Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
The Annie’s Project for women in agriculture will return to the region with a six-week course from Jan. 13 through Feb. 17 at the Tucumcari Convention Center.
Agricultural women of all backgrounds and experience are encouraged to participate. Registration is $100 for all six classes, and seating is limited. The classes will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. each Saturday.
Scholarships are available upon request and proven need. All registration includes lunch for each session. Visit the NMSU Quay County Cooperative Extension Web site at quayextension.nmsu.edu/annies-project.html or call (575) 461-0562.
Annie’s alumna later can participate in deeper-dive, topic-specific educational programming, networking opportunities and sharing of additional resources.
“Annie’s Program is more than just a series of workshops; it’s a supportive community and an enriched culture, helping women secure successful futures in agriculture,” said Susann Mikkelson, NMSU Guadalupe County Cooperative extension agent and certified Annie’s Project facilitator. Mikkelson previously was an extension agent in Quay County.
The event’s sponsors are Farmers Electric Cooperative (matched by CoBank), Farm Credit of NM, New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, the City of Tucumcari, American Heritage Bank, Citizens Bank, New Mexico Bank & Trust and Box Family Farms.
Annie’s Project is a course that incorporates evidence-based training with interactive discussion and hands-on exercises, tailored to agriculture in eastern New Mexico. It brings together women from various sectors of agriculture to learn from experts in production, financial management, human resources, marketing and legal matters.
There’s also time for peer-to-peer learning and sharing. It’s a relaxed and fun way to learn, grow and meet other farm and ranch women.
More farm and ranch women have become decision-makers and are assuming key roles on farms and ranches. Annie’s Project courses provide women in ag with training and information that empower them as partners and decision-makers on the farm and ranch.
One eastern New Mexico Annie’s Project alum said, “This program was profoundly impactful. For start-ups, it emphasized the importance of estate planning from the very beginning of the business.”
Another 2022 alum said, “What I learned in Annie’s Project literally changed my and my husband’s future! I gained the tools, contacts, and information we needed to buy a farm and begin our own farming operation!”
Annie’s Project courses have helped advance knowledge and experience of more than 19,000 farm and ranch women in 33 states over the last 20 years.