On farms large and small across the state of Kansas, the number of women making the decisions is growing. Against that backdrop and especially in view of the current struggling farm economy, Kansas State University and the Post Rock Extension District will host two sites for the series of workshops focused on helping women sharpen their risk management skills.
The K-State Research and Extension, Post Rock District, program will run as a series, so each evening session builds on material from the previous sessions. Participants register at a cost of $50 for the entire series. The fee covers all meals and program materials. Local scholarships may be available upon request at the Smith Center Office of the Post Rock District.
The sessions, all on Wednesdays, are scheduled on January 12, January 19, January 26 and February 2, with an optional session on February 23, from 5:30 to 8:30 pm and will be held in Beloit, at the First State Bank and in Smith Center at the courthouse basement meeting room. The sessions will feature a combination of broadcasted keynote speakers as well as local speakers. Registrations is requested by Friday, December 31 either ONLINE at www.postrock.ksu.edu or to any of our Post Rock District Offices. The registration fee can be mailed or dropped off to any of our Post Rock Extension District Offices as well.
Topics will include Enterprise Budgets, Crop Insurance, Stress and Resiliency, Crop Marketing, Family Communication, Farm Bill programs and Cow/Calf enterprise budget.
There are 35 locations around the state, so if you are interested in the other locations which might be closer to you, please contact any of our Post Rock District offices in Beloit, Lincoln, Mankato, Osborne or Smith Center.
More than 25,500 women are decision makers on Kansas farms. They farm more than 14 million acres, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Census of Agriculture. Overall, in 2017, 36% of all agricultural producers across the country were women, up from 31.5% in 2012. Fifty-six percent of farms had at least one female decision maker.
“Women in agriculture will be specifically targeted for these workshops,” said Sandra Wick and Blaire Todd, Crop and Livestock Agents with the Post Rock Extension District and K-State Research and Extension. “They tend to be an underserved demographic, but many times are doing the books or recordkeeping for the operation. By teaching them skills necessary to turn farm records into financial statements, and then using those statements to make assessments and management decisions, farm women can increase the profitability and sustainability of their operations.”
The program is supported by the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture through North-Central Extension Risk Management Education.
By Sandra Wick (swick@ksu.edu)
