The 2012 Census of Agriculture indicates that 28% of farmers in Ohio (31,413 of 113,624 operators) are female. Women farm operators play a vital role in eastern Ohio agriculture. Of the nineteen Ohio counties with over 500 women operators, ten are located in eastern Ohio including Ashtabula, Columbiana, Coshocton, Guernsey, Holmes, Medina, Muskingum, Stark, Washington and Wayne counties. Wayne County ranks #1 in the state with 810 women farm operators and Holmes county ranks #2 with 782 female farmers.
The East Ohio Women in Agriculture Conference was created in response to the needs of women in agriculture in eastern Ohio. The second annual East Ohio Women in Agriculture Conference will be March 27, 2015 at the Kent State University Tuscarawas Branch in New Philadelphia. Last year over 70 women from 23 Ohio counties and Pennsylvania attended. This year’s program will feature 12 break-out sessions related to: Business & Finance, Production- Made/Grown, Entrepreneurial, Family & Community. Keynote speaker will be agricultural attorney, Kristi Wilhemy. There is also a youth track for high school students with sessions presented by Ohio FFA Association state officers.
This conference invites women to learn about a variety of agricultural topics and to form connections with other women of similar interests. A more detailed schedule and both online and mail in registration information can be found at http://go.osu.edu/womeninageast