Completed Project Report


Reducing Risk and Improving Resiliency for New England Women Livestock Producers in Sustainable Agriculture

  • Award Amount: $32,122
  • Regional Center: Northeast Extension Risk Management Education Center
  • Grant Program: 2020 Education Projects
  • Project Director: Elaina Enzien
  • Email: elaina.enzien@unh.edu
  • Organization: University of New Hampshire Sponsored Programs Administration

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Project Overview

This program provided an opportunity for women livestock producers in all New England states to access the necessary tools to address risks related to communication, financial planning, market viability, and pastured livestock systems. Regionally, New England is a leader for number of women producers, however, the number of specialists in business and livestock production as a region are limited. In offering this program regionally it expanded networks between farmers, agriculture service providers, and effectively reduced risk to maintain resilient livestock businesses.
The project had three phases:

1) First, we offered virtual learning circles on two different occasions with a total of 24 participants. Women learned about communication styles, how to improve negotiation skills, and participated in a facilitated discussion to help build the curriculum for a winter virtual conference.

2) Our winter virtual conference had sessions on marketing and financial planning, which had 68 consistent participants.

3) To allow for networking between conference participants, we offered three post-conference field days that focused on processing, grazing management, and direct sales marketing with a total of 26 participants, 20 of which participated in the virtual conference.

A total of 16 participants implemented meaningful changes that moved their business towards their profit goals.

Number of Participants: 68

Outcomes

Project Steps

PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS

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EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS

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REPORTS & EVALUATIONS

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DELIVERY AREA

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