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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
www.regonline.com/womeinagconference
or contact the conference organizer at 802-223-2389 x15 to request a paper registration form.
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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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