Farm, Family & Me conference May 14 in Novelty to provide opportunities for women in agriculture

NOVELTY, Mo. — The University of Missouri Extension will host regional Farm, Family & Me conferences to provide educational and networking opportunities to women in agriculture.

“This year, we want to offer women the opportunity to get together in smaller groups with the convenience of a one-day event,” Karisha Devlin, MU Extension agricultural specialist, said in a press release.

The first conference is 10 a.m.-3 p.m. May 14 at the MU Lee Greenley Jr. Memorial Farm, 64399 Greenley Place, in Novelty. A regional conference also will also be held later this year in the southwest part of the state.

Valerie Tate, MU Extension agronomy specialist, will discuss how crop field tillage and grazing management affect rainfall runoff, soil erosion and water infiltration. “Rainfall is one aspect of agriculture we cannot control, but farming practices can impact how much of that rainfall moves into the soil and is available for plant growth,” Tate said in a press release.

Ben Brown, a senior research associate with MU Extension and the MU Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute, will speak about the Russia-Ukraine conflict’s impact on U.S. agriculture. Brown will also share FAPRI’s market outlook.

Robin Wilson, physical therapist with Boone Health, will teach people how to care for their bodies as they farm. Twila Schuler, owner of Rising Son Karate, will demonstrate and teach self-defense techniques.

To attend, register by May 9 at muext.us/FFMnovelty22 or call Devlin at 660-397-2179. A limited number of scholarships are available for high school students, college students and others with financial need.

For more information, contact Devlin at devlink@missouri.edu, Tate at tatev@missouri.edu or Heather Conrow at hconrow@missouri.edu.