Managing for Today and Tomorrow
Succession, Business, Estate, and Retirement Planning for Farm and Ranch Women
Project Justification and Target Audience
Women are generating a cultural tide in American agriculture that is moving management, assets and opportunities to a new wave of beginning
farmers and ranchers across the country. The 985,192 female operators reported in the 2007 USDA Census of Agriculture make up 30% of all farm
operators. Established generations control and manage the majority of assets; while beginning generations seek to work with them to establish
firm financial footings and learn to manage the business. All ages of women need educational support to implement generational transition
strategies.
Approach to Training
Trained local educators deliver small group multi-session courses in the Annie’s Project tradition.
Key Principles:
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Teach agricultural risk management in the areas of financial, human resources, legal, marketing and production risks
Allocate half of class time to discussion and hands-on activities
Invite local professionals (women if possible) to serve as guest instructors
Provide unbiased, research-based information applicable to local needs
Create a learning environment where mentoring is spontaneous
Core Values:
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Safe Harbor - provide a comfortable and secure environment where all questions are welcome
Guided Intelligence - build on women's natural tendency to share, teach and learn with other women
Connection - create opportunities for connection to other farm women and to local professionals
Discovery - help women make sense of topics through hands-on activities and discussion
Participant Outcomes – Year One
Activities – Year One
Objective 1: Curricula Development
Objective 4: Farm and Ranch Women Training
Reviewed available transition planning curricula
Developed new transition planning curricula and course
methodology
Designed and printed course workbooks
Farm and ranch women increased their knowledge of
Transition Planning as demonstrated with pre-course and postcourse evaluation instruments. The graphs summarize the
results of a group of questions on each major training topic.
The change in behavior is statistically significant. The results
shown below are from two Iowa 2012 courses.
Objective 2: Capacity Building (3 groups)
ANNIES national educator network
o Hosted 1 national meeting for professional development
o Provided educator support, newsletters, webinars
10-state Curricula Development team
o Hosted 1 national meeting for curricula development
Iowa Farm Transitions & Beginning Farmer working group
o Hosted 2 state meetings for project and team
development
Business Planning
captures what makes
up the current
farm/ranch business
and visions
for the future.
Estate Planning
reflects the intentions
of the established
generation in managing
and distributing assets.
Retirement Planning
prepares the
established generation
to feel more secure
about the future.
Succession Planning
outlines the transfer of
labor, management and
ownership to the
beginning generation.
Systems Outcomes – Year One
Objectives 1, 2, 3 and 5: Curricula Development, Capacity Building, Awareness, Evaluation
Extension educators and Farm Credit professionals from 10 states collaborated on curricula review and new curricula development resulting in:
o Greater reciprocity among partners (two-way sharing)
o High quality transition planning curricula
Objective 3: Transition Planning Awareness
Prepared 8 press releases and 1 video
Developed a standard program brochure and banner
Exhibited/presented at 3 conferences/other events
Extension educators and Farm Credit professionals participated in professional development events, conference calls, webinars, and other
opportunities for networking; resulting in:
o Enhanced professional capacity and interest in training farm and ranch women
o Educators in 17 states planning to deliver 30 to 40 Managing for Today and Tomorrow 15-hour courses in 2013 reaching an estimated 600 to
800 farm and ranch women
Objective 4: Farm and Ranch Women Training
Iowa Farm Transition and Beginning Farmer working group members participated in meetings and webinars resulting in:
o Development of new transition planning tools and website resources
o Outreach to farm and ranch women through media and personal conversations
Educators in the ANNIES network conducted:
o 7 pilot Managing for Today and Tomorrow courses in 4
states, reaching 84 participants
ISU Research Institute for Studies in Education contributed to meetings and workshops, and learned about the target audience resulting in:
o Capture of participant knowledge gains and behavior changes
o Collection and analysis of data leading to program improvement for Year Two
Objective 5: Evaluation
Developed pre-class, post-class and follow-up on-line
evaluation instruments
Conducted 3 educator or participant focus groups
Collected and analyzed data from:
o 7 pilot Managing for Today and Tomorrow courses
Grant Title: Farm Transition and Business Management Training for Women Farmers and Ranchers
Project Dates: September 1, 2011 to August 31, 2014 / Grant Number: 2011-49400-30584
Grant Awardee: Annie’s Project at Iowa State University Extension & Outreach
Key Partners: ANNIES National Network of Educators – especially from IL, MI, MO, ND, TX, WI, OH, PA, and NC; Farm Credit Council and
11 Farm Credit Associations, Farm Credit National Contributions Program, and the USDA NIFA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program.
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach programs are available to all without regard to race, color, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. veteran. Inquiries can be directed to the Director of Equal Opportunity and
Compliance, 3280 Beardshear Hall, (515) 294-7612. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Cathann A. Kress, director, Cooperative Extension Service, Iowa State University of Science and Technology, Ames, Iowa.