University of Wisconsin - Extension

Madison, Wis. – Heart of the Farm-Women in Agriculture is offering its final two conferences for the 2009 programming year on Thursday and Friday, March 5 and 6 in Eau Claire and Oshkosh, respectively.

Heart of the Farm- Women in Agriculture workshop series is a University of Wisconsin-Extension program that is committed to addressing the needs of farm women by providing education on farm business topics, connecting them with agricultural resources and creating support networks.

The March 5 conference will be held in Eau Claire at The Florian Gardens. Workshop topics include:

-- Financial Records: what to keep, how long to keep them, how to organize them and what do I need for my lender? Kay Wiemer, Senior. Farm Accounting Specialist; Eric Gullicksrud, Senior Tax Consultant; and Steve Larson, Assistant Vice President Production Ag. These Badgerland Financial Specialists will present a panel discussion to answer these and many other questions regarding your farm business financial information.

-- Employee Management and Retention. Trisha Wagner, UW-Extension Jackson County agriculture agent. Come and learn how to improve employee satisfaction and retention and how your farm can benefit from positive labor practices. Learn different strategies to implement these practices at varying costs: low, medium and high.

-- It’s not the plan that’s important, it’s the planning. Aliesha Crowe, UW-Extension Rusk County agriculture agent. Myth, fact or just a cool quote. This session looks at the “why” behind business planning. Discussion includes comparing business planning for your own personal interest versus communicating about your business with others.

-- Smart Growth Plan: things you have to consider before expanding. Victor Cabrera, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Dept. of Dairy Science, UW-Madison/UW-Extension specialist. Dairy producers must be able to predict their financial and herd profiles in a variety of scenarios to secure economic sustainability before deciding to expand. Dr. Cabrera will discuss potential consequences of expansion and consider actions to reduce risk.

-- “Putting a Face and a Place to Food.” Lois Federman, Wisconsin DATCP. Local food production is sweeping across the state’s countryside and inside urban areas creating new opportunities for Wisconsin farmers. Lois will talk about what opportunities there are for you as a producer to market your food products.

A wine and cheese tasting will be held at the end of the day. Registration is $25 per person. Contact Jenny Vanderlin at the UW Center for Dairy Profitability at 608-263-7795 for more information.

The March 6 conference will be held in Oshkosh at the LaSure’s Banquet Hall. Workshop topics include:

-- Finding Your Voice for Agriculture. Mary Behnke, Behnke Farms, Clintonville; Tina Hinchley, Hinchley’s Dairy Farm Tours, Cambridge; Gina Stokes, Winnebago County Ag in the Classroom Program Director. These farm women are committed to communicating the value of agriculture to non-ag audiences. They will share their expertise and give participants ideas on how they can find their own voice for agriculture.

-- Planning for the Unexpected Tomorrow. Sandy Simonson-Thums, Author/Owner of Life and Legacies, LLC. No one wants to think about it, but everyone should plan for it….what if your spouse or farming partner is gone? Sandy will share her first-hand experience with the unexpected tomorrow. She will provide guidance on how to plan for the immediate decisions that must be made and what to consider when thinking about the long term viability of continuing the farming business and going it alone.

-- Making $ense of Nutrient Management Planning: What is it? Why is it here? How do I make it work on my farm? Kevin Jarek, UW-Extension Outagamie County crops and soils agent and Nick Schneider, UW-Extension Winnebago County agriculture agent. Confused about what a nutrient management plan is, why you need it or how to use one? Kevin and Nick will provide the answers to these questions and more.

-- Considering Crop and Livestock Insurance Options. Paul Mitchell, Asst. Professor and UW-Extension specialist, Agricultural Applied Economics Dept.; and Victor Cabrera, Asst. Professor Dairy Science Dept., UW-Madison/UW-Extension specialist. Paul will provide an overview of the crop insurance under the new farm bill and Victor will discuss the Livestock Gross Margin for dairy, a new insurance for dairy producers.

-- Keeping Young Hearts Safe on the Farm. Cheryl Skjolaas, Outreach Specialist, UW Biological Systems Engineering, UW-Madison. The children who live on your farm or visit need to be aware of the safe and unsafe activities on the farm. Cheryl will discuss the ages and stages of youth development and how to prevent common farm-related injuries for the different age groups. She will also discuss steps to take in an emergency and first aid resources.

Registration is $25 per person. Contact Joy Kirkpatrick at the UW Center for Dairy Profitability at 608-263-3485 for more information.

Visit the Heart of the Farm website www.uwex.edu/ces/heartofthefarm to download a brochure for any of the conferences listed here.