Women in Ag conference March 19

Registration is open for WSU's annual Women in Ag televised conference, booked for March 19 in Pullman, at Ensminger Pavilion on the corner of Wilson and Lincoln on the WSU campus, and simultaneously at 30 other locations throughout Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana and Alaska.

The one-day conference starts at 8:30 a.m., and the cost to register is $25 until March 5 and $30 after that. The registration fee also includes a light breakfast, lunch and all the conference materials. The conference is slated to end at 3:30 p.m.

The theme of this year's conference is communication, and the event will feature keynote speakers who will highlight important communication and networking skills for women farmers.

One of the speakers will be Wendy Kropp, vice president of AgVision. She co-founded Vets on the Farm, an organization that helps veterans find careers in agriculture.

Also speaking will be Michael Stolp, vice president of Customer Insights and WSU alum with a degree in agricultural business. He also earned a master's degree in agricultural economics from Purdue University.

Kropp and Stolp will speak about discovering communication styles and personality traits that will help individuals to “improve decision making, build better teams and connect marketing to what motivates prospects and customers,” according to a news release for the event.

Final speaker will be Shelly Boshart Davis, who is a third generation Oregon grass seed farmer. She currently helps run her family farm and businesses with her parents in Tangent, Ore., and she was recently named the president of the U.S. Forage Export Council. According to the news release, she will explain “how she changed her communication approach to improve her business strategies, motivate employees, work with her family and increase business sales.”

In addition to Pullman, other nearby locations for the conference include Spokane, Pasco, Walla Walla and Yakima, among others.

To register and find more information, go to http://www.WomeninAg.wsu.edu. Anyone who prefers to register with cash, check or money order can contact Donna Rolen at [email protected] or 509-745-8531 to request that paper registration be mailed. Individuals can also purchase extra tickets to ensure that an aspiring farmer will be able to attend the conference.

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CHS Foundation scholarships

available for ag conference

By Kara McMurray

Gazette Reporter

Women interested in attending the upcoming Women in Ag conference may have the opportunity through a CHS Foundation scholarship, provided by CHS Primeland.

The deadline to apply for the scholarship is March 11. The scholarships will provide the opportunity for people to attend the conference at a discounted rate.

Scholarships will be awarded in three categories.

Aspiring farmers applies to women who are beginning farmers or are considering farming as a career. In this category, there would be a $10 fee for attending the conference.

College agriculture students will also have an opportunity at a scholarship. This applies to women students currently pursuing a career in the agriculture field, and a $5 fee would be applied in this category.

The last category is for 4-H and FFA members. This category is for female high school students who are interested in an agriculture-related career and are currently in 4-H or FFA. This also carries a $5 fee to attend.

According to the Women in Ag website, when an application is approved, the recipient will be notified via email with a discount code for registering.

More information at womeninag.wsu.edu/scholarships.