Women in agriculture who are interested in taking a more active role in farm operations may sign up for Annie’s Project, a multi-part risk-management course offered by Ohio State University Extension office here in Clinton County.
The six-week workshop will be held at the Clinton County Extension Office Community room beginning Oct. 30 from 6-9 p.m. and running consecutive Tuesdays through Dec. 4.
Annie’s Project is an educational program dedicated to strengthening women’s role in modern farm and ranch enterprises. The mission of Annie’s Project is to empower farm women to be better business partners through networks and by managing and organizing critical information.
Annie’s Project is a six-week course that focuses on the five broad areas of agricultural risk: human, financial, marketing, production, and legal.
Sessions are designed to be very interactive between the presenters and the participants. Information presented is tailored to meet the needs of participants in their own geographical areas.
Annie was a woman who grew up in a small rural community with the life-long goal of being involved in production agriculture. She spent her lifetime learning how to be an involved business partner with her husband, and together they reached their goals and achieved success.
Annie’s daughter, Ruth Hambleton, a former Extension Educator for the University of Illinois, founded Annie’s Project in 2000 in honor of her mother.
Annie’s Project is designed to take Annie’s life experiences and share them with other women in agriculture who are living and working in this complex, dynamic business environment.
Here is what other Annie’s participants have said about the program:
• “I appreciated getting to meet others with a shared interest and being able to obtain resources that I never would have known about.”
• “As a result of Annie’s Project, I’ve had great discussions with my husband.”
• “I’ve started revamping our recordkeeping system. I feel like I have some direction now!”
• “I believe attending Annie’s Project is the wisest investment of money I could have made. The amount of information learned from all the speakers is unbelievable. I feel like I can be a real asset to the farm operation now that I have a better understanding of the business.”
The individual participant cost is $70 per person thanks to generous contributions from our local Clinton County Farm Bureau. Program registration will include all handouts as well, and dinner will be served each evening of the program.
The class size is limited to 25 participants. Registration deadline is Oct. 26.
For more information or to request a registration form you can visit our county website at clinton.osu.edu or request by calling the Clinton County Extension office at 937-382-0901 or email Tony Nye at [email protected].
Save the date
Another date to get on your calendar is Friday, Nov. 2 for the Women in Agriculture Lady Landlord Program.
The interactive Lady Landlord workshop will provide women landowners with the confidence, skills, and resources necessary to interact with tenants, develop and negotiate lease arrangements, and more.
Registration includes all materials with lunch provided.
Topics for the day will include addressing the risks of leasing, verbal versus written leases, nuts and bolts of a lease, communicating with your tenant, negotiation process and skills, factors that affect the rental rate and more.
We do not have all the final details worked out, so for now, get the date on your calendar and give me a call if you would like more information on this program by calling Tony Nye at 937-382-0901 or by emailing at [email protected].
Tony Nye is the state coordinator for the Ohio State University Extension Small Farm Program and has been an OSU Extension Educator for agriculture and natural resources for over 30 years, currently serving Clinton County and the Miami Valley EERA.
