The Beginning Women Farmer Training Program in New York began in January 2013 and ran through May of 2013. This program was part of HMI’s Beginning Women Farmer Program funded by the USDA/NIFA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program. 16 women were accepted into the program for the 2012-2013 program year and 10 completed the program successfully. The State Coordinator role was shared by Lauren Lines and Sarah Williford from Central NY RC&D. Program mentors were was Barbara Jefts, Christy Smith, and Kylie Spooner.
The data below demonstrates that a high level of knowledge and attitude change occurred and that the women completed or modified numerous farm plans (actual behavior change) which resulted in many benefits. Most participants experienced increased confidence in key farm/ranch management practices (92-100% participants) for such practices as developing a whole farm goal, communicating with workers, managing time, identifying logjams, pricing products, prioritizing expenses, and developing plans—financial, business, land, and grazing. Participant behavior change was mostly in the 50-100% range.

A display of how farmers are marketing their products was an important part of the marketing course.
There was a 76% satisfaction rating for the program mentors and an 82% satisfaction rating for the state coordinator. In 9 out of the 10 sessions 88% or more of the participants noted knowledge change. That knowledge change varied depending on content of session with a 64-100% increase in knowledge change for key topics. Overall satisfaction of the program was 96%.
Participant Demographic Information
- Average 4 years of farming (range: 1 – 7 years)
- A total of 58 acres under production
- Average age: 43 years old (range 31 to 67 years)
- Total customers of all participants:336
Testimonials |
“The energy and support and encouragement of BWF classmates, mentors, and instructors shed new light and have empowered me for my farm endeavors and clarified my goals.” |
“I lost all my tomato/peppers and I was able to get some from a member of the class. I was able to get advice about my crops as well.“ |
“I feel like I have an amazing support system that was built by HMI. Great group of supportive people.” |
“When I develop a future farm, I have developed a network of people to call when the time comes.” |
“The network of women in this class, including mentors and instructors, is an insanely valuable resource.” |
Knowledge Change Summary Per Session |
||
Course |
Average % of Knowledge Change |
% Participants Experiencing Knowledge Change |
Session One – Goal Setting | ||
Develop a Whole Farm Goal |
79% |
93% |
Define What You Are Managing Towards |
50% |
87% |
Identify Needed Farm Systems and Protocols |
51% |
80% |
Integrate Social, Economic, and Environmental Factors into Decision-Making |
47% |
80% |
Session Summary |
|
100% |
Session Two – Time Management | ||
Assess How Time is Spent on Farm |
67% |
100% |
Ability to Make Complex On-Farm Decisions |
47% |
93% |
Effectively Manage Time on Your Farm |
61% |
71% |
Session Summary |
|
100% |
Session Three – Financial Planning I | ||
Identifying Logjams and Adverse Factors on Farm |
79% |
94% |
Ability to Develop Balance Sheet |
45% |
75% |
How to Increase Farm Net Worth |
43% |
75% |
Determining Viable Profitable Enterprises for Your Farm |
36% |
75% |
Session Summary |
|
100% |
Session Four – Financial Planning II |
|
|
Prioritizing and Cutting Farm Expenses to Guide Reinvestment |
79% |
100% |
Skills in Developing Whole Farm Financial Plan |
53% |
92% |
Getting Profit You Need from Your Farm |
59% |
92% |
Delineating Farm Expense Categories |
63% |
85% |
Monitoring Your Financial Plan |
71% |
77% |
Session Summary |
|
100% |
Session Five – Marketing |
|
|
Using Whole Farm Goal and Financial Plan to Develop Marketing Plan |
46% |
93% |
How to Develop a Marketing Plan |
54% |
93% |
Marketing Outreach Towards Your Whole Farm Goal |
47% |
86% |
Profitably Price Products and Services |
38% |
79% |
Effectively Promote Products and Services |
35% |
71% |
Understanding Your Competition |
35% |
71% |
Session Summary |
|
100% |
Session Six – Business Planning | ||
Knowledge of Resources for Developing Strategic Plan for Farm |
82% |
100% |
Attitudes Towards Value of Having a Business Plan to Guide Farm |
78% |
93% |
Ability to Develop a Business Plan for Farm |
75% |
93% |
Ability to Use Holistic Goal to Guide Business Strategic Plan |
58% |
86% |
Ability to Implement Systems and Projects to Move Towards Whole Farm Goal |
47% |
86% |
Ability to Use Financial Plan to Determine Viable Markets for Farm |
36% |
64% |
Session Summary |
|
100% |
Session Seven – Leadership and Communication | ||
Incorporating Diverse Learning Styles toward More Effective Leadership and Communication |
29% |
64% |
Sense of Yourself as a Leader |
26% |
64% |
Understanding Diverse Ways People Seek Recognition and Affirmation |
26% |
64% |
Session Summary |
|
100% |
Session Eight – Land Planning | ||
Prioritize Land and Infrastructure Development/Investments |
55% |
92% |
How to Incorporate Natural Resource Issues into Land Planning |
53% |
92% |
How Permaculture Fits into Holistic Land Planning |
70% |
92% |
Design Strategies to Build Resilient, Diversified Farms |
59% |
83% |
Session Summary |
|
92% |
Session Nine – Grazing | ||
Value of Grazing Planning |
50% |
100% |
How to Assess Recovery Periods |
63% |
100% |
How to Assess Quantity of Forage in Pasture |
74% |
100% |
How to Improve Land Health with Livestock |
84% |
100% |
How to Determine Grazing Periods |
53% |
100% |
Session Summary |
|
100% |
Session Ten – Soil Fertility | ||
Ability to Monitor Farm Eco-System Health |
78% |
100% |
Understanding Eco-system Processes on Your Farm |
49% |
92% |
Indicators of a Healthy Farm Eco-System |
45% |
91% |
Importance of Improving Soil Fertility Sustainably |
34% |
83% |
Benefits of Biodiversity |
36% |
75% |
Session Summary |
|
100% |
Increased Confidence as a Result of Program |
|
Confidence In. . . |
% of participants |
Human Resource Management | |
Developing Written Whole Farm Goal |
100% |
Make Complex Decisions on Your Farm |
100% |
Manage Your Time on Your Farm |
93% |
Using Testing Questions for On-Farm Decisions |
93% |
Delineating Farm Resources for Management |
80% |
Communicating with Farm Workers |
64% |
Providing Recognition for Farm Workers |
64% |
Providing Leadership on Your Farm |
64% |
Financial Management | |
Developing a Marketing Plan that Meets Your Farm’s Needs and Goals |
100% |
Developing a Business/Strategic Plan |
100% |
Identifying Resources to Assist You in Developing a Business/Strategic Plan |
100% |
Pricing Your Farm Products |
93% |
Promoting Your Farm Products |
93% |
Monitoring Your Farm Financial Plan |
85% |
Ability to Identify Logjam/Adverse Factors |
81% |
Getting Profit You Need From Your Farm |
77% |
Identifying Cash Flow Issues on Farm |
77% |
Determine Your Farm’s Net Worth |
75% |
Assessing Your Competition to Understand Your Farm’s Strengths |
64% |
Implementing Important Strategic Systems and Projects |
64% |
Prioritizing Cutting Farm Expenses to Guide Re-investment |
62% |
Determining Weak Link in Farm Enterprises |
54% |
Determine Your Farm’s Projected Revenue |
50% |
Natural Resource Management | |
Ability to Prioritize Land/Infrastructure Improvements on Farm |
100% |
Ability to Incorporate Natural Resource Issues into Land Planning |
100% |
Ability to Incorporate Social/Legal Considerations into Land Planning |
100% |
Ability as a Grazer |
100% |
Determining How Long Animals Will Stay in Each Paddock |
100% |
Monitoring Your Farm’s Eco-System Health |
92% |
Assessing Recovery Periods |
88% |
Improving Eco-System Health on Your Farm |
83% |
Assessing Quantity of Forage and Pasture |
75% |
Building Organic Matter in Your Soils |
75% |
Determining the Number of Animals Your Land Can Support for Grazing |
63% |
|
|
Intended Behavior Change |
% of participants |
Human Resource Management | |
Implement Time Management Tools or Processes |
100% |
Using Testing Questions |
100% |
Develop a Whole Farm Goal |
93% |
Change Leadership Practices |
73% |
Change Management Practices |
73% |
Financial Management | |
Complete or Modify a Financial Plan |
100% |
Complete or Modify a Business Plan |
100% |
Complete or Modify a Marketing Plan |
86% |
Change Marketing Practices |
86% |
Monitor Financial Plan |
85% |
Enter Financial Data Regularly |
77% |
Change Business Planning Practices |
64% |
Change Record-Keeping |
63% |
Prioritize and Cut Expenses |
62% |
Strategically Reinvest in Farm |
62% |
Natural Resource Management | |
Conduct Biological Monitoring on Farm |
100% |
Complete or Modify Written Land Plan |
92% |
Change Grazing Practices |
75% |
Change Land Management Practices |
75% |
Complete or Modify Written Grazing Plan |
63% |
Participants Completing Plans/Actions |
Percentage |
Holistic Goal/Whole Farm Plan |
100% |
Financial Plan |
100% |
Business Plan |
78% |
Marketing Plan |
50% |
Land Plan |
70% |
Biological Monitoring |
60% |
Grazing Plan |
100% |
Forge Relationships That Positively Impacted You |
100% |
Top Post-Program Outcome Changes |
|
Topic |
% Participants Experiencing Change |
Satisfaction with Communication |
100% |
Satisfaction with Ability to Make Complex Decisions |
100% |
Satisfaction with Ability to Determine Needed Profit |
90% |
Satisfaction with Quality of Life |
80% |
Satisfaction with Time Management |
80% |
Session Satisfaction |
|
Class Percent rated good or excellent |
|
Session One—Goal Setting |
100% |
Session Two—Time Management & Decision Testing |
100% |
Session Three—Financial Planning |
75% |
Session Four—Enterprise Analysis |
85% |
Session Five—Market Planning |
86% |
Session Six—Business Planning |
100% |
Session Seven—Leadership & Communication |
50% |
Session Eight—Land Planning |
100% |
Session Nine—Grazing Planning |
100% |
Session Ten—Soil Fertility |
100% |
Top Post-Program Impacts |
|
Experienced the Following: | Percent of Participants |
Human Resource Management | |
Improved Decision Making |
100% |
Clearer sense of what your farm is managing towards |
90% |
Better Ability to Determine Resources Available to You |
90% |
More Efficient Use of Resources |
90% |
New Policies and Systems Implemented |
90% |
Improved Communications on the Farm |
80% |
Increased Efficiency of Farm Chores as a Result of Land Planning |
50% |
Less Stress for Farmers |
40% |
Financial Management | |
Improved Ability to Articulate Goals and Objectives of Business to Others |
100% |
Enhanced Understanding of Your Farm Finances |
100% |
Changes in How Your Prioritize Expenses |
100% |
Strategies for More Effective Reinvestment in the Business |
90% |
New or Improved Record Keeping Systems |
90% |
Ability to Identify Business Challenges from Previous Years |
70% |
Improved Understanding of your Market and How Your Business Fits In |
70% |
Improved ability to determine most effective enterprises |
70% |
Changes in Farm Enterprises |
60% |
Reduced Farm Expenses |
60% |
New Business Systems (Improved Understanding of your Market and How Your Business Fits into These) |
50% |
Prioritized investments |
50% |
Greater efficiencies realized |
50% |
New markets you have entered |
50% |
New enterprises or products (including value-added) you are selling |
40% |
Improved ability to discern most appropriate market channels |
40% |
New marketing methods you have employed |
40% |
Improved ability to receive desired price for your products/services |
40% |
Changes in the prices you are getting for your products or services. |
30% |
New ways of displaying or packaging product |
30% |
Improved ability to effectively market products |
30% |
Increased Net Worth |
30% |
Increased Farm Profits |
20% |
Enrollment in Government Programs to Support the Business |
20% |
Access to New Capital Including Private or Government Loans |
20% |
Natural Resource Management |
|
Improved Understanding of Your Farm’s Eco-System |
80% |
Improved Ability to Incorporate Social, Environmental, and Financial into Your Land Plan |
70% |
Desired Change in Species Composition |
70% |
Improved Ability to Determine Appropriate Management to Address an Environmental Issue |
60% |
Improved Ability to Prioritize Land Planning Investments |
60% |
Improved Understanding of Your Forage Composition |
50% |
Improved Environmental Conditions on Your Farm |
50% |
Improved Environmental Conditions as a Result of Land Planning |
40% |
Reduction in Feed Costs |
40% |
Improved Ability to Manage Animals |
40% |
Less Stress for Animals |
40% |
Reduction of Overgrazed Plants |
40% |
Implementation of Specific Management Practices to Remediate an Environmental Issue |
40% |
Increased Forage Production |
30% |
Improved Environmental Conditions |
30% |
Improved Herd Health |
30% |
Clearer Sense of How Your Business Is Projected to Grow in Future Years |
80% |
It results in decrease of organic content and diminishing in crop yields.
It would be best to have a family discussion about what a “fair” inheritance for non-farming children would be.
Though my little one is not even two years old yet, she enjoys
the time that we spend outside each day in our garden,
be it for watering, harvesting, weeding or just sitting outside, enjoying the sights
and smells of the garden box.