By: Emily Adams, OSU Extension Educator
Registration is now open for the third annual East Ohio Women in Agriculture Conference. This year’s conference will be April 1, 2016 at a new location, R. G. Drage Career Technical Center in Massillon. Last year over 100 women from 27 counties across Ohio attended. This year’s program will feature 16 break-out sessions presented by OSU Extension educators, farmers, and partner agencies including: Finance, Livestock, Special Interest, Food & Family, Partner Agencies and one youth session.
The Finance track sessions include:
“Creating a Business Plan” – Holly Bolinger, Ohio Small Business Development Center, Kent State University at Stark
Learn the components of a good business plan, the resources available to assist you and how to give the bank what it needs to make a financial decision.
“An Unhappy Couple: Why Business & Personal Finances Should Never Be Together” – Cheryl Mickley, OSU Extension Educator
Tips for keeping these accounts separated
“Many Eggs – Many Baskets” – Abbe Turner, Lucky Penny Farm & Creamery
Explore how to diversify your farm or home business to provide multiple streams of income.
Kim Davis will deliver this year’s conference welcome and keynote speakers Sereana Howard Dresbach and Megan Dresbach will address Growing Confidence, Connections and the Next Generation.
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 throughout Ohio and especially in east central Ohio agriculture. Of the nineteen Ohio counties with over 500 women operators, ten are located in eastern Ohio. Wayne County ranks top in the state with over 800 women farm operators.
This conference invites women to learn about a variety of agricultural topics and to form connections with other women of similar interests. A detailed schedule and both online and mail in registration information can be found at u.osu.edu/eastohiowomeninag/