Curriculum

Annie’s Project Curriculum

Rutgers professors and farm professionals teach a wide spectrum of skills that make up Annie’s Project Curriculum.

Curriculum, handouts and presentations are now accessible and available to public:

• business management
• marketing plans
• financing
• social media
• developing a mission statement
• leadership and engagement
• food safety
• estate planning

The program fosters problem solving, record keeping, decision-making, action planning and leadership skills for women farmers.

Annie’s Project New Jersey is unique in that participants focus on creating farm business plans and use social media education for marketing and business development.

In 2012, the second year of Annie’s Project New Jersey, combination of in-person education and distance learning brought farm business management education to more women farmers across the Garden State.

The live sessions were broadcast and recorded each week, allowing women to watch a lecturer from over 100 miles away. A key component of the program was women networking in the workshop and sharing ideas. This unique opportunity brought together an equine professional from one end of the state and a hay grower from another end, a farm market owner and a market grower from neighboring counties.

Participants have used their business plans to add new enterprises, secure farm loans, and develop websites, Facebook pages, and point-of-purchase materials for their farms. They used social media tools to assist in networking during the sessions as well as after graduation. Graduates have continued to meet to continue learning about aspects important to women farmers, to network with each other and have farm tours.