Shakopee Valley News, MN
09-08-07
Skills course for women in agriculture
Submitted by Pat Minelli
Women involved in agriculture in Scott and Carver counties and surrounding
areas have an opportunity to improve their farm-management skills by
participating in Annie’s Project.
Annie’s Project was developed by Ruth Hambleton (a University of Illinois
Extension Farm Business Management educator) based on the experiences of
her mother, Annie Fleck. Annie was a city girl and school teacher who married a
dairy farmer. She kept the books for the farm but lacked the farm-management
skills to feel confident in helping her husband with management decisions.
However, Annie kept the farm business running. When big decisions had to be
made she was there with her records. To increase cash flow, Annie sent her
husband to work-off farm while she milked cows and kept an egg route in
Chicago. Eventually, her records guided them to discontinue their operation as
other farmers with larger equipment and more resources could better run the
farm. Through a grant from the USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA), Annie’s
Project was developed to help other farm women who want to improve their farm
management skills.
Annie’s Project has been offered in Illinois and Iowa for the past three years.
Said Bob Wells, Iowa State University Extension educator: “Farm women
enjoy meeting and learning as a group. They mentor each other and become
close friends through the process.”
Wells also said: “While the curriculum is provided to cover important riskmanagement topics, the sessions allow participants to discuss farm related
topics that are most important to them.”
One of the reasons Annie’s Project has been successful is because it is
interactive and deals with real-time problems that farms are facing today. Finding
answers quickly to farm-management problems while trying to balance family,
farm chores and off-farm work is a challenge. Participants will learn where to look
for answers and will also examine some decision making tools that will help them
make good decisions.
“Farming has always been a risky business” said Regional Extension Educator
Margot Rudstrom. “Annie’s Project addresses those farming risks and helps
participants gain the confidence to manage them effectively.”
Participants receive information and management training in financial and
production record-keeping, grain and milk marketing, financial risk-management,
human resource and time management, retirement, farm transfer and estate
planning.
There is an Annie’s Project scheduled to begin in Shakopee at the Scott County
Government Center on Oct. 23. Each session will be taught by educators from
the University of Minnesota Extension and local agri-business professionals.
Since computers are such an important tool to aid the decision making process
on the farm, the 18 hours of study will take place in the computer lab. A $100
registration fee includes farm management computer software, class materials
and lunch provided to participants for the six session program.
Since farm women have busy schedules, classes are scheduled to
accommodate them. The sessions in Shakopee will be held on Tuesdays from 10
a.m. to 2 p.m. All sessions will include lunch.
To register for Annie’s Project contact Laura Kieser at (952) 492-5386 or (952)
466-5306. Class size is limited to 20 participants.