11 )	Equity Incentive Plan and Sto ck Based Compensation

January 27, 2011,

the Board of Directors of the Company authorized and approved the Art

’s-Way Manufacturing Co., Inc.

2011

Equity Incentive Plan (the

“2011

Plan”). The

2011

Plan was approved by the stockholders on

April 28, 2011.

It replaced the Employee Stock Option Plan and the Directors’ Stock Option Plan (collectively, the “Prior Plans”), and

further stock options will be awarded under the Prior Plans. Awards to directors and executive officers under the

2011

Plan are governed by the forms of agreement approved by the Board of Directors.

The

2011

Plan permits the plan administrator to award nonqualified stock options, incentive stock options, restricted stock awards, restricted stock units, performance awards, and stock appreciation rights to employees (including officers), directors, and consultants.

The Board of Directors has approved a director compensation policy pursuant to which non-employee directors are automatically granted restricted stock awards of

1,000

shares of common stock annually or initially upon their election to the Board, which are fully vested. During the

first

nine

months of fiscal

2017,

53,700

restricted stock awards have been issued to various employees, directors, and consultants, which vest over the next

three

years, and

4,000

restricted stock awards have been forfeited due to employee terminations.

Stock options granted prior to

January 27, 2011

are governed by the applicable Prior Plan and the forms of agreement adopted thereunder.

Stock-bas

ed compensation expense reflects the fair value of stock-based awards measured at the grant date and recognized over the relevant vesting period. The Company estimates the fair value of each stock-based option award on the measurement date using the Black-Scholes option valuation model

, which incorporates assumptions as to stock price volatility, the expected life of the options, risk-free interest rate, and dividend yield. Expected volatility is based on historical volatility of the Company’s stock and other factors. The Company uses historical option exercise and termination data to estimate the expected term the options are expected to be outstanding. The risk-free rate is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant. The expected dividend yield is calculated using historical dividend amounts and the stock price at the option issuance date.

stock options were granted during the

three

and

nine

months ended

August 31, 2017

or in the same respective periods of fiscal

2016.

The Company incurred a total of

$19,266

and

$92,225

of stock-based compensation expense for restricted stock awards during the

three

and

nine

months ended

August 31, 2017,

compared to

$31,417

and

$70,846

of stock-based compensation expense for restricted stock awards for the same respective periods of fiscal

2016