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Annie's Project Best Practices Improve Women's Farm Management in 14 States

Madeline Schultz

Summary

As leaders, family communicators, and visionaries of tomorrow’s rural landscapes, women are influential decision makers. They are stepping up to challenging and changing roles in agriculture. This creates a critical need for education directed specifically to this gender. Annie’s Project educators created positive impacts for women in fourteen states from 2013 to 2015. More than 677 women from 76 courses responded to a national survey. Annie’s Project courses were successful in extending knowledge in the five agricultural risk areas of finance, human resources, legal, marketing and production. Results indicate a statistically significant difference in the overall mean knowledge gains from pre-course assessment to post-course assessment with p>.01 in all content areas combined. Overall survey respondents who agreed or strongly agreed the best education practices were implemented were more likely to make gains in knowledge than respondents who disagreed or strongly disagreed the best education practices were implemented. Results showed participants took important actions towards managing all five agricultural risks. When farm and ranch women are empowered, they can contribute to a more sustainable agriculture by improving economic resiliency, conserving natural resources, and taking on influential roles in their families and communities. Extension educators have an important role in risk management education for women. This poster summarizes a December 2017 journal article detailing the survey results which can be found at https://www.nacaa.com/journal/index.php?jid=784.

Co-Authors: Kelvin L. Leibold, Timothy R. Eggers, Cori J. Hyde, Alrlene de la Mora

Details

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