Media Contact: Ryan McGeeney 501-671-2120 May 25, 2018 By Emily Thompson U of A System Division of Agriculture Annie’s Project helps women succeed in agriculture Fast Facts: Hot Spring County is offering courses to strengthen in Annie’s Project women’s roles agriculture The course covers areas of agricultural risk and other skills needed to run a farm operation (653 words) (Newsrooms with downloadable art at ) – MALVERN, Ark. Exploring the move from hobby farm to farm-for-profit is what drew Angela – Berryhill to Project. Annie’s Project, a nonprofit resource, teaches women the skills needed to run a successful farm Annie’s operation, including how to assess agricultural risk and hands-on skills like soil sampling. This spring, Rachel Bearden, Hot Spring County extension staff chair for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, began hosting Project classes at the Annie’s county’s 4-H center. In Arkansas, 32 percent of farms have women at the helm and the women state’s 22,228 farmers have a $538 million economic impact in Arkansas, according to USDA’s 2012 Census of Agriculture. Berryhill and her family run a hay and beef cattle operation in XXX. the class to get a better understanding of the aspects of farming that I am “I joined Berryhill have what is classified to be a hobby farm, inexperienced in,” said. “Right now, we only and we hope to start a profitable farming business.” Berryhill is one of a have signed up for baker’s dozen who Bearden’s classes. a woman in agriculture has a had a stigma for so many years of being the “Being ‘farmer's wife’ or the I am proud to have both titles, but I am even more proud ‘farmer's daughter.’ Personally, to be just a said. is nothing wrong with being a farmer's wife or ‘farmer,” Bearden “While there daughter, Annie's project gives women the resources to be a successful farmer. By becoming a knowledgeable farmer, not only will they be a better partner in their operations, but they will be prepared should the worst happen to their partner.” Diana Davidson is another who signed up for Project. Annie’s
Media Contact: Ryan McGeeney 501-671-2120 May 25, 2018 By Emily Thompson U of A System Division of Agriculture Annie’s Project helps women succeed in agriculture Fast Facts: Hot Spring County is offering Annie’s Project courses to strengthen women’s roles in agriculture The course covers areas of agricultural risk and other skills needed to run a farm operation (653 words) (Newsrooms – with downloadable art at ) MALVERN, Ark. – Exploring the move from hobby farm to farm-for-profit is what drew Angela Berryhill to Annie’s Project. Annie’s Project, a nonprofit resource, teaches women the skills needed to run a successful farm operation, including how to assess agricultural risk and hands-on skills like soil sampling. This spring, Rachel Bearden, Hot Spring County extension staff chair for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, began hosting Annie’s Project classes at the county’s 4-H center. In Arkansas, 32 percent of farms have women at the helm and the state’s 22,228 women farmers have a $538 million economic impact in Arkansas, according to USDA’s 2012 Census of Agriculture. Berryhill and her family run a hay and beef cattle operation in XXX. “I joined the class to get a better understanding of the aspects of farming that I am inexperienced in,” Berryhill said. “Right now, we only have what is classified to be a hobby farm, and we hope to start a profitable farming business.” Berryhill is one of a baker’s dozen who have signed up for Bearden’s classes. “Being a woman in agriculture has a had a stigma for so many years of being the ‘farmer's wife’ or the ‘farmer's daughter.’ Personally, I am proud to have both titles, but I am even more proud to be just a ‘farmer,” Bearden said. “While there is nothing wrong with being a farmer's wife or daughter, Annie's project gives women the resources to be a successful farmer. By becoming a knowledgeable farmer, not only will they be a better partner in their operations, but they will be prepared should the worst happen to their partner.” Diana Davidson is another who signed up for Annie’s Project.
05-25-2018-Ark-Annies-Project.docx