UW-Madison Extension Farm Management Outreach Specialist Deb Ihm, Digi Mart USA News (Wisconsin): The University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension has announced Deb Ihm as its new Extension Farm Management Outreach Specialist. The position focuses on farm succession and financial management outreach education.
The role is designed to provide outreach education and support for programs that promote successful farm business management practices for Wisconsin farmers. Ihm will raise awareness of programs, identify opportunities for new program development, and build partnerships that address the most critical management issues facing Wisconsin agricultural producers.
The university states that profitable, healthy farm businesses are essential to Wisconsin’s $100 billion agriculture economy. Farmers must continually evaluate opportunities and challenges using business management skills and reliable information to make informed decisions.
Breaking management responsibilities into manageable tasks can help farmers implement changes, evaluate results, and improve business performance.
The announcement notes that many farmers do not enter agriculture to perform financial analysis and bookkeeping. Ihm said that if she can make this part of their work easier and provide more confidence in their decision making, that is a win for farmers and Wisconsin agriculture.
Ihm brings more than 20 years of experience, including work as a lender, a farm management instructor, and chief financial officer on her family’s organic dairy farm. The university says this background provides multiple perspectives on the financial records and benchmarks that matter, along with the daily realities of running a farm.
She also has hands-on experience with recordkeeping, financial management, organic audits, and farm succession conversations.
Ihm holds a Master of Education and Professional Development from UW–La Crosse and a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Education from UW–River Falls. The university describes her as having built a strong reputation for delivering impactful farm management education programs.
Ihm started as a state outreach specialist on October 26. She is located at the Grant County Extension Office, 916 E Elm Street, Suite A, Lancaster, WI 53813.
She can be contacted at deb.ihm@wisc.edu or (608) 723-2125. Further information about Ihm and the Farm Management Program is available at farms.extension.wisc.edu/people.
The information has not been independently verified.
