Heather Conrow is a University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist for Boone, Howard and Randolph counties, as well as the statewide poultry specialist.
Originally from El Dorado Springs, Missouri, she earned her undergraduate degree in animal science in 2007 and her graduate degree in swine reproduction and genetics in 2010, both from the University of Missouri.
Conrow is one of the leaders behind the university’s Pearls of Production Women in Agriculture annual livestock education conference. Parents attending the conference can enroll children ages 5-12 in “Future Pearls of Production.” This year’s event was Feb. 28 but education will continue with a global speaker series on Zoom featuring women in agriculture from around the world.
“The ‘community’ we are building will be getting larger through the monthly Zoom meetings we will be hosting through our celebration of the International Year of the Woman Farmer,” Conrow said.
For more information contact Conrow at hconrow@missouri.edu or call 660-248-2272.
IFT: Why is it important for women in agriculture to have networking and education events like Pearls of Production?
CONROW: You know, I think one of the biggest reasons is that agriculture can feel really isolating — especially for women. We’re alone in the truck checking our livestock. We’re alone in the tractor feeding our livestock or working the fields. A lot of us are juggling multiple roles on and off the farm, and it’s easy to feel like you’re working in your own little bubble. Events like Pearls of Production break that isolation.
They give women a place to step away from the day to day, meet others who “get it,” and realize they’re not doing this alone.
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