All are welcome to attend the Iowa Women in Agriculture conference Aug. 1 at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny. The event, which marks its 11th year, will focus on decision-making for success in today’s difficult economic climate.

It will offer the latest outlook for ag trade, marketing strategies for low commodity prices, financial risk management tactics, transition and estate-planning tips, and ideas for generating new income and adding value. Keynote speakers will highlight the unique challenges of women’s roles, offer opportunities to laugh and learn, and to celebrate agriculture.

The one-day conference runs from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.. Krysta Harden, former USDA deputy secretary and current vice president of public policy and chief sustainability officer for DuPont-Pioneer, will open the conference with a video message highlighting the ag outlook for 2018. Harden also will share her experiences as an ag leader, and encourage women to pursue active roles in agricultural associations and agribusinesses.

Keynote speaker
The keynote speaker is Ambassador Darci Vetter, a strategic consultant on international trade, food and agriculture issues. She will address the ag trade outlook, and share her insights on the intersections between the current trade agenda, and the proposed budget and policy priorities regarding rural development and farm programs.

Elaine Kub, author of “Mastering the Grain Markets: How Profits Are Really Made,” a DTN analyst and a frequent guest on Iowa Public Television’s “Market-to-Market,” will tackle the challenges of today’s markets.

Angie Treptow, regional vice president for Farm Credit Services of America, will wrap up the morning session covering lender expectations for 2018.

Luncheon keynoter Natalina Sents, an Iowa native, will share her experiences and observations gleaned from meeting farmers during her recently completed 50-state “Why I Farm” road trip.

The afternoon’s choice of breakout sessions and presenters are:

• Top 10 Estate and Transition Planning Mistakes, Melissa O’Rourke, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach agribusiness specialist

• Harvesting Health and Happiness, Tina Chasek, assistant professor, Department of Counseling and School Psychology, University of Nebraska at Kearney

• Generating New Income and Adding Value, Meghan Filbert, livestock coordinator for Practical Farmers of Iowa, and Hampton farmer Margaret Smith on grazing cover crops; Mike Phelan, Beaver Creek Produce, Berkley, on hydroponic farming

The conference will conclude with speaker Amanda Freund, a Connecticut farmer and ag advocate, with her presentation,  “Connected Across the Generations: Women in Agriculture.”

Sign up for preconference tour July 31
Before the conference, participants can attend a tour on water quality, beef production and pollinator habitat July 31, hosted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Women in Agriculture Program. The motor coach tour, from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., will feature a visit to the Bill and Nancy Couser beef cattle operation near Nevada, followed by a stop at Reiman Gardens in Ames to focus on pollinator habitats and a tour of Reiman Gardens. The tour begins at the Courtyard by Marriott Ankeny, 2405 S.E. Creekview Dr., Ankeny, Iowa.

The Wine and Cheese Welcome and Networking Reception will July 31 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Courtyard by Marriott Ankeny. Californian Ruth Rabinowitz, Rabinowitz Family Farms, will share how she managed her family’s 10 Iowa farms in six different counties. She’ll detail the steps she’s taken to master the challenges of understanding farm programs and initiating critical conservation management methods.

Registration for the conference is $50 until July 22 and $70 after that date. Registration includes pre-conference tour, evening welcome reception, continental breakfast, lunch and snacks. Register online, or from 7:15 a.m. to 8 a.m. on the day of the conference.

Early registration required for pre-conference tour
For questions about the tour call Madeline Schultz at 515-294-0588. All early-bird paid conference registrants are eligible to win a free iPad mini. Sorry, no registration refunds.

For more conference information or answers to questions, contact IWIA president Cheryl Tevis at 515-353-4425 or visit the IWIA website iowawomeninag.org for a full agenda and registration details.

Source: Iowa Women in Agriculture