Annie’s Project, a risk management program for women in agriculture, will again be offered throughout
Ohio this winter.
According to Doris Herringshaw, family and consumer science educator for Ohio State University Extension,
Annie’s Project workshops are currently held in 22 states, and more than 7,000 participants have
completed the program. The project was introduced to Ohio in January 2007, with 282 women completing the
program since then.
It is a multi-part course designed to strengthen women’s role in modern farm enterprises.
The program in Wood County will begin Jan. 31 and run a total of four Mondays through Feb. 28. There will
not be a session on Feb. 21. The program will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. at the BG Community Center on
Newton Road in Bowling Green.
Sessions will begin with a light meal and then proceed with speakers and interactive sessions.
Seating is limited, so early registration is encouraged. Cost for the workshop is $55 per person
attending in Wood County.
The project’s namesake was a woman who grew up in a small rural community and spent her adult life
learning how to be an involved, successful business partner with her husband. Annie’s daughter, Ruth
Hambleton, became an Extension educator in Illinois and developed the program in 2000 in honor of her
mother’s life experience. The program is for women who live and work in a complex, dynamic farm business
environment, and it focuses on five broad aspects of risk typical in the agricultural setting: human,
financial, marketing, production and legal.
There have been 14 Annie’s Project workshops held in Ohio with seven more planned for this winter. These
workshops have found wide support from women throughout the state, Ag Lenders, Agribusinesses, Ag
Service providers and Ag Organizations. They have all provided information, class instructors and
sponsorship for the workshops.
To register or for more information, contact Herringshaw at [email protected] or (419) 354-9050.
The sessions will offer participants information to help be better partners or producers of farm
products. The sessions include personality typing, and family communications; basics of grain marketing
and direct marketing of grain; Estate planning, farm succession planning and retirement issues, farm
taxes and passing down non-titles property.
One session will be devoted to crop insurance basics, farm service agency and loan programs. Participants
will have an opportunity to attend one session on farm finances that is devoted to farm finance record
keeping.
If the Wood County dates do not fit into your schedule, contact Herringshaw for sessions which will be
held in Wyandot, Fulton. Montgomery, Morgan/Washington, Fayette and Tuscarawas counties.
There will also be a second workshop for women in agriculture focused on financial risk management. The
Farm Finance for Women workshops are being conducted as part of a North Central Risk Management
Education Center Grant.
Look for future articles in the Ohio Ag Manager for more information on this workshop.