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3. 2008 National Women in Agriculture Educators Conference

Oklahoma Annie´s

Bill Burton

Summary

Annie’s Project, a program initiated in Illinois, quickly spread to other nearby states including Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Ohio. The target audience is farm women with a passion for business and involvement and the aim is to empower them to be better business partners. The project is accomplished through a series of six workshop sessions through which they network and build skills to manage and organize critical information. Participants say that they find answers, strength, and friendship. They also grow in confidence, business skills, and community prestige.

The Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service offered its first Annie’s Project sessions in January 2007 in northeast Oklahoma. A second group was formed in central Oklahoma in fall 2007 and 6 additional groups are scheduled to begin in spring 2008. Here’s what Oklahoma women have said about their experience in Annie’s: "I believe I’m more confident in my farm management decisions." "I now understand how many factors must be considered when making financial management decisions." Other impacts that participants anticipate as a result of participation include increasing use of production records, creating and using marketing plans, calculating breakeven prices for crops and livestock, preparing financial statements regularly, reviewing farm insurance policies annually, writing and reviewing farm business goals, adopting and using new farm record software, estimating and reviewing retirement costs and needs. In this session, we will discuss resources used and outcomes of our initial workshops.

Details

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