Loretta Reimers of Crawford County learns ways to improve farm

By Chris Kick and Madeline Schultz/ISU Extension and Outreach

When Loretta Reimers first took Annie’s Project in 2013, it was one of many women in ag programs she would go on to complete.

The 86-year-old Crawford County farm owner has spent her life learning more about the farming industry and ways to improve her 400-acre crop farm. She’s been involved with decision-making from the start, working in partnership with her husband, the late Clifford Reimers, who died in 1996.

She keeps detailed, hand-written records on her farm and says women need to be just as involved with the farming operation as men.

“They need to know what the banker is telling them, what the prices are for the buying and the selling of inputs, how to establish fair rents and so forth,” said Reimers. “Without knowledge and education, you have no idea what your land is worth, what the soil needs, or the other things that need done.”

Reimers said she feels at home when she attends programming for women in ag, and she learns from people from different backgrounds.

“To me, these ladies are like-minded and it’s easier to talk to people who are like-minded,” she said. “I enjoy the presentations and the time to interact with the other participants.”

Like thousands of women who have taken Annie’s over the years, her educational experience only continued. She has since taken a wide variety of courses commonly referred to as Annie’s-inspired programs, geared toward agricultural risk management.

In all, there are 10 Annie’s-inspired programs offered by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach's Women in Ag Program. These include Women Marketing Grain, Advanced Grain Marketing, Women Managing Cattle, Women Managing Farmland and Women Managing Farm Finances.

Each Annie’s-inspired program goes more in-depth on topics that are covered in Annie’s Project courses. This allows women to seek out the type of information that pertains specifically to their situations and educational needs.

Annie’s Project courses cover all five areas of agricultural risk management: financial, human resources, legal, marketing and production. While it’s never a requirement that women complete Annie’s Project first, many often do, according to Madeline Schultz, current president of the national Annie’s Project board of directors and manager of the farm management team’s Women in Ag Program.

“Once women are finished with Annie’s Project, they find themselves wanting to learn more,” said Schultz. “As their desire to learn continues, they often enroll in one or more of the Annie’s-inspired courses.”

Tim Christensen, farm management specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach, enjoyed having Loretta in several programs he has offered.

“It’s nice to see women of all ages learning with and from each other,” he said.

**Loretta Reimers is seated at the table reviewing farm records. Reimers, of Crawford County, is a strong advocate for women in agriculture programs.** Submitted Photos

Story Ads 1

**Loretta Reimers is pictured on her Farmall 400 tractor that she uses for cleanup and maintenance on the family farm. The tractor has been in the family since 1966 and was restored in 2012.**

Christensen has facilitated multiple Annie’s programs and offered “Women Marketing Grain” as well as “Advanced Grain Marketing for Women.” In 2024, he plans to also offer “Women Managing Cattle.”

“I’ve had great experiences offering Annie’s over the years and the women always tell us what they want to learn next,” he said. “The Annie’s-inspired programs are often smaller and more specialized, so there’s more opportunity for the women to network and learn from each other.”

Over the past two decades, Annie’s Project has been offered in 38 states plus the U.S. Virgin Islands, and it continues to be offered in new places each year.

To date, more than 19,000 people have completed the program, with more than 2,200 from Iowa alone.

According to Schultz, Annie’s Project is as relevant today as when it first began, and because there are so many Annie’s-inspired programs, women can find a learning opportunity that appeals to them and meets their goals.

“The topics and the presenters change because life around us changes, but in reality, the focus has always been the same – empower women to be successful in agriculture through education, resources and networks,” said Schultz. “The risk management topics covered remain relevant today, and we do our best to listen to women and keep the programs relevant for the future.” Some of the new topics covered are cybersecurity, family living benchmarking and mental health.

Detailed descriptions about the programs offered for women by the farm management team are available on the program website. Another way to stay informed about course offerings is to sign up for the Women in Ag newsletter.

Follow us on Facebook for the latest news and updates