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There's still time to register for the 2005 Women in Sustainable 
Agriculture Conference: A Celebration of Hope & Opportunity. The conference 
will be held October 21-23 at the Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center in 
Burlington, Vermont. Regular registration rates have been extended through 
September 23. After that date, registrations will be subject to a $50 late 
fee.

The conference will provide multiple opportunities for farmers, ranchers, 
educators, agricultural service providers and activists to explore ways to 
expand the success of women farmers. Conference participants will share 
educational and organizational strategies; build production, business and 
leadership skills; and explore cultural and policy issues that affect the 
experience and success of women in agriculture. The conference will also 
set the agenda for the next decade of supporting female agricultural 
entrepreneurs.

Featured speakers include Frances Moore Lappe, whose 1971 bestseller Diet 
for a Small Planet awakened a generation to the human-made causes of 
hunger.  Activist and Native American Pamela Kingfisher, whose mesmerizing 
story-telling is rooted in her Cherokee, agricultural heritage will provide 
the closing address.

Participants will choose from 38 workshops featuring speakers from around 
the country. Topics include production, marketing, and business planning 
and development information relevant to small-scale farming; advocacy and 
leadership skill-building sessions; and roundtable sessions where 
participants can share and learn from each other's experiences. Exhibits 
will provide additional opportunities to gather information and learn from 
each other.

Throughout, conference meals will feature locally grown food that reflects 
the bounty of Vermont's harvest season. Networking is woven throughout the 
conference to celebrate the experience that each participant brings and 
explore ways to combine resources for greater success.

For attendees who want a more intensive learning experience, the conference 
offers a special, business development and marketing track. This "Grow Your 
Business" (GYB) track is essentially a "conference-within-the-conference," 
designed to help farmers who have made it through start-up and now want to 
strengthen their business  for long-term sustainability.

"If you are assessing what parts of your business need more attention, 
whether to diversify, how to boost profitability or whether changes in 
management or marketing structure are needed, this track may be for you," 
says Mary Peabody, director of the Women's Agricultural Network. 
Participants who complete this track will be eligible for follow-up 
technical assistance and reimbursement for up to $150 in professional 
services as part of a Northeast Center for Risk Management Education grant.

The conference registration fee is $175 for registrations received by 
September 23. The fee includes five meals and access to all conference 
sessions and workshops. There is no extra charge for the GYB track. 
Registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

The conference is hosted by the University of Vermont Women's Agricultural 
Network (WAgN) a program that assists women interested in farming and 
agriculture-related businesses. It was one of the first programs in the US 
to focus on female farmers and their needs.

Sponsors include: The Northeast Center for Risk Management Education, USDA 
Farm Service Agency, The Vermont Women's Fund, The Northeast Region 
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program, The 
USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, University of Vermont Center 
for Sustainable Agriculture, University of Vermont Extension, Organic 
Valley/CROPP, the Ben & Jerry's Foundation, the North Central Regional 
Center for Rural Development, the Pennsylvania Women's Agricultural 
Network, the University of Arkansas, the Women, Food and Agriculture 
Network (Iowa), Heifer Project International, the University of Vermont 
Women's Center.

Find out more about the conference and/or register on-line at 
<http://www.regonline.com/womeinagconference>www.regonline.com/womeinagconference 
or contact the conference organizer at 802-223-2389 x15 to request a paper 
registration form.

********************************
Beth Holtzman
Women's Agricultural Network

617 Comstock Rd.
Berlin, VT 05602

[log in to unmask]
802-223-2389 ext. 15
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