2021 Farm Mentorship Training�Overview & Outcomes

Maryland Planning Team

Meredith Epstein – UMD IAA

Shannon Dill – UMD Extension

Sarah Sohn – Future Harvest CASA

Marina Karides – UMD Student

Event Overview

• Event details and recordings available at iaa.umd.edu/farm-mentorship-training
• January 11-13, 2021 from 2:00-5:00 p.m. each day
• Hosted virtually via UMD Zoom
• Planning team’s detailed agenda available at go.umd.edu/2021fmtdetails

Day One

• 2:00 - 2:30: Welcome & Introductions (Meredith Epstein)
• 2:30 - 2:50: Goal-setting (Shannon Dill)
• 2:50 - 3:00: Break
• 3:00 - 3:50: Balancing the demands of work and facilitating farm-based education and learning (Moderator: Sarah Sohn; Panel: Ginger Myers, Shelby Watson-Hampton, Denzel Mitchell, Jennie Schmidt)
• 3:50 - 4:00: Break
• 4:00 - 4:45: Effective communication (Shala Larson, Hana Newcomb)
• 4:45 - 5:00: Round table discussion 1 (Meredith Epstein, Jennifer Hashley, Shala Larson)

Day Two

• 2:00 - 2:15: Introductions, polls, feedback on day 1 (Meredith Epstein)
• 2:15 - 3:15: Fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion on the farm (Dr. Carlton Green, Anita Adalja, Jonathan McRay)
• 3:15 - 3:35: Break
• 3:35 - 4:35: Workplace culture (Stacey Carlberg, Anita Adalja)
• 4:35 - 5:00: Round table discussion 2 (Meredith Epstein, Jennifer Hashley, Shannon Dill)

Day Three

• 2:00 - 2:15: Introductions, polls, feedback on day 2 (Meredith Epstein)
• 2:15 - 2:50: Legal considerations for employees, interns, and apprentices (Paul Goeringer)
• 2:50 - 3:00: Break
• 3:00 - 3:50: Conflict resolution (Dr. Kay-Megan Washington)
• 3:50 - 4:00: Break
• 4:00 - 4:30: Emergency planning and response (Tope Fajingbesi, Leah Ricci)
• 4:30 - 4:50: Round table discussion 3 (Meredith Epstein, Jennifer Hashley, Shannon Dill)
• 4:50 - 5:00: Closing, link to survey (Meredith Epstein)

Participation

• Total online pre-registration = 96
• Max. single-day participation = 116
• Total number of agricultural service providers participating = 22
• Total pre-questions collected from registrants = 42
• Pre-survey responses = 74
• Post-survey responses = 34

Major Survey Takeaways

• There is strong evidence (t = 17.43, p = 0.00039) that participants gained skills and knowledge from the training
• Participants increased knowledge by 20%
• Respondents reported a 27% increase in quality of mentoring as a result of the training
• 100% of respondents plan to make changes in their mentoring as a result of the training
• 100% of respondents said that attending the training was a valuable use of their time
• 88% of respondents are interested in further training opportunities

​

​

Pre-Survey Results

Post-Survey Results

Please describe any changes you have made in your mentoring, or plan to make as a result of this training

• Being encouraged to set goals with mentees for what they want to learn and the tangible steps along the way to measure progress was a huge help for me in creating a healthy relationship
• I want to make a point of taking more time to communicate with the mentor from the get go. Be clearer with expectations.
• be more patient
• Set clear expectations
• Implementing a pre-evaluation to determine current skill level and areas for focus; strategies for eliminating confusion in onfarm production
• Listening techniques and response mechanics
• I've become more thoughtful about questions of race and farming. I'm developing a more complex and reasoned approach to goal setting with participants.
• I plan to start trying to think financially ahead, even without being a big part of those decisions. I plan on studying more about conflict resolution in order to contribute as an HR asset, as well as looking into Merideth's free and very passionate program. I also plan on further inducing thought processes in mentees and co-workers.
• Make a greater effort to get to know mentee on all levels and be more patient while teaching
• Developing legal structures on the farm around employees, interns, apprentices, etc.  Continued development of SOP or signage to help assist in communication. Changes in verbiage when talking with folks (like assertive vs aggressive, etc)

Do you have any additional comments you would like to make about the training?

• It was a very well run and informative conference. I do think that for me personally, zoom is a very difficult medium to watch, absorb, ie retain information. Covid fatigue. Not your fault.
• make available on weekends
• I made several long term changes in conflict resolution due to the training.  It also made me view disparity in social class and labor very differently.
• I loved the whole meeting, my only thing is that it seemed like the first few topics were almost hard to grasp onto, especially because it felt like something more valuable for farm owners. Though, now I do realize that it's never too early to start thinking about those things. I think the meetings on the last day were more palatable information wise because the presenters were not afraid to use more humor. I think the humor involved was purposeful and put our minds in real life situations that really made us think.
• This training was incredible. Thank you for hosting!
• I would have been happy to learn the accounting steps I need to take to employ someone as a paid mentee.
• Thanks, that was top-notch.
• I thought that there was way too much moral/political exhortation and not enough about specifically farming and ranching mentorships. I guess it's a sign of the times in academia today that any subject matter has to be veneered and overloaded with politically correct jargon and virtue signaling. I had hoped for more about how to train, teach and protect your mentee in specific cropping, irrigating, animal husbandry and farming practices generally.
• Such a great program. I did not know I needed it till listening and learning so much more.

​

​

What Worked, What Didn’t?

• Did we capture the right audience?
• Several participants did not identify as mentors or were in the early stages of mentoring
• Need more promotional and introductory content on mentorship
• For a virtual training, what is the “right” balance for participants between listening and activities?
• How can we make virtual content more engaging, even passively?
• Breakout rooms, Jamboards, Mentimeter, EvPoll, etc.