Women attend national conference in Colorado
Conference in Colorado
Nearly 40 farm and rural women gathered on June 21 - 23 at the National Farmers Union(NFU) Education Center in Bailey, Colo., for a three-day women’s conference based in part on the well-respected “Annie’s Project” risk management education program.
At the event, a variety of trained instructors taught participants about family farm finances, budgeting and cash flow, cooperatives, marketing, farm transfer and estate planning, business planning, leadership assessment and skills, generational issues, and action planning.
North Dakota Farmers Union sent the following delegates to the camp:
Lisa Marie Aufforth
Denise Marie Brown
Elizabeth A Crowston
Jessica Haak
Vivian Hernandez
Kathy Ann Hoff
Joy Lynn Kinsey
Bonita Lou Knatterud
Rhonda Ann Lura
Jane Opdahl
Jennifer Teigen
Ronda Jean Throener
“For decades, farm families have worked side by side to survive and succeed,” said NFU President Roger Johnson. “It’s more important now then ever before for farmers to learn about all types of agriculture, regardless of their operation. We have a lot in common no matter where we live or what we grow."
Set against the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Rebecca Blue told the group of participants from six states that she was glad to see women together networking and encouraged farm women to speak out and become fully engaged in their family operations.
The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service 2007 Census on Agriculture found that the number of female principal farm operators increased by 30 percent between 2002 and 2007. Women are now the principal operators on 14 percent of the nation’s 2.2 million farms.
"Annie’s Project" also helps women find new ways to balance the demands of family, community, and professionalism within the agricultural community.
The conference is sponsored by Farm Credit, CoBank, Farmers Union Insurance Foundation and the NFU Foundation.
