A2B-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 19,1985 Women in Agriculture Day Pa. ’s first BY JOYCE BUPP Staff Correspondent HARRISBURG - Penn sylvania’s first lady Ginny Thornburgh and Agriculture Secretary Richard Grubb were among the honored guests on hand Tuesday to salute the state’s agriculture women and extend welcomes during the second an nual Women in Agriculture Day. More than forty farm and agri business women attended the day of educational sessions, management workshops and “networking” among women’s agriculture groups held at the downtown Holiday Inn. Ginny Thomburgh-who brought a special guest, her mother Virginia Judson-said that farm women have always been partners in agriculture, now the state’s largest industry. An estimated 1.2 million individuals from the state’s population of 12 million are em ployed in agriculture and related businesses, annually generating more than $3O billion "dollars of economic activity. She applauded farm women’s welcome during the annual Women in Ag day SERVICE AGE HOLSTEIN BULL FOR SALE Dam of Bull Keystone Job Jasmine EX 4-4 2X 331 d 29.590 3 8 1115 Lifetime at syr 106.600 M 3 6% 3863 Next Dam Keystone Abe Jill EX93 6-5 331 29,650 3 6 1053 Lifetime at 13 yrs 267.592 M This 14 month old Leadfield Columbus Son is of good type and ready tor service He has a maternal sister VGB7 at 2 yr with 2-1 2X 365 d 21,990 3 8 833 Priced for the farmer-breeder, call or write for pedigree & price Also offering a few choice springing heifers Donald V. Seipt, Keystone Farm RD #4 Box 369, Easton, Pa 18042 215-258-0788 lady , ag secretary , salute state’s farm women traditional love of God, country and the land, and agriculture’s upholding of the concepts of thrift and high value of working. “Women have a right to be consulted, respected, trusted,” the state’s first lady said. “They have opportunities to be problem solvers and role models, not hand wringers. They have the chance to make a difference on earth.” Secretary of Agriculture Grubb predicted that within two or three years, farming will be a popular occupation again. Noting that women have come a long way toward recognition in their contribution to agriculture, he offered an anecdote about his first job interview after graduating from college with his ag economics degree. The interviewer was a woman, which at the time “disconcferted” him a bit. He speculated that she probably had a difficult position to fill in what was then basically a man’s business, and added that recognition for ag women has come “slow and late.” According to Secretary Grubb, over 80,000 women now own or manage farms in the United States, while more than one-sixth of all farm workers are women. Christine Crist, director of the Pennsylvania Commission on Women, offered a brief glimpse of the accomplishments of the Planning is good business for farmers 9 says management consultant BY JOYCE BUPP Staff Correspondent HARRISBURG - Running a business without a plan is like asking for a crop without planting any seeds. Still, far too many farm families operate their agriculture businesses with little or no planning - they’re just too busy farming to plan. That’s the philosophy of Baron Kessler, planning specialist and management con sultant, whose Baron Kessler Associates business is headquar tered in Brownstown. A seminar by Kessler on managing family farm businesses was featured during the afternoon session of the Women in Agriculture day, held Tuesday at the downtown Holiday Inn. Dubbed “Keeping the Farm in the Family; Keeping the Family on the Farm,” the workshop dealt with studying options and developing new per spectives on classic farm problems. While the problems might range from bringing children into the business, to estate planning, to handling the stress of long days and financial crunches, Kessler’s recom mendations can be applied toward seeking acceptable solutions. commission since its inception in 1964 by then governor William Scranton. She highlighted legislation passed since that time dealing with women’s issues, and educational strides being made in areas ranging from day care to women in the political arena. “Women should in no way be intimidated by men’s management,’’ Kessler told an attentive audience of 40 ag women, most intent on scratching notes for future reference. Farm families tend toward too much sen timentalism in the business, he said, and neglect to look beyond the traditional methods of passing on property, dividing responsibilities and handling the inevitable conflicts that arise through a family working together in a business. He focused on a series of key ideas to consider when dealing with difficult farm-family decisions. The family should write a complete list of all possible solutions - even those bordering on the ex treme or bizarre - and then work backward to more workable ideas. Kessler stressed repeatedly that seeking outside management assistance for farm decision making is in no way a sign of weakness or inability. Rather, it is a sign of a businesslike approach to problem solving. Kessler’s recom mendations begin with examining goals, set ting them high, but attainable and realistic. Goals should also be personal, so that in dividuals can actually Special guest for the luncheon program was Carolyn Leavens, president of American Agri- Women. Leavens and her husband, Paul, are part of a four-generation California farm with more than 800 acres planted in orchard crops. (Turn to Page A3l) relate to the wanted end result. Of great im portance, according to Kessler, is that they be put down in writing. Writing down goals makes them real. Rewards need to be considered. Visualize the reward, he says. That helps spur on the work effort that will be necessary to meet the goal - and the ensuing reward. Or, as Kessler buttonholes the con cept: “That which gets rewarded, gets done.” Obstacles must be considered as well, using the approach of ‘What can I do 9 " to overcome or remove problems standing in the way of meeting the goal. A timetable is necessary, some realistic date or period when the goal should be met. Again, writing down the timetable is desirable. But, he sajs, be realistic. Everything doesn’t happen at once, and expecting that it will simplj puts too much pressure on those involved to get things done Finally, Kessler sajs an individual must ask how the effort is wor thwhile. If you want the control, you have to take the responsibility. Turn your problems into goals, .but be sure to get the goals right."
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