Designed to educate and uplift women involved in any aspect of Nebraska’s agricultural industry, the two-day conference, this year held Feb. 24-25 in Kearney, is one of the longest-running women’s conferences of its kind in the country.
“My favorite part of planning this conference is the reward of meeting people,” says Jessica Groskopf, director of Nebraska Women in Agriculture and Nebraska Extension educator in agricultural economics.
“I love hearing the stories of our speakers, farm and ranch women, and laughing with them.”
With this year’s conference centered around farm and ranch stress assistance, attendees heard from keynote speaker Carey Portell, a Missouri farmer who endured a fatal drunk driving crash. Portell moved the audience in sharing her story of enduring a four-year recovery, involving thirteen surgeries to end in a partially disabled status.
Portell spoke of being “beautifully broken,” as she shattered barriers and continued to thrive on the farm and in family life thanks to the resources of AgrAbility, an organization with a goal to restore hope and renew productivity and quality of life for agricultural workers with disabilities.
“I can’t go back to a traditional job, and farming has become a passion of mine because it has given me a purpose and accomplishments again,” Portell said.
“It fed something in me that I needed.”
Inspiring leaders, tactful producers and seasoned professionals combined for a total of 23 workshop sessions, and three keynotes, in which over 200 attendees spanning the state learned how to better manage risk, improve their farms and ranches and become more successful operators and business partners.
Groskopf works year-round to find topics and speakers relevant and helpful to women in agriculture, relying heavily on attendee evaluations and welcoming ideas and input from any woman in agriculture. She says that anyone can find opportunities in agriculture, no matter the role.
According to most attendees at the 2022 flagship event, nothing can replace the face-to-face that makes this conference so great.
One conference attendee, LaDene Rutt from Chappell, Neb. has not missed a Nebraska Women in Agriculture conference since its inception in 1985.
Growing up as the oldest girl in her family, Rutt says from the time she could walk she helped her father on the family’s dryland farming operation, planting and harvesting wheat, sunflowers, peas and milo.
“It’s a good time to visit with other farm women about their families, and the struggles we all face, said Rutt.
“I intend to keep coming for as long as I can.”
Rutt says that over the years she has made “all kinds of mistakes” and encourages all women in agriculture to keep going. Noting the advancements of modern-day farming and the help of technology, she says her father would be proud of the straight planting rows she can make with the guidance system in her tractor.
Among Rutt and other conference attendees were two young women in agriculture, both first-time conference attendees and equine management industry students at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture.
Kyra Hearn of Gothenburg and Makayla Huddleston, of Knoxville, Tennessee, attended this year’s conference after receiving student scholarships.
“It has been great to absorb so much material about all the opportunities women have in agriculture, and I have enjoyed meeting great women along the way,” said Hearn.
Hearn and Huddleston admit they weren’t sure what to expect from the conference but say they will walk away with amazing resources as they work towards their future goals within equine training and therapy.
Since 1985, Nebraska Extension’s Women in Agriculture program has sought to provide education opportunities for all Nebraska women interested in developing agricultural management skills through unbiased, research-based education. The program provides leadership, learning experiences, support and networking avenues to empower women to compete and survive in this challenging and complex industry.
The 2023 Nebraska Women in Agriculture Conference is set for February 23-24 in Kearney.
You can follow Nebraska Women in Agriculture on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Natalie Jones | IANR Media
