Farm Transition and Beginning Management Training for Women Farmers and Ranchers

"Women are generating a cultural tide in American agriculture that is moving management, assets and opportunities to a new wave of beginning farmers and ranchers across the country. This project brings educational teams or working groups together to benefit women beginning, mid-career, and retiring farmers and ranchers in 20 states. Delivery of local Level I and Level II Annie's Project courses will provide women with unbiased research based information and access to local service providers. Level I courses teach women to manage all five areas of business risk: financial, human resource, legal, marketing and production. The project teams will develop a new Level II special topic course on Farm and Ranch Transition Planning that provides more in-depth training. Older generations who control the majority of assets and younger generations who seek to establish firm financial footings and learn to manage the farm or ranch business need educational support to implement generational transition strategies that lead to improved profitability, greater food security, increased rural lifestyle satisfaction, and enhanced agricultural sustainability. Creating and then capitalizing on the empowered role of women is an innovative approach to benefiting beginning farmers and ranchers."