Nebraska Extension’s Women in Agriculture program will host the Love of the Land Conference for female farmland owners and tenants looking to improve their business management skills. The event will be Dec. 9 at the Sandhills Convention Center, 2102 S. Jeffers St. in North Platte.  

Industry experts will present workshops covering lease agreements, rental rates, mental health, crop and livestock insurance, and more.  

Allan Vyhnalek, a farm and ranch succession educator with Nebraska Extension, will welcome attendees with his keynote address, “For the Love of the Land, and Your Effective Relationships, It is About Communication.” 

Vyhnalek has spent the past 33 years in Extension, working in both Iowa and Nebraska. His role at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln allows him to help agriculture families through generational transfers.  

Kate Zutavern, the second keynote speaker, is a Sandhills rancher who raises black Angus cattle and, more recently, miniature Scottish Highlands. After losing her husband in 2020, she has found a way to balance life as a mother and a rancher while keeping her husband’s legacy alive. 

“Navigating the challenges of owning and renting agricultural land is becoming more complex, especially given recent volatility in commodity markets and input prices,” says Jessica Groskopf, director of the Women in Agriculture program. “The conference will prepare attendees with the knowledge and confidence necessary to make effective management decisions while better managing risk and improving profitability on their operations.” 

The early-bird cost is $75 for registrations received on or before Nov. 21, and $85 after Nov. 21. For more information, visit the Nebraska Women in Agriculture website at wia.unl.edu, or contact Nebraska Extension program assistant Brittany Fulton at 308-632-1230.