What Participants Say About Their Experience
SARA’S STORY
“It [MTT] gave me the opportunity at the right time, as I was having those farming lessons with my father, to be able to ask the questions…‘now dad how does this work in our family’s operation and how do you address this question and how do you handle this?’
We had many conversations about me taking over the family farming operation, me continuing the cattle herd. It’s about more than passing the land onto the next generation. It’s about passing that knowledge base and that wealth of information. That’s the true legacy and that is what makes farming…such an untapped wealth, because of the knowledge and experience…It’s about living the lifestyle, doing what’s right and being a part of the farming operation.”
Sara is now living back in the community where she grew up, taking on a new adventure in farming. She has a purebred Charolais cow/calf herd and a corn and soybean row-crop operation. Her father has since passed away.
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“My husband told me to go and learn, and that he “wished that everyone would quit assuming that the men always know this stuff.”
“Annie’s Project was an amazing learning experience.”
“I have met so many people and would like to have more meetings in the future.”
“I had a life changing weekend with an amazing group of women who want to know more about agriculture in South Carolina.”
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REXANNE AND BRANDI’S STORY
“This has given us a lot of information to look for the future…talking about transitioning from mom and dad down to my husband and I.
We never think that mom and dad are going to get old or that they can’t take care of everything.
My husband and I are looking for a future…they talked about the transition and how family farms work… We would love to see this family farm stay in the family for generations to come…it’s a passion and a lifestyle.”
Brandi and her husband are fifth-generation farmers on this family farm.
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“It encouraged me to see I knew more than I thought I did about the operation of the farm. It increased confidence to do more in farm management…As I had more time to watch the finances I was responsible for, I could troubleshoot, decrease waste and increase profits.”
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“The best thing about the course
was the networking and relationships
that were developed.”
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“Annie’s Project understands the obstacles that women experience.”
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“Farm advisors don’t just pass me by as the farmer’s wife. I’m an integral part of the operation.”
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“I would tell any woman to join the program. The knowledge you gain is invaluable and instrumental in creating a strong foundation of resources and networking.”
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“One of the biggest things I got out of the class was that I really needed to get operating procedures down for the dairy and also to get them in Spanish, so our Latino workers could understand them. That was probably the biggest accomplishment and dealing with some of the legal issues, just having more knowledge on legal issues that were going to affect our farm.
Employee evaluations are probably the most beneficial to us. I really think that the employees enjoyed doing that. They like to hear that they are doing a good job and they could express what they thought we could do different, so it was a good communication thing… Annie’s Project is a great resource and networking opportunity.”
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“The information in the Annie’s classes is very powerful and allows me to make a large “TO DO” list! There is a sense of direction and a voracious need to learn more.
I have told my daughter about Annie’s Project and am encouraging her to plan to attend.”
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“It was Annie’s Project that gave me the confidence to know what I could bring to the farm. It helped me see my skill set and have the network and resources in place to solve problems. Because of that program, I knew how I could truly contribute.”
“We were working way too hard, and we were going about things the wrong way. We were learning as we went, and we weren’t always making the best decisions. Annie’s Project was the turning point for our business.”
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Newspaper and Magazine Articles
These alumnae shared their stories with “The Progressive Farmer.” Read their stories at https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/news/livestock/article/2017/10/30/heart-farmer