WI: WISCONSIN FARM CENTER ANNOUNCES FUTURE FIELDS PROGRAM
News Date February 16, 2010
Future Fields, a program to help farmers find off-farm employment to replace or supplement farm income, is open for enrollment in southwestern Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Farm Center has announced.
The program brings employment related services to farmers, meeting them one-on-one in their homes to determine their needs. Schools, libraries, colleges and job centers collaborate to offer training and computers for use in the job search. Participants will get help with job seeking skills, resume writing, additional work skills and career exploration.
The program is set to go statewide by this summer, and is initially available in the following counties: Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Grant, Green, Iowa, Jefferson Lafayette, Marquette, Richland, Rock, and Sauk.
“Farmers are in a unique situation,” said Mike Exum, who is coordinating the program for the Farm Center. “Farmers don’t have unemployment insurance income when they lose farm income, nor do they have access to the other resources that come with unemployment compensation. Future Fields is our effort to fill this gap and help farmers through these difficult economic times.
When a farmer calls Future Fields, a staff member (Jennifer Hasburgh, Chris Eickhoff, Tom Sawyer or Mike Exum) will arrange a time to visit at the farmer’s home to discuss their off-farm employment needs, set goals and develop an action plan. Future Fields staff will continue working with the farmer, helping them connect with available resources as they implement their off-farm employment plan. (Contact: Mike Exum, 608-224-5051)