The 20th annual Women In Agriculture Conference, an event designed specifically for women involved in agriculture, will be held March 22, 2013 at Nazareth Hall in Grand Rapids, Ohio, from 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

This year’s conference features ten breakout sessions. Participants will choose three sessions to attend during the morning. Sessions include topics such as The “Experts” say we’ll have either $4 or $10 corn this year … What do I do???, Where Your Checkoff Dollars Go, Maps & Apps, Mobile Media Marketing, Putting The Skinny In Your Foods, Fields of Fashion & Beauty, Farm Equipment Basics & Farm Safety, Make and Take T-Shirt Scarves, Homemade Cleaning Products – Do They Work? (and are they worth the effort?), Lake Erie is Dreary – Why Do You Care? and Creative Container Gardening.

A unique aspect of this conference is the tract designed for young women in agriculture. Several young women from local FFA Chapters attend the conference each year and will have the opportunity to participate in a session that will help them learn more about agriculture and develop skills needed to succeed in the industry.

After a tasty lunch, participants will hear from the keynote speaker, Dave Marrison, Ohio State University Extension Educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources. This presentation will provide an overview of succession planning and how to plan for the profitability of the business for future generations.

The Women In Agriculture program began in 1993 as a result of a need for farm women to gain more insight into the business of farming and to develop a network of farm women. At the first conference, there were approximately 40 women in attendance. Today the educational event has grown to approximately 150 participants from around northwestern Ohio and southern Michigan, according to Susan Zies, Ohio State University Extension educator and Women In Agriculture committee chair.

Space for the conference is limited. Early bird registration is $45, and has been extended to postmarked by March 15. Registration postmarked after the deadline is $50. Registration materials are available by calling the Ohio State University Extension Wood County office at (419)354-9050 or on-line at http://wood.osu.edu

For more information on the Women In Agriculture Conference, contact the Ohio State University Extension office of Wood County at (419)354-9050.