East Ohio Women in Agriculture hold annual conference
At the recent East Ohio Women in Agriculture Conference, Andy McDowell, vice president of Western Field Operations for the Western Reserve Land Conservancy, presented “Farmland Preservation: Economics and Mechanics.”
More than 100 women from across Ohio with an interest in agriculture met March 24 during the East Ohio Women in Agriculture conference at the Shisler Center in Wooster. This was the eighth annual conference that takes place in different counties around northeast Ohio.
Sponsored by The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, and county extension offices, it’s a great way for women involved in agriculture to meet new people and learn.
The Ohio Women in Agriculture Program is a a program of Ohio State University Extension’s Agriculture and Natural Resources program. WIA aims to provide all women in agriculture with the tools to learn, grow, connect, inspire and empower themselves and others in their current role with agriculture.
The program is designed to build confidence and connection for women who are interested or involved in food, agriculture or natural resources production and small business.
Hailey Campbell, OSU Agriculture and Technical Institute professor, welcomed attendees to a day filled with 27 related breakout sessions in four tracts ranging from business and finance; plants and animals; home and family; and special interest topics. In addition to learning something new, it was also an opportunity to learn and network with other women interested and involved in agriculture.
Rebecca Miller, editor at Farm and Dairy was the keynote speaker. Her presentation was “Clinging to Context in a Noisy World: Don’t Lose Sight of the ‘Why’ in What You Do.”
Miller operates a sheep farm in addition to her responsibilities at the weekly agricultural publication. She called 2022 “My Trial by Fire,” and compared that year to a rubber band stretched to the breaking point. “I lost two family members. My dad was expected but my aunt was not expected.
“I came close to snapping a second time when I walked into the barn and found a dead lamb. We have hundreds of lambs every year but this one had the potential to become something special. My family was always there for me and sometimes that’s what you need. Thinking back to when the rubber band stretched and about snapped, community helped get me through. Discussions about mental health in ag are hard to talk about. Our lives are a series of building blocks that prepare us for the best things.”
Miller also talked about her service in the Peace Corps in Africa and the rewards and challenges she experienced.
“This is a great event for women who are already involved in agriculture and want to expand their knowledge or for women who want to get started in agriculture,” said Shelby Tedrow, an agriculture, natural resources and 4-H program assistant with OSU Extension, Wayne County.
Jayme Rahz, CEO of Midway Swiss Turn, a machine shop in Wooster, found the meeting extremely beneficial. She and her husband own a farm in Plain Township where she raises chickens, gardens, and has alpacas for fiber production as well as other homestead type activities.
“This was my fifth year and I attended with my daughter,” Rahz said. “My favorite part is the networking and food. The classes are great, too. I always learn. Surprisingly there is a ton of crossover, most of the more financial type classes apply to farm and small business (especially family owned), so I use a lot of what I learn for both. Like insurance needs, succession planning, elder care, time management, et cetera.”
Register for Women in Ag Wednesday webinars at go.osu.edu/wiawednesdaywebinars2023 on the second Wednesday of each month from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. via Zoom.