Conferences
Working with Plain Faith Auidences as a Woman
Maria Bendixen
Summary
Working with Amish and Mennonite farmers has challenges for anyone who is not plain faith. Working with them as a woman presents a set of challenges that are significant but not insurmountable. In my experience working with them successfully requires not compromising on your own values while respecting theirs. They have a different way of life and we can contribute to it if you play your cards right.
I have been working with both Amish and Mennonite farmers for 8 years now and just recently have been able to break through and become a trusted advisor on farm management, for several farmers in this group. I will share some of my early experiences as well as more recent successes.
This workshop will help debunk some myths about this particular farm population as well as offer some insights as to some of the unwritten rules of their culture. Working with anyone requires building trust and these groups are no different. The more we know about them the faster that trust can be built. The information provided in this workshop will help you avoid some pitfalls of working with people in this highly rules based culture. This workshop would be helpful for anyone working in a culture that they are not familiar with.
Details
| Conference | 2014 Women in Agriculture Educators National Conference |
| Presentation Type | 30-Minute Concurrent |