Women in Ag conference set for April 10

“Agriculture: Our Purpose. Our Passion” is the theme of the Women in Agriculture Conference April 10 at Sidney.

The conference (8:45 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Country Inn and Suites, 664 Chase Blvd.) is for women involved in farm and ranch business decisions, who want to learn more about farm and ranch management, who are landowners, or who want to broaden their knowledge of agribusiness.

The $35 registration fee covers conference materials, breaks and lunch. Advance registration is due by March 31, after which the fee is $45. Registration forms and more information are available at the UNL Extension office at 920 Jackson Street in Sidney. Phone 308-254-4455, email Extension Educator Karen DeBoer at kdeboer1@unl.edu , or browse to http://ckb.unl.edu.

Expert presenters include Nebraska Extension personnel, agribusiness representatives, and others. They will share information and advice about topics ranging from the home and hobby to agribusiness and advocacy. Presenters and topics include:

Herb Wisdom: Amy Timmerman and Pat Jones, Extension Educators, will share knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense and insight into growing and cooking healthy with herbs. They will cover the various types of herbs that can be grown in Nebraska and how to incorporate these herbs into gardens and outside spaces. They share the healthy benefits of cooking with herbs, such as reducing salt and sugar intake for special diets by adding flavors to dishes. There will be an opportunity to try new herbs and recipes.

Field Peas, a Viable Crop for Western Nebraska: Yellow field peas are expanding as a viable cash crop in western Nebraska. Courtney Schuler, Business Development Manager for Stateline Producers Cooperative, will cover the markets and uses for field peas both domestically and globally.

All for the Love of FOOD: Lots of people are talking about food and where it comes from. Some of it is accurate, some is not. Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel and Connie Hancock, Nebraska Extension, will look at why this is occurring and how it impacts the entire agriculture industry on both a domestic and global level.

Making Supplementation Decisions: Supplementation is an important decision for cattle producers. Karla Jenkins, UNL Cow/Calf and Range Management Specialist, will talk about how to determine cost per unit of energy or protein, what type of protein supplementation is important, and how nutrient analysis of hays and commodities assists in making those decisions.

Capturing Farming and Ranching in Photography: Mia Varra of Dix will focus on capturing the beauty of farming and ranching in lighting, techniques and storytelling. She will share tips and tricks of camera settings, equipment and composition, and will also discuss the importance of representing agriculture in a positive manner, as well as the impact and responsibilities that photography has on the industry.

Conference sponsors are American National Bank at Sidney; Farm Credit Services of America; USDA Farm Service Agency; Great Western Bank of Sidney; USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Points West Community Banks in Kimball, Chappell, Sidney and Kimball; Sidney Federal Savings and Loan; Security First Bank at Sidney; South Platte Natural Resources District; and Nebraska Extension in Cheyenne, Kimball and Banner counties.

–UNL Extension