By Tracy Turner
Women with a passion for agriculture - whether as a farm operator, soil surveyor, grain broker, entrepreneur, crop specialist, backyard gardener, agricultural educator or otherwise – can network and learn from other women in agriculture during a conference March 27.
The East Ohio Women in Agriculture Conference is targeted to women who are interested, involved in or want to become involved in food, agriculture, natural resources production or small business, said Heather Neikirk, an Ohio State University Extension educator and co-organizer of the conference.
The conference is offered by a team of industry experts from Ohio State University's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. OSU Extension is the outreach arm of the college.
One goal of the daylong conference is to help women forge connections with other women in agricultural pursuits, Neikirk said.
"Women in agriculture desire a strong network of peers and mentors they can relate to and that match their resource needs," she said. "Attending this conference is one way to strengthen that network and take advantage of all of the resources available.
"This conference brings education, ideas and inspiration for women. Our team of Extension professionals is committed to this program so that women continue to hold a vital place in the agricultural industry and are motivated to achieve, advocate and thrive there."
The conference will feature a keynote address by Kristi Kress Wilhelmy, an agriculture attorney with Barrett, Easterday, Cunningham & Eselgroth in Columbus. The conference will also offer sessions designed for high school-aged women in agriculture, Neikirk said.
"For young women who are thinking of or beginning new careers in agriculture, this conference offers a source of experienced women in agriculture who can offer their perspectives as well," she said.
The conference is being held in partnership with OSU Extension and Kent State University's Tuscarawas Small Business Development Center. The program is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Kent State's Tuscarawas Campus Founders Hall, 330 University Drive NE, in New Philadelphia. It will feature 12 sessions:
* Grants, Loans and Other Good Stuff.
* Turn "Waste" into "Want": Connecting Byproducts to Consumers.
* Starting a Business.
* Food Preservation Basics.
* AgrAbility.
* Dealing with the Daily Dilemmas of Running a Business.
* Fresh Picked! Produce Protection.
* QuickBooks/Quicken: Finances and Production Records.
* Backyard Poultry.
* Agritourism.
* Careers in Agriculture.
* Young Women in Agriculture.
Registration for the conference is $55 for adults and $30 for students and includes the program, workshop materials and lunch. Registration with payment by credit card is available online at regonline.com/womeninageast. Deadline to register is March 13.
Women in agriculture can follow updates about the conference and stay connected by subscribing to a new blog, East Ohio Women in Agriculture, Growing Confidence and Connections. It can be found at u.osu.edu/eastohiowomeninag/.
The overarching goal of the conference and the blog is to provide women in agriculture with a platform that addresses the five areas of agriculture risk management - financial, human resources, legal, marketing and production - to balance farm, family and community, Neikirk said.
"From the family farm or urban homestead, to the parent-teacher organization, to the family table, it's all about finding that balance and helping women help one another build strong and successful agriculture careers and enterprises," she said.
Source:purdue.edu