Project Overview
Annie’s Project coordinates educational processes encompassing a practical, broad vision of farm business management. It targets relevant subjects and promotes group dynamics by developing support networks. Annie’s Project concentrates on providing farm management education in five risk management areas, (1) production, (2) marketing, (3) financial, (4) legal and (5) human resources.
Consisting of six three hour sessions, extension specialist and a team of instructors deliver core components. Documented outcomes and impacts include farm women increasing their knowledge, skills and abilities in risk management. Participants also gain confidence in their decision making abilities becoming better farm business partners. The project held 24 Annie’s Project workshops with an enrollment goal of 475 participants, developed a semi-annual newsletter with 225 subscribers, and increased to 15 percent the number of participants (71)enrolled in the continuing educational offerings of the Ag Management e-Schools (AMES) risk management programs.
During this years Annie’s Project the program provided participants the opportunity to learn from business specialist and each other. Participants received three pieces of computer software, FAST Tools, Ag Decision Maker and FINPAK Business plan, which helped them organize farm records, make critical management decisions, and plan future scenarios. Farm women learned how to keep accurate, useful financial records, learned about marketing commodities and planned for future transitions between generations. Other programs, determined by class evaluations, have evolved from Annie’s Project and included Women Marketing Grain, Financial Record Keeping for Farm Women and Training for Executors of Farm Estates.
Maintaining program integrity continues to be critical in obtaining long term financial support. This was accomplished by providing consistency in program materials, educating instructors, and course evaluations. One day instructor training seminars were conducted for both, instructors and facilitators. State support increased by maintaining a participant data base for use in distributing newsletters, risk management tips and information on a continuing basis. Additionally, central support for all Annie’s Projects provided economies of scale with bulk purchase agreements resulting in substantial cost savings for the programs educational materials.
Number of Participants: 1340
PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS
There are no promotional materials available for this project.
EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS
There are no educational materials available for this project.
REPORTS & EVALUATIONS
There are no reports or evaluations available for this project.