Agricultural Management E-School

AMES

On-line learning to help you manage better.

Learn Conveniently

•Anytime

•Anywhere

•Any Pace

•Over the World Wide Web

•www.extension.iastate.edu/ames

AMES Courses• Advanced Grain Marketing

• Financial Decision Making

• Farmland Ownership• Farm Leasing Agreements

• Farm Machinery Economics

• Strategic Planning

• Livestock Marketing

• Human Resource Management

Instructional Elements for Each Module

• Title• Authors and reviewers• Overview and outline• Content• Summary of key points• Quiz• Answers to quiz

• Exercises or case studies

• Completed examples• Related software• References for further

study• Related websites and

links

w.MizzouBottoms

Advanced Grain Marketing Modules• Marketing Plan Framework• Weather and Agronomic Considerations• When Should I Market My Grain? • Financial Risk • Cash Marketing Tools• Crop Insurance Alternatives• Hedging with Futures• Risk Analysis Tools• Options Market Tools• Use of Outlook Information

Print and Go

Quiz

Discussions

Chat with open window

Glossary

Winter 2002 AGM Course

• 150 students self-enrolled–66 Iowa counties–9 other states

• 142 students accessed the course

• 6 Chats Held• >75 Discussion postings

Evaluation: Advanced Grain Marketing

• Usefulness: 2.81 out of 3.00• Clarity: 2.81 out of 3.00• Length of modules: 93% said “about right”• 68% completed all 10 modules• 67% completed all the exercises• 41% had some technical problems• 47% participated in a group chat session• 87% developed a marketing plan on paper• 96% would recommend the course to a friend• 80% thought $100 fee was about right

Enrollment to Date

• Advanced Grain Marketing—240

• Financial Decision Making—40

• Farmland Ownership—15

Financial Decision Making• Introduction to Financial Decision Making• Developing Financial Statements • Analyzing Financial Statements • Relating Financial Analysis to Production Records • Financial Trouble Shooting • Three Case Studies • 12 Steps to Cash Flow Budgeting • Cash Management • Financing Capital Assets • Presentation of a Financial Plan

Farmland Ownership

• Land Value Trends

• Using Soils Information

• Appraisal Techniques

• Financing Considerations

• Feasibility of a Land Purchase

Personnel Involved• Co-leaders

– William Edwards, extension economist – Tim Eggers, SW Iowa farm management specialist

• Content developers– Campus Extension specialists– Extension field specialists

• Marketing: Extension Communications• Technical: Instructional Technology Center• Manager: Julie O’Hara

AMES Resources• Block grant from Risk Management

Agency, USDA for $9,000• Competitive grant from RMA,

$40,000• User fees, $100 per course• Extension staff time• One hired manager (hourly)

AMES Marketing• Brochures and bookmarks• Radio interviews• Mass mailings• Mass media• Extension meetings• Links from other web sites• Other institutions (FSA, Farm Credit)

Obstacles

• Staff time for course development

• “Bulletin” mentality

• User fees

• Slow Internet connections

Goals for 2003

• Complete 5 more courses• Evaluate 3 existing courses• Review and revise existing courses• Create a resource library for each

course• Improve marketing efforts• Coordinate with other institutions

Questions?