Her AgriCULTURE Story: Change, Adapt, Grow

Women represent central roles in the agricultural heritage that builds and sustains communities throughout the world. According to the 2012 Census of Agriculture, women are the principal operators of 6,783 farms in Kansas, and there are 25,611 total women farm operators in the state. With consideration for the many important roles women have in agriculture, leaders from various Kansas ag organizations established the Women Managing the Farm Conference to encourage women to come together and develop the knowledge and skills needed for success in a competitive agricultural environment.

“Her AgriCULTURE Story: Change, Adapt, Grow” is the theme of the next Women Managing the Farm Conference, planned for February 9-10, 2017, in Manhattan, Kansas. The event will bring together women from many sectors and proficiencies in agriculture and provide them with insights for building their agricultural story and managing their farm investment. During the two-day conference, attendees choose from more than 30 presentations covering many agricultural topics, including farm finances, agricultural and estate law, production, marketing, management, relationships and health.

Sessions are designed to keep women informed of the latest advancements in the farming community, and networking sessions are tailored to agricultural partners, independent producers, helpers, absentee landowners, industry career women, business managers and women with family in the military.

Pre-conference workshops will be offered on the afternoon of February 8. Options include tours of Hildebrand Farms Dairy and Liquid Art Winery, managing finances using Excel or Quickbooks and maximizing productivity with ag technology systems. Harnessing the Power of Excel is a hands-on workshop that will allow attendees to use Excel to create four different spreadsheets, including estimation of machinery costs, budgeting and enterprise analysis, calculating principal and interest payments, and analysis of livestock economics. A Farmer's Guide to Quickbooks will provide participants a hands-on introduction to QuickBooks as a farm business bookkeeping program. These preconference sessions have limited seating, so early registration is vital.

General session presenters include David Kohl, President, AgriVisions, LLC, who is an agricultural finance and business management specialist; and Kristy Archuleta, family therapist and Director of Personal Financial Planning at Kansas State University. Kriss Avery, an Emmy award-winning music and sound designer, concludes the conference by sharing how her journey and passions are deeply rooted in her rural Kansas upbringing.

By making plans early, participants can save $50. The early bird registration fee of $130 is available through December 9. After that date, the regular registration fee of $150 goes into effect until January 19. Late registration is $180.

In addition, a limited number of scholarships are available for the conference. Applications for full and partial scholarships are due by December 15, 2016.

Women Managing the Farm Conference information, registration dates and scholarship applications are available at womenmanagingthefarm.info or by calling 800-432-8222.