The balancing act that goes along with being a woman involved in agriculture is a theme addressed by the 2007 Women in Agriculture Conferences to be held by OSU Extension in Ashland and Wood Counties. The Wood County Conference will be held on March 16, 2007, and the Ashland County Conference on March 23, 2007. The role women play in agriculture and more specifically within the family farm has always been very important and multifaceted. However, women’s managerial responsibilities have grown and evolved over the years.
Today, many women are the farm’s account, commodity marketer, and human resource manager. In other situations, one may find the primary farm operator is a woman. The 2002 Census of Agriculture found that the number of female operators in Ohio had increased by almost thirty percent from 1997-2002. More women have assumed this position for a variety of reasons. For example, some women have taken responsibility through inheritance, either from parents or a spouse, more young girls are encouraged to consider farming as a career and others have chosen farming as a second career after retirement.
In addition to the farm responsibilities many women now work away from the farm. Off farm employment has been increasingly important to the bottom line of many farm households. According to a survey of 1,209 Illinois farm families enrolled in the Illinois Farm Business Farm Management Association, family living expenses averaged $52,743 in 2005. Over half of the family living expenses are contributed by off farm employment. In many cases, it is the farm wife that works away from the farm. Thus, she plays a much different role as compared to the past in support of the family farm. Her off farm employment not only adds a significant contribution to the family’s income, but often provides health insurance coverage for the family. Both are vital aspects to many family farm businesses.
As a result of an increase in the number of women in farm managerial roles and other agricultural professions, a need has been recognized throughout the United States to provide more agricultural programming geared toward women. Programming has been developed to not only target women’s educational needs related to their roles within the farm business, but to also create a network of support for women involved in the world of agriculture.
Both Women in Agriculture Conferences will be day-long events planned to provide an opportunity for women to learn, network and enjoy a day where some else cooks and waits on them. They will address topics which affect the everyday lives of farm women and will be beneficial to women who are involved in agriculture part time as well as those involved full time.
The Wood County conference will be held on Friday, March 16, 2007, at Nazareth Hall (Route 65, Grand Rapids, Ohio). The conference will begin at 8:00 a.m. and end at 3:00 p.m. The keynote speaker will be Carolyn Cooksie, Deputy Administrator for Farm Loan Programs, USDA – Farm Service Agency, Washington, DC. There will be several breakout sessions held throughout the day on topics such as farm loans for women, using a digital camera with a computer, farmland protection options and rejuvenation spa with The Body Shop at home. Registration for the day is $40 which includes continental breakfast, lunch and materials. Sponsors for the day include Ag Credit, Blanchard Valley Farmers Co-op, Inc., Grelton Elevator, Inc., Luckey Farmers, Inc., Mid-Wood, Inc., Monsanto Company, Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., Sky Bank, and Wood County Farm Bureau. Please contact the OSU Extension office at 419-354-9050 for registration information or visit the website at:
http://wood.osu.edu/fcs/documents/2007WIARegistrationFlier.pdf.
The Ashland County conference will be held on Friday, March 23, 2007 at Celebrations by Sallie! (1256 E. Main St., Ashland, Ohio). The conference will begin at 9:00 a.m. and end at 3:30 p.m. Pat Leimbach will kick the conference off as the featured keynote speaker. Topics throughout the day will include health savings accounts, FSA update, work-farm-family balance, marketing and financial statements. There will also be time for networking and catching up with friends and neighbors. Registration for the day is $25 which includes, refreshments, lunch and program materials. Sponsorship for the day has been provided by local Farm Bureau Boards in Ashland, Lorain, Erie, Wayne, and Medina Counties. As well as the Ashland County Cattlemen and Dairy Service Unit. Please contact the OSU Extension office at 419-281-8242 for registration information or visit the website
http://ashland.osu.edu/agriculture-and-natural-resources/women-in-agriculture-conference