The Women and Land Workshop Series  in Virginia is designed for women who own forest or agricultural land with their families, but who may or may not be the primary manager of the land. The goal is to provide you with the information and contacts needed to make wise decisions for your family land.

December 5, 2012 at Ivy Creek Natural Area’s Educational Building in Charlottesville, VA

Stay posted with all updates at:  Virginia Beginning Farmer News

Virginia Beginning Farmer & Rancher Facebook page

Claims Filing Period for Hispanic and Women Farmers and Ranchers Who Claim Past Discrimination at USDA to Open on September 24, 2012

Those Eligible Must File Claims No Later Than March 25, 2013

En Espanol

USDA Press Release – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that Hispanic and women farmers and ranchers who allege discrimination by the USDA in past decades can file claims between September 24, 2012 and March 25, 2013.

“Hispanic and women farmers who believe they have faced discriminatory practices from the USDA must file a claim by March 25, 2013 in order to have a chance to receive a cash payment or loan forgiveness,” said Secretary Vilsack. “The opening of this claims process is part of USDA’s ongoing efforts to correct the wrongs of the past and ensure fair treatment to all current and future customers.”

The process offers a voluntary alternative to litigation for each Hispanic or female farmer and rancher who can prove that USDA denied their applications for loan or loan servicing assistance for discriminatory reasons for certain time periods between 1981 and 2000. Read more »

Whole Farm Planning for Beginning Women Farmers, 2012-2013 Session in Western Massachusetts

CISA (Community Involved In Sustaining Agriculture) is now soliciting applications for the 2012-2013 Beginning Women Farmer Program.  CISA is continuing its partnership with Holistic Management International (HMI) to offer a workshop series specifically aimed at women farmers in the state of Massachusetts.

If you’re a women who has been farming for less than ten years, the Whole Farm Planning series is an opportunity to learn from other women farmers and experienced mentors. The program consists of one-on-one mentorships, on-farm field days, business planning workshops, and round-table discussions with a network of women farmers to share concerns and successes. In order to cultivate a holistic understanding of farming, each aspect of farm planning will be laid out, from creating a business plan to financial management in order to cultivate a holistic understanding of farming.

This is a 10-workshop series that has 7 sessions held in the winter months and 3 farm tour sessions in spring. The first class will be held in late October or early November. Dates, times and locations for the workshops are to be decided. Participants must attend all 10 sessions and the class size is limited to seventeen attendees that are Massachusetts residents. There is a fee for this series and scholarships may be available. To learn more about the program and to receive an application, please contact Devon Whitney-Deal at 413-665-7100 x22 or email devon@buylocalfood.org.

USDA and White House Office of Public Engagement to Host Google+ Hangout to Highlight Local Food Initiatives

On Tuesday, July 17, 2012 Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan and Jon Carson, White House Director of Public Engagement, will host a Local Foods in Our Community As Told By Women Google + Hangout to highlight efforts to strengthen local and regional food systems.

Tuesday’s event will be an opportunity to talk about local food with inspiring women from around the country, including: Cory Carman of Carman Ranch in Oregon, a fourth-generation farmer who works closely with local processors and distributors to sell her beef directly to customers and to local universities, colleges, and restaurants; Susan Noble, Executive Director of the Vernon Economic Development Association (VEDA) in Wisconsin, who spearheaded revitalizing an abandoned factory into a successful food businesses incubator; Chris Kirby, who coordinates a Farm to School program on behalf of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture and connects local producers with hundreds of local schools across the state; Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake of Baltimore, MD, who created the Baltimore Food Policy Initiative, an inter-governmental collaboration aiming to increase access to healthy affordable food across the city; Pamela Roy, Executive Director of Farm to Table in Albuquerque, NM and Director of the New Mexico Food and Agriculture Policy Council, which advocates the connection between local food systems, health, nutrition, hunger and stewardship; Valerie Segrest of the Muckelshoot Indian Tribe near Seattle, WA, who works as the Community Nutritionist and Native Foods Educator for the Northwest Indian College’s Cooperative Extension Department and sees local and traditional foods as a way to preserve her heritage.

This Google+ Hangout isn’t just a chance to hear these women’s powerful stories. It’s also a chance to see more stories like theirs when we unveil the 2.0 version of the USDA’s Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Compass. An innovative digital guide and map, the KYF Compass highlights USDA-supported local food projects around the country. The 2.0 version features thousands of local food projects in all 50 states and includes keyword and zip code search features.

Learn how to participate by clicking the Read More tab… Read more »

Empowering Farm Women Topic of National Farmers Union Conference 

Press Release – Most businesses would struggle to survive if they lost half of their management team overnight. Yet for thousands of families, an illness or injury to one spouse can leave the other feeling lost and frustrated.

Based on the well-respected “Annie’s Project” education program, a conference for farm and rural women is being organized by National Farmers Union (NFU). The event, set for June 21-23, will provide participants with tools and information to confidently manage risks in their farm or ranch operations.

“Since the days of homesteading, women have been the cornerstones of family farm agriculture,” said NFU President Roger Johnson. “Yet, too many women have not had the opportunity to gain an understanding of or experience in farm risk management.”

A variety of trained instructors will teach family farm finances, budgeting and cash flow, cooperatives, marketing, farm transfer and estate planning, business planning, leadership assessment and skills, generational issues, and action planning.

The conference will be held at the NFU Education Center at Bailey, Colo. The $150 registration will cover camp-style lodging in the Rocky Mountains at the NFU Education Center, catered meals, and conference materials. Those interested in participating are urged to register early as capacity is limited. Full payment must accompany registration and be postmarked by May 18.  More information and registration details are available at www.nfu.org/education.

“Annie’s Project” also helps women find new ways to balance the demands of family, community and professionalism within the agricultural community. The conference is sponsored by Farm Credit, CoBank, FUI Foundation and the NFU Foundation.

The Beginning Women Farmer Conference: Exploring Whole Farm Planning

Date: March 22-23, 2012 Location: University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, Lincoln Campus Center

A two day conference for all farmers interested in improved quality of life, profitability, and land health sponsored by Holistic Management International, the USDA National Institute of Food & Agriculture and the University of Massachusetts.

Learn how Whole Farm Planning can help you achieve improved quality of life, profitability, and land health

• Hear about the successes HMI Beginning Women Farmer Program participants have achieved
• Learn from experts in the field about ways to farm successfully whether you are a beginning farmer or have been farming for years.
• Network with other farmers in the Northeast to share tips and learn about farming resources

You must register in advance. No onsite registrations will be accepted

$120.00 Full Conference Registration, includes all conference sessions, most meals &  Beginning Women Farmer Banquet; $70 Day Pass for March 22, 2012 (does not include Banquet); $70 Day Pass for March 23, 2010 (does not include Banquet); $25 Beginning Women Farmer Banquet; $40 Childcare per day, per child (ages 2-10). Scholarships are available.

To see the conference agenda, learn more, and to register go to: http://holisticmanagement.org/conferencebwfne/

Also check out the many great things that HMI does including their work with beginning farmers and ranchers http://holisticmanagement.org/our-work/beginning-farmers-ranchers; and much, much more on their website at  http://holisticmanagement.org/.

Farm Credit Producing Excellence Program Reveals Top Four 2012 Agricultural Trends

Top Trends Include Consumers Reconnecting with Producers, Local Food Movement, Increasing Number of Women Leaders in Agriculture and Careers in Agriculture 

DENVER, Feb. 1, 2012 – At a time when consumers are craving information about how their food gets from the farm to the table, Farm Credit, a national provider of financing and related services to agriculture and rural America, continues its 95^th anniversary celebration by educating consumers about the diversity of agriculture and food production through informative customer stories. The online series, called Producing Excellence, highlights the strength, ingenuity and contributions of America’s agricultural producers, including producers’ essential role in the economy.

Farm Credit has featured dozens of individuals and families who represent excellence in agriculture and rural America. These profiles also offer a glimpse into four key industry trends for 2012:

1.    A growing connection between consumers and producers

2.    Agriculture careers offer a bright spot in the U.S. economy

3.    Strong consumer and producer interest in locally grown food

4.    An increasing number of female farm operators

This is a really interesting article from a respected institution, not sensationalist stuff or advertizing. It’s worth clicking “read more” to check out the whole article. Read more »

Women, Food and Agriculture Annual Conference Jan 20-21, 2012 - Iowa

The 2012 Women, Food and Agriculture Network Annual Conference, with the theme “Women Transforming the Landscape,” will be held January 20 – 21, 2012 at the Magnuson Hotel Des Moines Airport (formerly Best Western Marquis), 1810 Army Post Road, Des Moines, IA.

Keynote speaker Debra Eschmeyer is an organic farmer, advocate, and founder of FoodCorps, the first national volunteer service program for young people working for food security in limited-resource communities.

Saturday workshop topics will include risk management strategies for farmers, backyard poultry and food preservation, creating change in your community food system, and women landowners telling their land transition stories.

Special Saturday lunch guest: Christie Vilsack, 4th district candidate for US Congress.

Visit www.wfan.org or call 515.201.9405 for information on registration, exhibiting, and student scholarships.

Women in Ag Conference – Washington State - Saturday, February 11, 2012

Women face unique challenges in growing viable businesses in farming and ranching. Keynote speakers will be broadcast across the state to a site in the counties listed above; and local presenters will reflect the needs of those regions.

Save the date of February 11, 2012, for this wonderful opportunity to learn and grow. If you or any of the farmers you work are interested in attending one of these workshops, please send your contact information to Debra Kollock at  dkollock@wsu.edu and you will be notified of all upcoming news and details. Please type ”Women in Ag” in the subject line. Or call (509) 684-2588.

When: Saturday, February 11, 2012

Where: At sixteen locations throughout the state of Washington

More info:  Visit the website for more information:  Womeninag.wsu.edu

Cost: $25 includes a continental breakfast and lunch. All registrations received by January 25 will receive a signed copy of “The Procrastinator’s Handbook” by keynote speaker Rita Emmett.

Even though the name indicates Women in Agriculture, all agricultural producers are welcome to attend.

Thanks to our sponsors for helping to make this opportunity available across the state.