As the average male farmer or rancher gets older and retires, many women are taking over.
To support women who are taking on the new management roles, the University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension is offering a series of classes under the Annie’s Project program.
Organizer Cole Ehmke says the class is meant to answer participants’ questions, and to help them establish connections with presenters and their peers, other women in agriculture.
“In many cases, they’re in the background. They’re not really the face of the ag operation, whether it’s a cattle operation or something else like that. But they’re really sort of a keystone, because they keep a lot of things together. But they have some specific issues.”
The classes cover risk management skills in production, finances, marketing, personnel, and legal issues, but each session is tailored to the interest of participants.
Ehmke says many of these women are interested in expanding their cattle and hay operations, to include sheep and goats, bees, and value-added projects.
The next program will begin in late April, toward the end of calving season.