Washington will host Women in Agriculture Conference

WASHINGTON — Starting the Conversation is the theme for this year’s Women in Agriculture Conferences set for March 23 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Washington.

  Buy Photo

This year’s conference aims to make women of all ages more confident in starting a conversation, even on tough topics like farm succession and transition planning or mental health and struggles.

The conference is hosted by the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Washington County office and the Washington County Women in Agriculture Advisory Board. Women from other counties are welcome to attend.

“We are looking forward to our sixth Women in Ag Conference, and we have a great lineup of speakers to help attendees feel more comfortable and confident in starting the conversation,” said Rebecca Vittetoe, field agronomist with ISU Extension and Outreach and a member of the Washington County Women in Agriculture Advisory Board.

The conference will feature four speakers: Ron Rabou, a Wyoming farmer and entrepreneur; Liz Hulsizer, a fifth-generation Illinois farmer and grain originator; Rena Striegel, president of Transition Point Business Advisors; and Elaine Turner, certified public accountant specializing in small business and agriculture taxation.

Rabou’s Mind Shift session will challenge attendees to look at things through different lenses without compromising who they are, what they believe and what’s important to them.

Hulsizer will discuss the importance of having open communication, of not being afraid to talk about struggles. She will draw on some of her personal experiences with mental health and the impact it has had on her family and her family’s farming operation.

Following lunch, Striegel will present “Tackle the Tough Stuff: Strategies for Communication about Your Succession Plan.”

The program will conclude with Turner, who will share her expertise in ag taxation and maximizing tax benefits in agriculture.

Registration and check-in start at 8:30 a.m. The conference will begin at 9 a.m. and will conclude at 2:15 p.m.

The registration fee is $25 and $15 for students. A light breakfast and lunch is included. The early registration deadline is March 16. Late and walk-in registrations will be accepted based on availability, and the registration cost jumps to $35 and $25 for students.

For more information or to register, call the ISU Extension and Outreach Washington County office at 319-653-4811 or visit go.iastate.edu/SLNFVX.