The Tomorrow’s Top Agricultural
Producers Program:
An Illustration of a Mentor Program for Participatory Assistance
Jason Johnson, Stan Bevers, Blake Bennett
Bill Thompson, Wade Polk, Brenda Duckworth

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TTAP Mission Statement
Objectives / Description of Participants
Review of the Course Curriculum / Logistics
Evaluation of Knowledge Gained
Design of the Mentor Program
Recruitment of Mentors
Training Program for Mentors
Tracking the Interaction / Contact
Lessons Learned
Measuring the Impact

TTAP is a management development program to train targeted agricultural producers with the skills necessary to develop successful businesses that will survive and prosper in current and future economic environments.
Targeted agricultural producers include those that plan to take over existing operations, those that are developing new operations and those seeking funding for existing or start-up operations.

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During the course of the program, each participant will develop a comprehensive written business plan for their individual operation.
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Participants will be taught the skills necessary to implement and adjust their business plan over time.
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Following completion of the curriculum, follow-up assistance will be provided by a mentor committee.

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24 Operations: Texas and Oklahoma.
Mostly commercial operations, a few small operations; 300 - 5,000 acres.
Diverse production, cow-calf, crops, rice and timber.
$1,000 registration fee; $5-6,000 total expenses.
Ages ranged from 23 to 69 years old.
Typically less than 10 years of operational experience.

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Four Sessions around Texas over 15 months.
Session I: Amarillo, November 2002;
“Developing the Basics”
Session II: College Station, January 2003;
“Financial Planning & Analysis”
Session III: Dallas, November 2003;
“Agricultural Marketing”
Session IV: Kerrville, January 2004;
“Tying It All Together”
Mentor Program – January 2004 – January 2005

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Sources of Risk
Business Plans and Planning
Mission Statement
Business Structure
Resource Inventories
SWOT
Financial Statements and Analysis
Producer Panel Perspective

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Personality Test and Interpretation
Defining Your Objectives and Goals
Role of Enterprise Budgets
Farm Assistance Overview
Cash Flow Development
How to be a Good Analyst
Producer Panel Prospective
Implementation into the Business Plan

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Producers completed their accounting for 2002
Financial Analysis was reviewed by TCE
Economists.
Farm Assistance was completed by Risk
Management Specialists.
Futures and Options Leveling Workshop

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Futures and Options Review
Advanced Futures and Options
Technical Analysis
Commodity Insurance
Simulations
Commodity-specific Sessions
Contracting
Producer Panel Perspective

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Legal & Liability Issues
Personnel Management
Intergenerational Transfer
Developing the Executive Summary
Introduction to Mentor Committee
Presentation of Business Plans
Characteristics of a Good Manager
Graduation

Session
I
Basics
Session
II
Finance
Session
III
Marketing
Session
IV
Integration Overall
Pre-test 39.6% 48.1% 31.6%
Post-test 69.0% 74.0% 64.4%
32.6%
76.4%
38.0%
71.0%
Change 74.4% 54.0% 103.6% 134.4% 86.8%
Average Score (% of 100)

TTAP Graduate
Primary Mentor
Secondary Mentor
Lender Mentor
TCE Lead Economist
TTAP
Mentor
Committee

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Two producers and one lender per participant.
Each participant was assigned a Lead Economist from TCE.
Targeted mentors at least 60 miles away from participant.
Searched for Mentors possessing complementary production, geographical, or family dynamic interests and other common motivations.

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Once participants were known, solicited nominations from County Extension Agents for mentors “fitting the profile” for a specific participant.
Also identified mentors from 600+ Master
Marketer program and 50+ MM for Lender program graduates.
Individuals were targeted and solicited for participation via invitation and phone call.
Success rate for recruiting 1 st choice of mentor was roughly 60%.

DAY ONE – (3 rd Day, Session IV)
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Background info and address sheet
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Why you were chosen to be a TTAP Mentor
TTAP program description of curriculum/participants
Introduction of fellow TTAP Mentors
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Mentor Training
Role of Mentors and Participants
Schedule of business plan presentations
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Presentation of business plans to Mentor Committees
TTAP social
DAY TWO
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Family issues / Characteristics of good managers
Graduation of TTAP Participants

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Recognizing the impact that others have had on your own success.
Event #1
Opportunity/Obstacle
Event #2
Opportunity/Obstacle Today
Individual who assisted in your development
Individual who assisted in your development

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Mentor as Ally, Catalyst, and/or Strategist
Listening with Empathy
Asking “High Gain” Questions
Communication Tips
Listening Habits
Mentoring a Problem Situation
Giving Feedback
Keys to the Mentoring Dialogue

TTAP Participants to TTAP Mentors
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Contact Mentors on a regular basis to inform them of their progress on the business plan.
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Contact should be made on a quarterly basis.
Seek advice from Mentors on issues as they arise.
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Host their Primary Mentor at their operation for a follow-up visit and discussion of progress.
Report contact with Mentors and material changes to their business plan to TCE Lead
Economist.

TTAP Mentors to TTAP Participants
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Primary Mentors contact participants at least quarterly to monitor progress.
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All members of the mentor committee provide advice to the graduate when solicited.
Conduct follow-up visit at the participant’s operation within one year of completion of classroom activities.
Report contact and material changes to the business plans of participants to TCE Lead
Economist.

– 1 yr post introduction
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3/21 (14% of participants) had no further contact.
Of the 18 participants who did maintain contact:
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Approximately 90 hours of on-site visit contact;
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Over 111 hours of other contact was cited (by phone, email, face-to-face conversations);
Avg. of 11+ hours of follow-up contact with mentor committee members per participant;
6/18 (33% of participants) utilized their lender mentor for information and guidance; and
Figures do not include contact with TCE Lead Economists.

- Lessons Learned
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Mentor training must emphasize that mentors were not recruited to solve someone else’s problems.
Mentors must be given flexibility in their approach, but a clear explanation of their task.
Mentor committee composition must be pragmatic.
Mentees should help define the desired outcomes from the mentor process.
Introductions and initial contact are critical.
The process needs a chaperone.

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Measuring Improvements in Knowledge - complete
Sample Testimonials from Graduates
Financial Performance (pre- vs. post- program)
Non-financial Measures
Continued benefits
Influence on Mentor’s operations
The dilemma of defining “success”