Announcing the 7th Annual Iowa Women's Landowner Conference

WILLIAMSBURG, IOWA (May 20, 2019) — The Seventh Annual Iowa Women's Landowner Conference will be held on June 20, 2019, in Brooklyn, Iowa. This conference is brought to you by the Iowa County Women Land and Legacy (WLL) and Iowa Land Sales and Farm Management. The conference is open to everyone, but is specifically tailored to women. Since women own or co-own over half of Iowa's farmland, they have the real potential and ability to transform Iowa's landscape and farm communities in significant and positive ways. Every effort is made to target the educational needs of women in Iowa, focusing on their empowerment, and encouraging local contacts and relationships. Farming is a family business, and, let's face it, a stressful one in our current economic climate. This year's session will cover Farm Stress and Solutions. "Distress or De-Stress," it's your call! Over the past six years, the conference has addressed a variety of relevant topics. This year's agenda includes Lesley Kelly, a Canadian Farmer/Blogger and co-founder of the "Do More Foundation." Kelly is a wife, mother, farmer, marketer, and huge advocate for the mental health of farmers. In addition to telling her story, Kelly will serve as the moderator for the panel discussion at the end of the day. Ryan Drollette, Farm Management Specialist with ISU extension and outreach, will lead a session on Leasing and Communication strategies. Dr Diane Rohlman, Director of Ag Safety and Health at the University of Iowa, will round out the morning, discussing how to identify and cope with farm stress. The afternoon sessions will include Dr Mike Rosmann, farmer and psychologist. Dr Rosmann will present on stress-management strategies in today's farm economy while highlighting real-life scenarios and outcomes he has witnessed. Sue Martin, guest commentator on Market to Market and President of Ag and Investment Services Inc, will lead a discussion entitled "Learning from the Past to Lead Us into the Future." We will close out the day with a panel Q&A that will include the previous presenters, along with farmer/tenants, (Andrew Axmear and Leo Rudolphi), a landlord (Regan Holub), and an ag-lender (Angie Treptow with Farm Credit Services of America). For the seventh year in a row, Mike Pearson will serve as the Master of Ceremonies. Faye Gerig from the Iowa County Women Land and Legacy team co-hosting the event shared, "We, as a planning committee, have been very fortunate in attracting high-caliber speakers to this annual conference. This year again, we have a whole new slate of passionate professionals, willing to share their experiences and expertise. Conference attendees won't be disappointed." A past conference participant raved, "This was my first year attending the conference. I was so impressed with the speakers and their willingness to stay and answer questions one-on-one during breaks and after the conference. I got answers for my personal situation and left knowing what my next steps were. I will definitely attend again!" Other reviews consistently praise the food, the content, the local presenters, and the professionalism of the conference. Whether you are coming with an agenda or hoping to make new friends and connections, this conference is worth the investment. The conference will be held on Thursday, June 20, at the Michael J Manatt Community Center in Brooklyn, Iowa. Registration begins at 7:30AM. Various speakers are scheduled throughout the day, concluding around 3:45PM. The conference fee is $30 ($35 if you pay at the door). Breakfast, snacks, lunch, handouts, and door-prizes are all included. To reserve your seat at the conference, register online by visiting http://iowalandsales.com/. Or you may register with Lynn at 319-668-1052 or email lgahring@iastate.edu. Registration fees may be paid in advance by check or credit-card or on the day of the event by check. Registration fees paid the day of the event are $35. For planning purposes, please register by June 14, 2019.