from Washington and Oregon Extension initiated a farm succession planning project in 2006. During the next 2 years, three farm succession planning workshops at 6 different locations were presented. One part of the project was to help families develop the skills to talk to their younger generations. Not only did the older generation need to identify what was important to them, but also be willing to hear what was being said when it didn’t follow their perceived plan. As a result, they learned how to initiate the dialog about their preferred future. They became more proficient with active listening and dealing with discord. Most importantly, they realized that sometimes contemporary ideas can open up new possibilities and meet the needs of both generations. Cultivating Success- An Education Program for Sustainable Small Farmers Kristy Ott Cultivating Success, a collaboration between Washington State University, University of Idaho, and non-profit Rural Roots, consists of semester-long courses offered through over 20 Extension offices and college campuses in Washington and Idaho. The goal of the program is to create and implement new educational programs that will increase the number and foster the long-term success of small sustainable farmers and ranchers in Washington and Idaho. Experienced farmers, community resource people, and university specialists are brought together with students in the classroom and in the field. From 2000 until present, over $2 million in funds have been generated to support the Cultivating Success Program allowing 1592 students, including 132 Latino and Hmong farmers, to participate in Cultivating Success courses. The introductory course, Sustainable Small Farming and Ranching, provides beginning and existing farmers with the planning and decision-making tools to develop a whole-farm plan for an economically and environmentally successful small acreage enterprise. A second course, Agricultural Entrepreneurship, focuses on farm business planning and the reduction of financial risks. Over 200 farm business plans have been developed as a result of students taking this course. Other courses include but are not limited to Organic Gardening and Farming, Ecological Soils Management, World Agriculture Systems and Field Analysis of Sustainable Food Systems. Ninety-eight percent of students surveyed have rated the courses effective in potentially increasing the number and success of small acreage farmers. Economic Considerations Related to Alternative Agricultural Enterprises Roger Sahs Agricultural producers must make financial plans and management decisions aimed at profitability and sustainability in an increasing risky environment. Alternative agricultural enterprises such as specialty crops are being added to operations by producers in hopes of increasing farm profit. Producers need assistance in realistically evaluating financial prospects of alternative enterprises and in identifying cost effective ways of producing specialty commodities. Many horticultural crops are not insurable or may be underserved with available coverage. A lack of time and knowledge are common reasons given by producers for not using recommended practices. Limited discretionary time and the need for adopting best management practices make it imperative that timely, unbiased information be accessible to interested or existing producers involving alternative enterprises. Economic considerations and keys to success are required information. Marketing, land and labor resources, financing, and management skills are critical components. Enterprise budgets also provide a firm foundation for risk-management decisions. Knowledge of budgeting and the ability to use them assist producers to focus on financial management as well as production performance. Effective Networking: Tips and Techniques Glenn Muske Estate and Retirement Planning for Farm Families Website Sharon DeVaney Farm Succession Planning with Personal Coaching for Participating Families Diana Roberts Farm Transition and Estate Planning: Farm Family Evaluation and Behavioral Change Gary Hatchfield A majority of farm families have not named a business successor nor developed an up-to-date farm business transition and estate plan. This program effort was designed to enable farm families to gain a better understanding of the process required and thus develop and implement a farm transition and estate plan. In terms of improving understanding, the workshops were highly successful with most of the 800 participants indicating their understanding of the main educational points of the workshop improved due to attending the workshop. This session will highlight the success of the program and results, as reported by the participants. This program is an example of a strong creative team and collaborative approach to curriculum design, marketing and program delivery. A unique marketing technique referred to as the “sponsorship model” was utilized to publicize the program to potential sponsors. This is a departure from traditional program marketing approaches. Financial Planning for Small Businesses Paul Ellinger This educational program was part of a series of classes on small business planning for alternative enterprises in agriculture. A majority of the students were women. Help for Entrepreneurs – eXtension Puts Assistance at Your Fingertips Gae Broadwater As farming and rural communities search for ways to add value to their products and local economic base, they are becoming more entrepreneurial. At the same time rural communities are getting “wired” and more women are going online to seek information, learn new things, and connect with others. Participants in this session will learn about a 24/7 resource available from a national to answer their questions about how to start and grow a business. eXtension provides regularly updated links to: Frequently Asked Questions, Information Briefs, Research Highlights, Calendar of Events, Cool Tools, Case Studies, State and local policies, and Learning Lessons. Additionally, this session will gather input as to what additional materials would be helpful and how eXtension can more effectively include women farmers in the site’s development. Materials are designed for Extension Specialists and Agents involved in community and economic development, as well as city and county officials, economic developers, educators, and workforce development professionals. Indicators of Animal Welfare, Cow Comfort, and its Economic Impact Alvario Garcia Dairy cow comfort is among the main factors that impact animal health, productivity, longevity and profitability of dairy farms. A cow’s productive life has been defined as the number of lactations that it completes before being culled. Oftentimes the main concern of the producer is the daily production per cow or even the production for a given lactation. It is of much more importance to arrive to a compromise between farm profitability and animal welfare where longevity and production per lifetime plays the major role. One must use parameters that measure the interrelationship of the animal with its environment and those that are related with an increased stay ability in the farm. This presentation analyzes useful practical indicators, that allow an individual to determine the presence of management flaws that negatively impact the interrelationship of the animal with its environment. The economic repercussions that result from not considering the basic bodily and psychogenic needs of the animal as they relate to the genetic characteristics of the breed and its behavior are also being addressed. Online Education & Women Farmers -- Opportunities and Barriers Mary Peabody In 2006, the Women’s Agricultural Network started offering online classes. This session will take a look at the opportunities in online education as well as some of our experiences in this area. We’ll spend a short amount of time on the technical aspects such as synchronous vs. asynchronous applications and the platforms available. We’ll discuss the accommodations that we’ve made in order to make these online classes more "warm and welcoming" to our program participants and we’ll share some of the challenges that we’ve faced along the way. We’ll also discuss our "coaching" program and how that serves to keep program participants connected to local services no matter where they live. Passing Indian Lands to Future Generations Marsha Goetting Passing Indian lands to future generations is a challenge given the fractionation
that has occurred since the allotment period. Fractionation means that
tribal members may inherit “undivided interests” in tracts
of land—interests that many times are shared with a hundred or more
other Indians who may or may not be living on that reservation. This session will highlight the educational materials that have been developed to help reservation land owners on the Blackfeet, Fort Hall, and Fort Belknap reservations to make informed risk management decisions about estate planning under the American Indian Probate Reform Act (AIPRA). Topics include: the consequences of dying without a written will under AIPRA and the benefits of utilizing estate planning risk management tools including written wills, appropriate titling of their fee status lands, and the utilization of gifting, and life estates. Planning for the Future of Your Farm & Family Mary Sobba During 2004-05, an instructor manual was developed by University Extension personnel. The manual includes multiple risk management areas, while focusing on estate planning, retirement issues, succession of the farm and adaptations on the farm. Also, it includes instructor notes, resources, handouts, sample exercises, evaluation pieces and suggested ideas. The manual was developed to be shared and to allow customization to local agriculture. Additional instructors were trained in Missouri this past year. Golden Age Farming was designed to be taught in four sessions, with a variety of teaching methods. The manuals for both instructors and students have been placed on the Golden Age Farming website, so that others have easy access to materials. Also, electronic versions allow for easy updates/additions to the manual. The program, Golden Age Farming has appealed to audiences of varying ages. Initially, the target was 55+ years of age, but enrollments indicated it was growing in popularity with younger farm families too. Program Impact Evaluation: Is the Pain Worth The Gain? Gary Hachfield Many excellent educational programs are delivered but many times participant behavioral change and potential substantive impact are not evaluated and the results go unreported. This is a huge opportunity missed by many educators. This presentation will explore one approach to evaluating and reporting program impact in terms of participant increased knowledge, their behavioral change, and what I refer to as the “so what” of that behavioral change or program impact. Program impact is the result of participants acting on or putting into effect their new knowledge. As described by Claude F. Bennett in his program evaluative work, there is a seven step hierarchy for program evaluation. Each step increases the complexity of evaluative information gathered. The very last step in the hierarchy is program impact. Also discussed will be approaches to gathering both “hard” evaluative and “soft” evaluative results. Lastly, good program impact evaluation can be beneficial if reported in a creative manner. Reporting substantive impact results can aid educators in garnering grant funds, rallying political or collaborative support for a program effort or organization, and informing the public of the quality educational programming being done by you, your team, and your organization. Quicken 2008 for Farm Financial Records and New Educational Resources Damona Doye All farm families need records to facilitate tax preparation and many are seeking a low cost, easy-to-use system to better sort and summarize information for management purposes. In many households, women are the primary record-keepers. For 15 years, the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service has been offering “hands on” computer workshops teaching people how to use Quicken for farm financial record-keeping. We demonstrate how to adopt Quicken, a popular and inexpensive personal financial record keeping package, for farm and ranch use. Resource materials were recently featured in Beef magazine. On our website, http://www.agecon.okstate.edu/quicken, a step-by-step manual is posted along with answers to Frequently Asked Questions and quarterly newsletters. Short video and audio components allow viewers to see software applications just as they might in a “hands on” workshop. The content is segmented to allow viewers to focus on items relevant to them. Through the website, users can access a full complement of timely educational resources 24/7 regardless of where they are in the world. In addition, users can access content at their convenience and review them as many times as desired. Retirement and Estate Planning for Farm Women Ruth Hambleton SARE-Farm Beginnings, Conservation Planning, and Risk Management Cheryl Simmons orem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Donec nisl. Integer tortor nibh, tristique ut, pharetra ut, adipiscing ut, sapien. Nullam ipsum velit, faucibus accumsan, rhoncus non, ultricies id, urna. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Phasellus vehicula nibh quis odio. Etiam nibh elit, nonummy vitae, tincidunt sit amet, hendrerit at, nulla. In faucibus odio ut libero. Vestibulum felis turpis, blandit vitae, pretium vitae, rhoncus at, metus. Small Farm Marketing Diane Green For today’s small acreage farm to succeed in a very competitive
market, the farmer must assess the opportunities of the land, plan the
crop, grow it, and then be able to sell it. Diversity is a natural thing
to consider when planning a market garden or small acreage crop, and diversity
is equally important in planning for sales of your crop, no matter what
that crop is. To be a truly sustainable small acreage farm, this means
that you have to make money at what you grow. To do this, you have to be
able to sell what you grow and receive a premium for it whenever possible. Stress and Stress Management Karen Mastronardi Stress can be both positive and negative. Good stress, known as eustress, is critical to a healthy existance. Events such as holidays, weddings, births, etc.are usually associated in this category. Negative stress, or distress, if prolonged can lead to many health problems and even death if not managed. Farming can be a very disstressful occupation particularly when factors which are out of producer control are unfavorable (weather, energy costs, etc.). Learning the signs and symptoms of distress and how to manage stress in one´s life is a critical issue for Women in Agriculture. Talk, Teach, Touch Troy Hadrick Studies have shown that consumers believe farm and ranch women are one of the most trustworthy and credible sources of information about agriculture. This is an opportunity that agriculture must take advantage of. We have presented “Talk, Teach and Touch” to several women’s groups in South Dakota and Wyoming. The women who have used our techniques have had great success in starting a conversation with the public and promoting agriculture. The tools that we give to our audiences are very simple, but are a very effective way of promoting agriculture one story at a time. Technology to Manage Nitogen Fertilization Brad Tipton This breakout session will introduce participants to Precision Agriculture and GreenSeeker technology. The intent will be to provide more of a general overview so that participants walk away from the session with an understanding of terminology, equipment, how to implement N management and have their questions answered by a county educator who had 51 Calibrated RAMP Demonstrations out with cooperating producers last year. Although we will not have the result by this conference, discussion will be given concerning my 10 current On-Farm Demonstrations with producers to show the value of nitrogen management with nitrogen at $500 per ton. These Aren’t Your Fathers Goats, A Look at the Past, Present and Future of the U.S. Meat Goat Industry James Jones The meat goat industry faces many challenges. The lack of information about consumer’s preferences, retail demand, and infrastructure are just a few. Very little is known about consumer’s preferences towards cuts of meat, size of cuts, quantity desired, and age of product. There are certain holidays and times of the year where goat meat is the preferred protein source, but each holiday has different criteria as to the size and type of goat. This makes producing and marketing goats a challenge. Also, not much is known about goat consumption between holidays. Meat goat production can be a viable agricultural enterprise. Just like any other enterprise producers need to evaluate his/her management and marketing abilities and possibilities before entering a new operation. Tour e-Xtension’s Interactive Web Resources! Judy Branch Participants will learn from a fast moving Internet tour about the financial and other agriculture related resources, eXtension formally launched at the USDA Ag Outlook Forum in Crystal City, Va., Feb. 21-22, 2008. eXtension is the Cooperative Extension System’s Web resource of current research-based information and education. Through an educational partnership of more than 70 land grant universities helping Americans improve their lives with access to timely, objective, research-based information and educational opportunities, eXtension´s interactive Web resource, www.extension.org, is customized with links to local Cooperative Extension Web sites. The personal finance portion (www.extension.org/personal_finance)of the eXtension Web site includes learning lessons, calculation tools, nearly 1,000 frequently asked questions, current news, upcoming events and the opportunity for consumers to ask questions and receive answers from extension personal finance experts. Educational materials focused especially for women in agriculture(e.g. Who Will Get Grandpa’s Farm, Retirement Estimator for Farm Families), plus learning tools appropriate for broader audiences (e.g. Legally Secure Your Financial Future, Getting Ready for Estate Planning) will be explored in this tour. Understanding Cooperative Equity Phil Kenkel Producers patronizing traditional cooperatives often receive equity interests as part of their patronage dividends. Producers participating in new value-added or bio-energy cooperatives may receive equity interests linked with delivery rights and obligations. Some types of cooperative equity are taxable to the producers at the time of issuance, while other types are taxable at the time of conversion to cash. Many cooperatives are actively working to include more women on their board of directors. Cooperative board members must understand the complexities of cooperative equity from the perspective of both the firm and the member. Cooperative equity is an important asset for agricultural producers. Unfortunately it is often poorly understood. This breakout session provides an overview of the various categories of cooperative equity. The property rights, cash flow and tax issues associated with these categories are described. Issues involving estate management and intergenerational transfer are also discussed. Equity management issues are discussed from both the perspective of the cooperative member and the cooperative firm. The breakout session is designed for the non-technical audience desiring a better understand of cooperative equity. Virginia Regional Market Analysis and Economic Outlook Seminars Utilizing the Internet as an Interactive Delivery System Michael Roberts Virginia Cooperative Extension has partnered with extension educators from nine land grant Universities, the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Virginia, public entities, lending institutions, and various agribusiness input suppliers to engage producers, extension educators, and agricultural influencers in six comprehensive economic outlook seminars. Increasing ethanol and biodiesel demand factors, large-fund commodity trading activities, and increasing input costs for producers have prompted producers, extension educators and agricultural community influencers in Virginia and neighboring states to look for ways to increase agricultural viability that will enable rural areas to prosper. This project is the second in a series of regional economic outlook conferences that utilizes the internet and or other interactive video tools to engage participants in interactive presentations and discussions which pertain to timely and relevant marketing and price risk management information. Information presented allows participants to make sound price risk and marketing decisions. Survey data and meeting experiences from the current project have shown that many producers, even those considered non-traditional, are willing and able to utilize distance learning technology and continue to be eager to learn from the various agricultural economists and other experts scattered across a diverse geographical and agricultural commodity landscape that they would otherwise not have access to. Women-owned Horse Farms; A Formula for Success Sandra Hamm One of every 63 Americans are involved with horses. Two million people in the U. S. own over 9.2 million horses (American Horse Council Foundation, 2005). Over four million People are involved in the horse industry in one way or another. The economic impact of the horse industry is $39 billion annually. The 2002 census of Agriculture reveals women as the primary operator of over 65 % of all horse farms. Women on a whole are operating a higher number of U. S. farms (USDA/ERS 2006). A business structure, business plan, and the ability to compile accurate records are vital instruments for a successful horse farm. The USDA classifies a farm as “an operation that sells at least $1,000 of agricultural products in a year”. A women-owned horse farm can be counted as a farm if it sells horses and operate like a farm. Training seminars in farm management accounting, economics of buying versus raising horses to sell, earning additional income by teaching, training and boarding, and the importance of marketing and branding farm products educate women horse farmers with a formula for success. Women primarily operate small acreage farms. Increasing the number of women-owned horse farms fills a growing need for small specialized farming operations and meets the increasing regional and national demand for horse products. Adopting New Technology 101 Jeff Reisdorfer This presentation will break down new technologies in easy to understand terms and how you can utilize them.
...and more! Grain Management Decisions at Harvest Gary Stoerger The addition of new ethanol plants has made harvest delivery options more abundant. The first segment of the presentation demonstrates the use of a FAST spreadsheet that performs the necessary calculations to determine which delivery location that yields the highest net return. Grain inventory management can often times be burdensome, especially to those farmers who maintain leases with multiple landowners and must keep track of grain from the field to the bin. The second segment of the session highlights the use of the FAST grain management tool. Reports can be generated for all bushels owned, stored, contracted, LDP-applied, and so on. The final part of the presentation demonstrates a FAST spreadsheet that examines costs associated with construction, maintenance, and financing of the new storage. Moreover, a cost/benefit analysis of on-farm vs. commercial storage is also addressed. This grain management educational program was presented to a group of farm women at an Annie’s Project session to inform them of the available tools they can use to make harvest-time decisions. FAST CD’s will be provided to all attendees. Grain Marketing is Simple (it´s just not easy)... Ed Usset Grain producers and ag professionals who have interest in grain markets and marketing will learn techniques they can apply in their operations. Helping Women Address Farm Transfer Kathryn Ruhf Women have strengths and sensitivities that can and should be brought to bear in the farm transfer process. Yet all too often, they do not participate in plans to transfer the farm as actively as they should or would like. Farm women need information and other resources to confidently participate in and help their families make informed decisions. And, service providers need to better understand women’s unique challenges and learning preferences. This workshop will focus on farm transfer issues and processes and help women become more informed and empowered. Based on a successful New England project funded by USDA, this workshop will guide service providers to help build the capacity of women to make informed and effective decisions regarding farm succession, transfer and tenure. The workshop will present an overview of farm succession and transfer. The presenters have over 30 years combined experience with this topic. They will share resources, case studies, worksheets and other training materials. Is Marketing a Waste of Time? Kim Anderson Some producers believe that commodity futures contracts and futures option contracts may be used to increase prices or profits. Research projects conducted at Oklahoma State University, Kansas State University and the University of Illinois all show that commodity futures and futures option contract, over time, do not increase prices or profits. Commodity futures and futures option contracts may be used to manage price risk. However, most producers may not need to use futures and futures option contracts to manage price risk. Discussions will include how the market determines prices, how profit is earned through marketing, the accuracy of market advisory firms, which management practices may be used to increase profits, proof that most producers sell in the top one-third of the market, and a discussion of the biggest marketing mistake producers make. Many producers do not know what to expect from their marketing efforts or what bench marks to use to measure market successes and failures. The material presented will help producers establish marketing goals and to design marketing programs that fit their needs and that allows them to direct their energy and efforts in management areas that maximize the odds of higher profits. Risk Management Education Grant Process Kevin Klair Learn about Extension Risk Management Education program´s focus on funding and reporting results. This session will explain the philosophy of results based funding and will discuss the difference between well written proposed results and those that are not rated well by proposal reviewers. We will demonstrate the reporting system used by Extension RME funded projects and show how the results of funded projects are publicly displayed online. The session will also demonstrate how to search completed projects to learn about successful risk management education programs. Rural Women Agriculture Leaders Linda Riggins Members of the Southern Rural Black Women’s Initiative for Economic and Social Justice (SRBWI) are middle and low-income African American women, who are from three states. The initiative itself is a three state collaboration, Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia. In Georgia, the women range in age from 32 to 70 and have access to land that they have inherited, purchased or are returning to. One of the major highlights for the group is our work with pecans. In Georgia, we will highlight a couple of success stories - a female who
has held on to her roots in agriculture, expanded her knowledge and has
ventured out into a non-traditional farm life. However, the concept of
non-tradition for women in agriculture also includes three black females
from Smithville, Georgia who operate a Pecan Plant in Leslie, Georgia. The growers were awarded a grant from the Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People and Seed Capital funds from SRBWI. With these funds, they were able to purchase new equipment, repair existing equipment which has enabled them to develop a state-of the art plant and develop a classic brochure, establish a website, and take mail orders. They employ at least 12 workers during the season and pay them above minimum wage. Save Your Life,a Family and Community from Foodborne Illness Mary Mafuyai-Ekanem Food borne illnesses can significantly threaten family health and businesses prosperity. Improper handling of fresh produce can cause sicknesses, hospitalization or death. At-risk groups include pregnant women, children, seniors and others with low immune systems. The goal of this workshop is to enhance participants understanding on how to reduce food borne disease. The objective of this project is to share research-based tools and outreach strategies for addressing food safety issues with limited resources and rural residents in Alabama, North Carolina and Tennessee. Expected outcomes will produce skilled consumers capable of modifying their behavior in reducing their risk-exposures to food borne diseases. What ‘Ag’ Women Want: organizational tools to manage finances, balance work and family, and reduce stress Margie Memmott Stress can arise for a variety of reasons and is associated with daily life, the workplace, and family responsibilities. As women in agriculture, we have many roles: business woman, spouse, mother, caregiver, and friend. Finances and organization are major stressors for many individuals, including women in agriculture. So what can we do about it? As women, we need to identify work as well as individual/family needs and goals and plan for them. Our business in agricultures should help us reach our professional as well as personal goals, but that isn’t always the case. Personal finance guidelines and organizational recommendations provided by Extension Agents at Utah State University can be extremely helpful to women in agriculture as they work towards a successful business in agriculture and positive personal/family life. Ideas to create success, balance and happiness every day shared in this workshop. Participants will learn techniques to organize the workplace and home and at the same time maintain balance with work and family. By organizing records with the ‘financial information binder’, participants will learn about a resource for setting financial goals, creating savings and spending plans, managing credit, and investing and planning for the future. Panel Session: Annie's Projects Annie’s Projects in Maryland and Delaware Jenny Rhodes Annie’s Project has not been conducted previously in the Northeastern States. Because Maryland’s Eastern Shore and the state of Delaware are one agricultural area, these states will collaborate on Annie’s Project. It will be conducted in seven consecutive sessions - January 16 through March 5, 2008. This presentation will report on the success of the workshop series. The workshop will follow the basic organization that has been used in other areas of the country. Main topics for the sessions are: Human Resources and Time Management, Risk Management Overview, Business Planning and Grain Marketing, Computer Use, Computer Programs for Finance and Management, Women and Money, and topics chosen by the participants. The presenters and thus workshop teachers, include a county Family and Consumer Science educator, an Extension IT coordinator, as well as local Farm Credit and insurance personnel. The workshop is being conducted in cooperation with a local community college, and will be listed in their course catalog. The community college will handle the registration, and provide classrooms for the workshops. The classes will be conducted from 6-9 pm and will include dinner. This timing will allow farm women who hold full time off-farm jobs to participate. The project was grant funded which allowed a low participant fee. Besides the course catalog, publicity material was included in county Extension newsletters and a mailing was made to all farms in the area. Farm organizations and farm credit will also provide publicity. Annie’s Project in Montana Loree Morgan Annie’s Project is an education program that seeks to address the challenges that women face as owners and business partners in agricultural operations, and to arm them with the tools to succeed in their operations. Montana’s large size and variety of agricultural operations creates a unique situation in providing educational opportunities to farmers and ranchers. Montana Grain Growers Association recognized the need for a program like Annie’s Project and will present the program for the first time in Montana in early 2008 to 13 locations using local facilitators at each site and interactive video conferencing. Most of the preparatory work for the program is being done at the MGGA office, including coordination of sites, lining up speakers, providing a central registration point, preparation of participants’ notebooks, hosting a facilitator training workshop and administration of budget. Of particular interest to the Montana experience will be how each location was able to “customize” Annie’s Project to meet the unique needs of their area; how effective was the interactive video conferencing with 13 locations; and how well the central registration and administration worked. Delivering Annie’s Project Electronically Willie Huot Since Annie’s Project was launched in North Dakota in January 2006, over 400 women have completed the six week project and another 450 are expected to enroll in 2008. It was offered at five locations during the first year of the project. In 2008, it will be conducted at 23 sites. The primary reason for this rapid growth is because much of the curriculum is delivered via interactive television. The state coordinator works closely with extension field staff who serve as facilitators, extension specialists who conduct parts of the sessions via interactive television and with the state’s Interactive Video Network administrators to plan, schedule and deliver parts of the sessions electronically. In addition, local experts are identified at all locations to conduct presentations that supplement/reinforce the specialist’s presentations. All sessions focus on the major categories of agricultural risks. Developing a detailed facilitator manual and a web site, www.ag.ndsu.edu/anniesproject, have been vital communication tools for implementing the project. By charging a $100.00 registration fee and partnering with a few state wide sponsors, the program is now being delivered without grant funds. This delivery method sharply reduces the costs of the program. Educational Outreach Programs for Farm Women: Encouraging Women to Contribute to the Ag Industry Lynn Hambleton A regression analysis was also performed to determine whether socio-economic variables, such as marital status and number of children, play a role in the percent increase in ‘yes’ responses. Preliminary findings suggest that descriptors may impact the percent increase in ‘yes’ responses. In particular the combined socio-economic variables accounted for 63% of the variance in the dependent variable, which is percent increase in ‘yes’ responses. In addition, characteristics such as marital status and age had a significant impact in the small sample work. Expanding and Compounding Your Programming Efforts Bob Wells Annie’s Project is such a program. Farm and ranch women have long had educational needs not met by traditional extension programming. Annie’s Project was designed to meet women learner’s needs by utilizing a mix of educators and practitioners with empathy for farm women audiences. Instructors are trained to develop class dynamics and build mentoring relationships within groups. Employing adaptable curriculum, meeting participants educational needs, and strong networks for future educational programs, Annie’s Project has become quite popular. This session focuses on: 1) formation of a project team, 2) support from peer educators, 3) results-based program success, 4) positive farm press, 5) peer recognition of a quality program, 6) participant and facilitator support programs and, 7) participant recommendations. The discussion also addresses: 1) challenges of financing a growing project, 2) programs developed from lessons learned, and 3) collaboration with other organizations and sponsors. Mississippi Women in Agriculture – Annie’s Project Sonia Hancock The objective of the project was to increase the knowledge and skills of farm women in aspects of business management, including risk management. This was accomplished through three three-day regional workshops, one one-day informational meeting, four monthly videoconferences, and streaming videos. Seminar topics: business plans, estate planning, financial record-keeping, human resources, marketing, risk management, business management, technology security. Lecture speakers representing Mississippi State University Extension Service, state agencies, commodity organizations, and private industry, were selected for their respected expertise. Lecture and reference materials composed the manual received by each participant. Monthly video conferences (4) were available at each of the 82 county Extension offices with on-site facilitators and reference materials. Topics were selected by seminar participants and addressed by subject matter specialists. Streaming video from the seminar presentations and video conferences are accessible from the program website. This allows workshop participants and others to view and reinforce concepts taught. The program website also provides a calendar of events and reference links. Participants were challenged to commit to developing a strategic financial risk management plan. Selected workshop participants will provide input on needs of potential participants and future training as requested by 90% of participants on the seminar evaluation. Oklahoma’s Annie’s Bill Burton The Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service offered its first Annie’s Project sessions in January 2007 in northeast Oklahoma. A second group was formed in central Oklahoma in fall 2007 and 6 additional groups are scheduled to begin in spring 2008. Other impacts that participants anticipate as a result of participation include increasing use of production records, creating and using marketing plans, calculating breakeven prices for crops and livestock, preparing financial statements regularly, reviewing farm insurance policies annually, writing and reviewing farm business goals, adopting and using new farm record software, estimating and reviewing retirement costs and needs. In this session, we will discuss resources used and outcomes of our initial workshops. South Dakota Annie’s Project – Meeting the Needs Stacy Hadrick Agriculture of today is not your mother’s agriculture. It is a fast paced, technology driven, acronym using, global world that does not slow down for someone to jump in. Women are holding more roles then ever before but still want to be a productive part of their farming and ranching operations. The roles of women in agriculture are challenging and diverse – from business to family. Women are searching for programs that will empower them to ask questions and search for answers and Annie’s project is the perfect program to help women acquire valuable information in the areas of risk management. The South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service recognized the importance of women in agriculture and the need for more in depth information on risk management topics that affect them including financial, production and human resource risks. Using the Annie’s Project format, sessions were developed that focused on the specific needs of women in western areas. Classes were held in 7 locations throughout South Dakota to allow for more women to engage in the Annie’s project. The classes were open to all women involved in agribusiness and production. Each session was created to fit the needs of the women within each location since agriculture can range from soybean fields to feedlots to thousands of acres of rangelands in South Dakota. The need to develop curriculum that met the demands of our women were challenging, however, rewarding.
Panel Session: State Women in Ag Programs Arkansas Women in Agriculture: Changing Challenges and Growing Opportunities Jennie Popp Effective education requires an initial understanding of the knowledge, the needs and the experience of the education program participants. As part of education program development, participants of the 2005-2007 Arkansas Women in Agriculture conferences were surveyed to identify recent changes in their roles on and off the farm, the factors important to their success, and the problems they face in their businesses. Respondents were broken into two groups—Farm (women owner-operators of farms, ranches, or agribusinesses) and Non-farm (women working in supporting agricultural industries)—for comparisons and responses were also analyzed across years. Farm women most often reported problems keeping good employees each year, while Non-farm women often reported having problems with being respected as a female business person. For Farm women, the factor most often cited as important to success in their business was being able to pass the business on to family; for Non-farm women it was being able to apply their talents and skills. These results suggest that different types of agricultural women hold different attitudes about business and face different challenges. Results across years suggest that successes and problems may change over time. This marks some of the first research on the roles, challenges, and attitudes of Arkansas’ women in agriculture. Based on the results of this research, educational efforts are underway across the state to assist Arkansas’ women in agriculture. Context and Delivery in PA Women’s Agricultural Network: What We Know About Education for Women Farmers Carolyn Sachs Heart of the Farm – Risk Management Education and Networking Opportunities for Wisconsin Farm Women Joy Kirkpatrick Risk Management Tools for Women Farmers: Conference and Small Group Mentoring Approaches Patrice Barrentine As a current recipient of RMA´s Community Outreach and Assistance Partnership Grant, Washington State Department of Agriculture´s Small Farm Direct Marketing Program is conducting educational outreach to women farmers throughout our state on direct marketing, business and succession planning, energy alternatives for the small farmer, AGR-Lite insurance, value-added production, and state regulations and licenses for farm businesses. We have devised two methods of delivery: 1)agricultural conferences attracting women farmers, and 2)regional, women only, small group mentoring sessions. Come learn about the value of each of these delivery methods and the expected and surprise results of these outreach workshops for women farmers as we walk through our experiences in planning and conducting outreach. Social Change Through Women in Agriculture Claire Morenon Through our Women in Agriculture Network, CISA (Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture) has been coordinating technical assistance workshops and linking women farmers in Western Massachusetts since 2005. Workshop topics have covered such diverse topics as avoiding injury on the farm, marketing techniques, and retirement and succession planning. As the program has matured, many questions about the impact of our work have continually resurfaced. For example, how do you talk about women in agriculture to the press and the general public without conjuring up outdated stereotypes? How do you gear a technical assistance program towards a specific group without reinforcing too narrow a view of the work they do? How do you build a community that allows space for the varying roles that women fill in their families and businesses? In this presentation, I will give an overview of CISA’s work and the successes and challenges we’ve seen through our Women in Agriculture Program. I will also lead a discussion on thinking about and managing the social change impact of such a program. Women in Blue Jeans: Providing Education, Networking, and Support for Women in Agriculture Diana Goldammer Women in Blue Jeans is a grass-roots effort that began in 2001 and has hosted an average of 250 women at each annual conference since then. With the support of private sponsorships and government grants, ladies are able to attend for a fraction of the actual production cost. The conference is organized and produced by volunteers. Members of the steering committee are from many walks of life, including farm partners, an ag banker, county commissioners, a radio news director, and a commodity broker. Speakers are local experts in their fields, so ladies will have continued access to those resources. This session will allow time for development of an initial plan to begin hosting a similar kind of conference for women in your area. Learn from the steering committee members of Women in Blue Jeans. From selecting a location and date to generating sponsors to selecting a slate of speakers, we’ve been there and you can learn from our experiences. The Women in Blue Jeans conference has already been reproduced by a group of like-minded women in Iowa, and interest in the conference keeps growing. Don’t start from scratch when you can learn from a group who can say they’ve ‘been there, done that.’ Women Managing the Farm: Support Systems for Women in Agriculture Kristy Archuleta Women in farming and ranching may fill many overlapping roles such as business manager, owner, operator, landlord, laborer, wife and mother, and partner, often but not always in combination with an intergenerational family team. The Women Managing the Farm project was developed to provide education, development, and support for women involved in their many roles. In addition to an annual conference, the support system is now expanding into year round support with specialized listserves devoted to unique roles, and Rural Route Women, an online support network designed to address participants´ concerns and issues. |
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