Women learn life-changing skills through Pearls of Production conference beginning Oct. 29

COLUMBIA, Mo. — The opportunity to learn livestock farming skills hands-on and be surrounded by their peers – even during difficult circumstances – had a major impact on two women’s lives.

The Pearls of Production conference, hosted each year by University of Missouri Extension, is a hands-on educational program for women in livestock production.

“The Pearls of Production conference is a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience and work directly with specialists in livestock production,” said Heather Conrow, MU Extension livestock specialist and Pearls coordinator in a press release.

Carey Portell first attended Pearls when recovering from injuries received in a car accident. “I was missing community, and when I got there, there were a bunch of other women learning in the classroom with hands-on activities,” said Portell, who owns a commercial cow/calf and sheep operation in Cuba with her husband.

Portell not only learned how to castrate bulls at Pearls; she was also introduced to the MU’s Missouri AgrAbility program while there. As an ambulatory wheelchair user, she learned how to do her farm chores as a form of physical therapy through the help of AgrAbility.

“Had I not stepped out of my comfort zone and gone to Pearls, things would not have lined up as they have,” she said. “Working with extension folks and AgrAbility – it’s their passion, not their job. They want to help you succeed. I was struggling so hard at that time; I couldn’t go back to a regular job. They took my hand and said, ‘I’ve got you, Carey, I’ve got you.’”

Portell was soon encouraged to become a public speaker and has even served as a keynote speaker for Pearls.

“I felt like God was saying, ‘You need to share your story.’ I was so bashful, but I felt fulfilled after I did it,” she said.

Tina Wibberg, of Wibberg Farms near Taos, Mo., attended Pearls of Production after her husband died in a farm-related accident 10 years ago. Thanks to Pearls, she said, she learned about diversifying their cattle operation.

“We have small ruminants now that run with our cattle, managing our pastures,” Wibberg said. “I learned from Pearls, hands-on, how to care for sheep and goats, how to deliver during a difficult birth and how to vaccinate the animals.”

The hands-on components were crucial, she said. “They help you overcome that initial fear of how to handle the animals safely and humanely for the task at hand. I come from a farming family, and things my grandfather did might not be the best now.”

Wibberg said the extension specialists at Pearls brought the conversation to her level, no matter the topic.

“I really like being surrounded by my peers from all over Missouri, learning how they’ve handled different topics,” she said.

Wibberg and her three children run the farm while working full time off the farm.

The 2024 Pearls of Production Conference will be held on two days: from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29, via Zoom, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, in Columbia.

The Oct. 29 program includes a keynote presentation by meat scientist and blogger Janeal Yancey. Breakout sessions will look at estate planning, backyard layers, enhancing value-added meat marketing and beekeeping.

The Nov. 2 program features hands-on sessions at the MU Beef Research and Teaching Farm in Columbia. Topics range from beef genetics to backyard laying hens and forage/pasture assessment.

New for 2024 will be the Future Pearls of Agriculture activity. For the Nov. 2 conference date, participants can register their kids (ages 5 to 12) for an interactive, hands-on tour exploring the ways agriculture provides us with the basic needs of clothes, food and shelter. Kids will make their own lunch, gain hands-on knowledge and learn about the vast world that is the agricultural industry. Students of the Columbia FFA Chapter will host the kids’ event.

For details and registration, visit https://extension.missouri.edu/events/pearls-of-production. Cost is $99 for both days, $95 for in-person day only, $25 for virtual day only and $10 for children who attend on in-person day.