Farm, ranch management conference set for women
By The Emporia Gazette (Contact)
Saturday, December 6, 2008
A conference for women in agriculture will be held in Feb. in Hutchinson.
The conference, 2009 Women Managing the Farm, will be Feb. 12-14 at the Grand Prairie Hotel and Convention Center in Hutchinson.
This year’s theme is “The Changing Face of Agriculture.
“The annual conference provides opportunities for women who are involved in agriculture to come together and network with other women who have similar interests and challenges,” said Kristy Archuleta, conference coordinator.
The conference will focus on five areas: legal, financial, production, price and human risk. Keynote speakers will be:
• Glen Muske, professor and interim associate dean and assistant director of family and consumer sciences cooperative extension from Oklahoma State University. He will talk about networking.
• Sarah Fogleman, a former K-State Research and Extension southeast Kansas agriculture economics and a full time writer, will speak on family relations and the farm.
• Charlotte Shoup Olsen, a K-State Research and Extension family systems specialist, will share tips for effective personal and professional communications.
• Juli Burney, a humorist with an agriculture background from Nebraska will offer a lighter perspective “Cleverly Cultivating Change.”
There also will be 25 breakout sessions and a trade show.
“Any woman who is involved in agriculture as a profession, as a producer, farm partner or landowner can benefit from this conference,” Archuleta said.
The 2009 conference is a fourth in a series. In 2008, more than 300 women attended who shared an interest in agriculture and agribusiness. They represented seven states and ranged in age from their early 20s to their late 60s.
The cost to attend the conference is $85 and includes all sessions, conference materials, two lunches and one breakfast. For registration and more information go to www.womenmanagingthefarm.info or call (866) 327-6578. Some scholarships may be available for Farm Credit customers or Kansas Farm Bureau members. The Grand Prairie Hotel and Convention Center has a limited number of rooms at a discounted conference rate. For reservations contact the hotel at (800) 362-5018.