Adapting the highly successful Annie's Project to diverse east coast farm communities

1. Adapting the highly successful Annie's Project to diverse east coast farm communities John W. Berry, Agricultural Marketing Educator & Winifred W. McGee Economic/Community Development Educator Penn STATE Extension

2. The mission – to empower female farmers to be proactive in addressing business risk through networks and by managing and organizing critical information. Annie’s Project

3. Six-Day Course that addresses: • Production Risk • Price or Market Risk • Financial Risk • Institutional and Legal Risk • Human and Personal Risk Standard Annie’s Curriculum

4. No more than ½ each session spent in lecture! • Networking/discussion • Class activities • Guest speakers/panels Annie’s Hallmark -- Interaction

5. To modify the extremely successful mid-western program for eastern participants, whose farms are often: • Smaller • More diversified • Adding value as a major strategy • In a “mixed use” community The Pennsylvania Goal:

6. NE Annie’s Project • Feedlot beef/goats • Heirloom Vegetables • CSA • Free-range poultry • Farmstead cheese • Product liability insurance • Enterprise budgets Mid-West Annie’s Project • Large farms & ranches • Grain • Corn • Soybeans • Hogs • Cattle • Dairy • Commodity Markets • Crop Insurance • FINPACK Analysis Differentiating Annie’s Project for the Northeast VS

7. Multi-disciplinary team • NE CRME funding secured • Interface with PA women farmers • Creating curriculum • To answer their questions • To address their concerns • To encourage and empower Customizing Annie’s Project

8. Day 1 – Course Introduction • Meet presenters and other participants • Learn how Annie’s Project “works” • Risk Tolerance Self-assessment Annie’s ProjectAgenda

9. Day 2 – Marketing Risks • Truly Targeting your Market • Strategic Marketing • Planning for Resiliency in Changing Marketplace Annie’s ProjectAgenda

10. Day 3 – Production Risks • Mapping Past Changes • Management Tools – Diversification, Insurance, Technology and Contracts • Building your Advisory Team • SWOT Analyses Annie’s ProjectAgenda

11. Day 4 – Financial Risks • Financial + Marketing + Production Ties • Budgets = paper trial runs • Activities – Using cash flow/enterprise figures for decision-making • Farm credit/banker/ag grant recipient as presenter/panel Annie’s ProjectAgenda

12. Day 5 – Human Resource Risks • Developing a proactive/responsive leadership skill set • Working with/for relatives versus non-related employees • Creating contingency plans Annie’s ProjectAgenda

13. Day 6 – Community Risks • Selecting the Appropriate Business Structure • Evaluating/creating CSA Contracts • Regulatory/Environmental issues • Local Government/Agencies – Who’s in charge? Annie’s ProjectAgenda

14. Pilot Session in Exton, Pennsylvania • Collaborated with Chester County Economic Development Council • November, December 2008 and January 2009 • 9 registered participants • 2 vegetable growers • 2 dairy • 1 feedlot beef • 1 poultry • 1 PASA representative • 1 insurance industry representative • 1 “exploring” agriculture Kicking the Tires –piloting the workshop

15. Winter weather! • Span of classes – 2 per month, three months • Extensive evaluation of impact • Level of family support for Annie’s Project/the ag business • Acceptance of new/different ways to look at and do things • Outside forces • Off-farm employment • Jury duty Challenges Faced

16. Rapid relationship building • Share concerns • “Test market” value-added products • Participants as experts • CSA development • Insurance consults • Environmental grants • Linkage to other classes • 2 participant enrolled in Your Future in Focus business planning course • 2 participants collaborating with Extension in development of Annie’s Project – Women Adding Value Positive Outcomes

17. Intimate nature of workshop • Immediate application to “their own farms” • Amount of usable information • Applied to farms • Applied to their lives • Ability to ask questions of • Each other • The instructors • Guest speakers Participant Feedback: Why Annie’s Project was Successful

18. Session Activity: Mapping your Production Change A Taste ofPA Annie’s Curriculum

19. Not for the faint of heart! • Know more than what’s in the Power Point • Be ready to follow rabbit trails • Let the participants guide the class • BUT – Always have 2-3 key concepts that need to be learned, discussed and tried out before the session ends! • Be ready to explore with the class • Have the “next step” in mind • Take personal interest in the participants – be part of their network! Tips for (Would-be) Annie’s ProjectInstructors

20. Train-the-Trainer in State College PA • June 20 & 21, 2010 • Support from Annie’s National Team • 2-Day Agenda • Stakeholder Meeting • Trainer pre-session • Women Ag-Professionals roundtable • Female Farmers roundtable • Annie’s Train-the-Trainer Session • Overview of Annie’s Project – purpose, mechanics, marketing, financing • Introduction to Annie’s Project for the NE Curriculum – familiarization with in-class activities and the interactive presentation method Next Steps for Annie’s Project in the North East

21. Adapting the highly successful Annie's Project to diverse east coast farm communities John W. Berry, Agricultural Marketing Educator & Winifred W. McGee Economic/Community Development Educator Penn STATE Extension