Louisiana to host workshop for women in agriculture

Five workshops will be spread out between July and August

By Diego Flammini, Farms.com

In an effort to promote women in agriculture and encourage them to improve the management skills necessary for a successful farm business, a five-session workshop will be held in Ruston, Louisiana.

The workshop, Annie’s Project, is an important element in Louisiana farming.

“Annie’s Project is very needed in Louisiana,” said Deborah Cross-Young, a retired LSU AgCenter agent and volunteer coordinator for Louisiana. The program focuses on female farmers in the community and provides them with the tools and resources needed to make them successful, she said.

The workshops are scheduled to take place on five consecutive Thursdays: July 9^th, July 16^th, July 23^rd, July 30^th, and August 6^th. The sessions will run from 5pm – 8:30pm and the registration deadline is Thursday, July 2^nd.

They will cover a variety of topics including risk assessment, grain marketing, farm programs, crop insurance, succession planning, and tax issues.

“The goal is to help women start their business from the beginning and transition it to the next generation,” Cross-Young said. “The program makes the farmers successful and in turn benefits us as the consumer to get the best products possible.”

Annie’s Project is named in honor of Annie Fleck, a woman from Illinois who wanted to marry a farmer and learn how to be involved in the business. She did those things but endured hardships along the way including new food regulations and family strife.

There are other events celebrating women in agriculture in 2015.

From Thursday, November 5^th to Saturday, November 7^th, DoubleTree by Hilton in Portland, Maine will host the 2015 American Agri-Women National Convention.

In Chicago, Illinois, Palmer House Hilton will play host to the 2015 Top Producer’s Executive Women in Agriculture Conference from Thursday, December 3^rd to Friday, December 4^th.