Negotiating and Staying Connected with Women in Ag

Last week I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with sixteen women from Coshocton and nearby counties at our “Ladies on the Land” program. This was designed for women landowners and women tenants and covered leasing and negotiating.

One portion of the workshop included “Peggy and Emily’s Top Ten Negotiating Tips for Farmland Leasing.” I developed this list with my colleague Peggy Hall, OSU Extension Ag Law Field Specialist, based on her experiences as an attorney and other Extension resources. Here is a peek into our top ten list:

  1. Schedule a yearly meeting to discuss the leasing relationship and maintain communication throughout the year.
  2. Know your land’s capabilities. Ask your tenant to provide regular updates to inform you about its productivity.
  3. Identify your level of risk aversion and whether you’re willing to share risk.
  4. Identify and share your objectives for the land – investment and otherwise.
  5. Know your tenant’s financial position and recognize the tenant’s need for profitability.
  6. Consider the services your tenant can provide as points of negotiation.
  7. Use questioning (instead of demanding) to your advantage.
  8. Leave room for negotiation.
  9. Always have the goal of finding win/win solutions to any challenges.
  10. Put points of agreement in writing as soon as you reach them.

There are two more opportunities approaching quickly for Women in Agriculture. Be sure to register soon for the East Ohio Women in Agriculture dinner at Raven’s Glenn Winery on November 14 from 6:00-8:30 pm. This is an evening especially for networking with women in our area who are involved in agriculture as producers and/or supporters. The program for the evening is “Take Control: clear the clutter, manage your time, and prioritize your tasks.” You can get more details and register at Women in Ag Dinner. Cost for the evening is $25 and registration deadline is November 8.

The second upcoming program is an Annie’s Project Retreat December 1-3 at Salt Fork State Park Lodge and Conference Center in east central Ohio. Annie’s Project provides education and a support network to enhance business skills of women involved in all aspects of agriculture.

We’ve held four different classes of Annie’s Project here in Coshocton County and have over 70 women who are graduates of this program- more than any other county in Ohio. This is a tremendous way to connect with other women and learn about the local resources available to assist with managing all the risks associated with the agricultural life.

Annie’s Project fosters problem solving, record keeping, and decision-making skills in farm women. Women will receive training in five areas of agricultural risk management: financial, marketing, production, legal, and human resources.

The participant fee is $105 per person, which includes all materials and meals. Lodging is $99 per room per night with up to four people per room. Registration deadline is November 17 and details can be found at Annie’s Project East. Sponsors of the program include Farm Credit and Nationwide.

Today I’ll leave you with this quote from Luke Roberts, “Conflict is good in a negotiation process… it’s the clash of two ideas, which then, all being well, produces a third idea.”

Calling All Lady Landowners

Coshocton County and Putnam County Extension will host a Women in Agriculture program on Friday, October 20 from noon-4:30 p.m.

The interactive Lady Landowner workshop provides women landowners with the confidence, skills, and resources necessary to interact with tenants, develop and negotiate lease arrangements, and more. Registration includes all materials with lunch provided.

Topics for the day will include addressing the risks of leasing, verbal versus written leases, nuts and bolts of a lease, communicating with your tenant, negotiation process and skills, factors that affect the rental rate and more.

This workshop will share speakers between Putnam County and Coshocton County utilizing technology for live streaming. Peggy Hall and Emily Adams will teach at the Coshocton County, and Beth Scheckelhoff and Tony Nye will teach at the Putnam County location. The Coshocton County location is the Frontier Power Community Room, 770 South 2nd Street, Coshocton, OH 43812. The Putnam County location is the Putnam County Extension Office, 1206 East 2nd Street, Ottawa, OH 45875.

Cost for the Lady Landowner program is $20. Online registration is available at go.osu.edu/ladylandowner. Payment by cash or check can be made as well with registration forms that can be found at coshocton.osu.edu or putnam.osu.edu. Please direct questions to: Emily Adams, Coshocton County Extension, 740-622-2265 or adams.661@osu.edu or Beth Scheckelhoff, Putnam County Extension, 419-592-0806 or scheckelhoff.11@osu.edu.

Putnam County registration form

 

Lady Landlord Program

Coshocton County and Putnam County OSU Extension will host a Women in Agriculture program on Saturday, February 11 from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. The interactive Lady Landlord workshop provides women landowners with the confidence, skills, and resources necessary to interact with tenants, develop and negotiate lease arrangements, and more. Registration includes all materials with lunch provided.
Topics for the day will include addressing the risks of leasing, verbal versus written leases, nuts and bolts of a lease, communicating with your tenant, negotiation process and skills, factors that affect the rental rate and more.
This workshop will share OSU Extension field specialist and educators between the Coshocton County and Putnam County locations utilizing technology for live streaming. Peggy Hall and Emily Adams will teach from Coshocton County and Beth Scheckelhoff and Tony Nye will teach from Putnam County.
Cost for the Lady Landlord program is $20. For the Coshocton County location, please visit coshocton.osu.edu for a registration flyer or contact Emily Adams with questions at 740-622-2265 or adams.661@osu.edu . For the Putnam County location, please visit putnam.osu.edu for a registration flyer or contact Beth Scheckelhoff with questions at 419-592-0806 or scheckelhoff.11@osu.edu .