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.
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by Janel Koons, PR Committee Co-Chair
