January 13, 2006

Annie's Project brings farm women together to learn

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - While farming is traditionally viewed as a man's field, more and more women find themselves part of the club.

In some cases, women become involved in farming through marriage or because they've inherited a farm, and more and more women are choosing farming as their career, said Kelly Easterday, a Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service educator in Kosciusko County.

"Through necessity, farm women have developed unique survival and management skills," she said.

To help these women learn from each other, Purdue Extension is offering a training program, called Annie's Project, at locations throughout Indiana. The program features six sessions on time management, managing human resources, organizing financial records, keeping track of production and retrieving information.

Registration is limited. The fee for the program is $50 per person and includes a notebook, software and all other needed materials needed. Computers will be provided at each location.

Session locations and dates include:

• Dale - 6:30-9:30 p.m. on Feb. 9, 16, 23 and March 2, 9 and 26 at North Spencer Alternative School.

• Terre Haute - 9 a.m. to noon on Feb. 1, 8, 15, 22 and March 1 and 8 at Ivy Tech at the Airport.

• Petersburg - 6-9 p.m. on Feb. 12, 21, 28 and March 7, 14 and 21 at Pike Central Middle School Learning Center.

• Plymouth - 1-4 p.m. on Feb. 2, 9, 16, 23 and March 2 and 9 at Crossroads Academy Learning Center.

Women with many years of farm experience are especially encouraged to enroll in the program to serve as mentors to younger women.

Easterday said that while Extension educators lead the sessions, "Older farm women often have life experience and younger women have new skills needed by the older generation. This project offers both a chance to share with each other."

To register for the program, contact Purdue Extension at (888) EXT-INFO.

Annie's Project was inspired by, and named for, the mother of a University of Illinois Extension specialist.

Writer: Kay Hagen, (765) 494-6682, kjh@purdue.edu

Source: Kelly Easterday, (574) 372-2340, keasterday@purdue.edu

Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
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