Cowboy comedian, Alabama singer headline Annie’s Project event

CAMDENTON, Mo. – The 10th anniversary of a popular University of Missouri agriculture business class for women will be celebrated during a two-day conference at Windermere Conference Center at the Lake of the Ozarks, Sept. 19-20.

Keynote speakers for the Annie’s Project conference are cowboy comedian Jerry Crownover and Teddy Gentry, rancher and founding member of the band Alabama, said Karisha Devlin, MU Extension agribusiness specialist.

“Throughout the course of our Annie’s Project programs we have had several women expressing the desire for a conference where they could meet other farm women from across the state,” says Mary Sobba, Annie’s Project co-state coordinator. “This is another great forum for women in agriculture to get together to learn about the business of farming and network with others in like situations.”

The conference includes updates on risk management topics such as weather, grain and livestock markets, the farm bill, livestock and forage insurance, commercial fruit and vegetable production, farm financing, crop insurance, cattle, and estate planning.

Cowboy comedian Jerry Crownover is a rancher and former college professor. His columns appear in magazines and newspapers throughout the Midwest. Speaker Teddy Gentry, country music musician, developed a heat-tolerant breed of cattle called South Poll. He speaks on “Matching Your Cattle to Your Environment” on Saturday.

MU Extension specialists will update attendees on current agriculture topics. Ag business specialists Sobba and Devlin present information on the farm bill. Ag economist Scott Brown gives the market outlook and climatologist Pat Guinan looks at historic climate trends.

Attorney John Baker, administrator of Iowa State University’s Beginning Farmer Center, offers estate-planning suggestions in his Saturday presentation, “How Do I Treat my Heirs Fairly When Only One is Going to Take Over the Farm?” MU ag economist Chris Boessen gives advice on farm financing.

Veterinarian Heather Tucker talks about protecting livestock health programs. Sessions on starting a commercial fruit and vegetable operation are offered also.

The event is open to all women. “We invite all Missouri farm women, whether or not they’ve participated in Annie’s Project, to these celebrations,” said Devlin, Annie’s Project co-state coordinator. “We want to honor all Missouri farm women for their roles in agriculture, connect women with each other, and raise awareness of agricultural risk management.”

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Another seminar is set for Aug. 16 at the MU Food Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) in Columbia. Pat Westhoff, MU economist and FAPRI director, talks about the 2014 farm bill. Keynote speaker Ron Hanson, an agribusiness professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, speaks on “What Happens if Mom Takes Over the Family Farm?” and ways to resolve conflicts between on-farm and off-farm heirs during farm succession. Ray Massey, MU Extension ag economist, speaks about crop insurance, and Shanda Nichols of FCS Financial gives tips on financial statements.

Annie’s Project is a risk-management program designed specifically for women. MU Extension and USDA Risk Management Agency sponsor the class.

Annie’s Project honors the late Annette Kohlhagen Fleck, who was married to a farmer for 60 years. Her daughter, a University of Illinois Extension educator, started Annie’s Project to educate women on farm topics.

Register at http://extension.missouri.edu/annie or call 660-397-2179.