Women in Agriculture conference slated for February 23

Women farmers in Washington state have the unique opportunity to participate in an agriculture workshop offering inspirational speakers, practical advice on how to improve management skills and networking opportunities with other women entrepreneurs.

“Growing Your Successful Farm Business” will be held on Saturday, Feb. 23, and will broadcast the keynote speaker to 21 different locations throughout the state, including Spokane and Pullman. The new localized format of the conference is designed to let women farmers benefit from a statewide conference, while still meeting their on-farm duties.

“Women are uniquely tasked with the demands of both farm and family, which can make travel to one location a challenge,” said WSU Douglas County Extension Director and chair of the conference, Margaret Viebrock. “This new approach allows us to offer our headline speaker at all locations, while also making the conference specific to each region.”

Keynote speaker Trini Campbell, owner of Riverdog Farm in Guinda, California, shares her experiences of beginning farming in the Napa Valley in 1990 by renting two acres and sharecropping and now owning a diverse 500-acre organic farm in the prime agriculture area called the Capay Valley. Campbell will discuss her challenges of managing labor, financial planning, dealing with crop loss, and market instability and maintaining a work-life balance with her family.

A second session will help producers become better financially prepared to take advantage of an opportunity to grow an operation and also survive a downturn in the economy. This session, led by a financial expert in each location, focuses on working capital and what it means to your farm. A local producer panel at each location will talk about their risks and challenges with farming, including how they use their financial tool to manage risk.

Registration for the conference is $25 and includes a copy of the book “Farmer Jane – Women Changing the Way We Eat” and lunch.

The deadline for participants to register is Feb. 18 by mail or online.

Website registration is now available online at http://www.womeninag.wsu.edu. To receive a print brochure in the mail, contact Viebrock at 509-745-8531 or [email protected].