“The response from the presenters has been great — I have filled up my speaker spots faster than anything else I’ve done,” said Sarah Linde, program director for Ag for Life. “The interest from the industry has been phenomenal.”

Feed Your Future is a day-long event aimed at showing girls and young women in Grades 9 to 12 the wide range of ag career prospects.

Many young women don’t realize how diverse those career options are, said Linde.

“We see a lot of rural students who don’t look beyond farming if they want to be in agriculture,” she said. “We want to show them the diversity of careers in agriculture, as well as empower them to be part of an industry that is growing in Alberta right now.”

The sector is also changing, with more women moving into roles where there were once few, if any, female role models.

“We’ve noticed a shift in social norms in some job roles,” said Linde. “We believe that more women are pursuing non-traditional roles, leading them to agriculture. This will offer ample opportunity to go beyond farming and ranching.”

The day will feature a variety of speakers including a representative from the Canadian Mental Health Association, another who will tackle personal development, and a nutritionist will share how diet affects performance. Sarah Adams, owner of Alberta Girl Acres (a flower operation near Vulcan), will talk about how she started her enterprise.

The participants will also participate in a career and networking session with professionals from across the agriculture industry.

“So far I have everything from primary producers to a CEO and a scientist with the Alberta Cattle Feeders Association, some chartered professional accountants and photographers,” said Linde. “We’ll try to show a diversity of career opportunities and those women will be there for the girls to network with.”

This portion of the day will see young women spend 10 minutes with each professional woman. These mini sessions will give participants a chance to ask the professionals about their career path, their education and how they got to where they are, said Linde.

This is the first time Ag for Life has hosted an event focused on young women, but the participants are at an age where they’re making decisions about their careers, she added.

The event takes place on March 18 in Calgary (at The Village: Brentwood’s Lifestyle Centre) and is free (with lunch provided).

Registration takes place through schools and so far, Linde has registrants from Calgary, Lethbridge, Bow Island, Beiseker, Olds, Blackie and other communities close to Calgary. She is hoping that about 100 girls will attend.

On the registration form, participants were asked about their career interests and they answered with a wide range of options, including urban agriculture, beekeeping, herbal medicine, cattle ranching and agribusiness, she said.

Ag for Life (which has offered programming for 11 years, and has done many events on agriculture education and farm safety) plans to hold Feed Your Future events in Edmonton and southern Alberta next year.

For more information, go to agricultureforlife.ca.

The post Opening the eyes of young women to careers in agriculture appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

And that’s just fine by her.

“The term ‘farmwife’ has changed so much,” said the Lloydminster-area author. “I don’t fit into that box. And there’s comfort in knowing that there are other women like you.”

In 2016, Miller published her first book — Farmwives in Profile, which chronicled the lives of 17 ‘traditional’ farmwives from the Lloydminster area. Through in-depth questions, candid photos, and Prairies recipes, Miller celebrated the unsung heroes of the family farm — the women working behind the scenes to keep the family and home running smoothly.

But times have changed. Families and farms look very different now than they did when these women were forging their way in the world. And the role of farmwife has changed along with it.

“When I came into this, I was surrounded by very traditional women,” said Miller, a city girl who married a fourth-generation farm boy a decade ago.

“But I had a feeling in my gut that if I was going to do this and be the happiest wife and mom that I could be, I would have to make my life my own.”

So in her second book, Farmwives 2, Miller opened up the conversation to the new generation of farmwives — 25 women from across the country who are doing things a little differently than earlier generations.

Some women in the book embraced the term ‘farmwife’ and still fill ‘traditional’ roles on the farm, taking on the majority of the housework, cooking, and child rearing. Others balked at the term, preferring instead to emphasize their work in the field or with livestock or away from the farm altogether.

But for each of these women, that choice has been their own.

“One of the farmwives from my first book told me, ‘Fifty years ago, you just did what the person who came before you did. You didn’t think anything more about it,’” said Miller.

“Because of all the hard work women of past generations have done, we do now have more choices.”

Even so, “women are women,” and that hasn’t changed much from one generation to the next.

“Everything that those women (in the past) did for their families, these women do for their own families — but in their own way,” she said. “Every one of these women puts their families first and their farms first. It’s just the way they go about it that’s different.”

And those differences are celebrated in Miller’s latest book.

“Families are going to do things differently, and I wanted to share those different stories so we could all draw from that wisdom,” she said.

“There’s camaraderie in knowing there’s lots of different ways to skin a cat.”

Miller hopes her new book will help farm women feel less alone in their roles, whatever those roles may be.

Farm life can be overwhelming, exhausting, and isolating for women, she said, and there aren’t a lot of resources out there for those trying to navigate life on the farm. In addition to sharing funny anecdotes and recipes, Miller’s interview subjects included their advice on self-care, their worries about farm transitions, and their thoughts on how to keep a marriage strong.

“I don’t want farms to fail because of traditional pressures on modern families,” said Miller. “I want women to feel inspired to make their lives better, to make their families better, to make their marriage stronger.”

The trick to that is simple, she added: Do what makes you happy.

“If you love making the meals and taking care of the kids full time, do that. If you love putting a crop in or working on the farm, do that. Whatever makes you happy, do that,” said Miller.

Ultimately, there isn’t one way to be a farmwife, she said. And each woman should be honoured for what they bring to the table — no matter what that looks like, she said.

“I don’t want any other woman to feel like they’re not good enough. No matter how you’re doing it; no matter what kind of woman you are on a Canadian family farm, I want you to know you’re doing it right.”

Farmwives 2 goes on sale in March.

The post There’s no right way to be a woman on the farm appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

The four girls played quietly doing make believe and building sand castles. Their father listened to music and watched for their safety when they neared the water. It is an idealistic scene.

The four boys tormented each other and played wildly: Sand, seaweed, stones, and shells whirled over my head as I tried to relax. Dad was asleep on a log. There was chaos.

One could sit back and assume that is the difference between boys and girls, but I think it had more to do with boundaries. Girls can play rough and tumble, and boys can play quiet and imaginative games.

The child is who the child is — we do not parent to tame them, but to channel that spirit into a positive stream, give them reasonable boundaries, and encourage positive growth.

The boundary was crossed when the boys tore over and without cause, ruined the girls’ sand castles. This was a clear act of destruction and a violation of the girls’ space and creativity; it was not invited nor welcome. The boys’ father remained asleep on the log. The girls’ father offered them comfort.

There are greater questions behind gender energy here that we need to ask. Why is it that we accept a boy’s destructive behaviour as ‘boys just being boys’? What has evolved in our families to bring us to that point of acceptance? And why are girls not given the tools to defend against male aggression?

• More with Brenda Schoepp: Temper tantrums: There’s way too much drama on some farms

I recall the horror of a young girl in her village in Fiji. The boys were ‘being boys’ and for sport were trying to pull her into the water and lift her dress. She was clearly frightened and did not welcome that attention. With a shrug, life went on (until I went to her aid). As she ages we can assume that as a teenager, the unchecked actions may become more pronounced. Those boys did not have a right to physical aggression — at any age.

An equal world starts at home — where boys and girls understand the boundaries of behaviour, and are taught respect and accountability. The boys in this story could have inquired about those sand castles (girls make great engineers) or offered to add a few extra to the kingdom (teamwork) or asked the girls to play catch (although they were throwing stones). There was a host of positive interactions that could have happened given the right culture of growth for boys and girls. Whatever the choice of engagement, those boys first needed to seek permission or invitation to walk into the space of those little girls.

Cultural norms can be deeply imbedded and influence how boys and girls act. On a street in Argentina with my male friends we encountered a soccer team of boys about age 10. We asked where the girls were as there were no girls playing on the team, in the park, or on the streets. The boy who answered said, “In the house where they belong.” We asked, “Do you not play soccer with the girls?” That child’s eyes just about popped out of his head and he backed away as though there was a bad odour. They were shocked to learn that I played soccer, and that other boys and girls could — and did — play soccer together.

The year before I was in India where the caste system is particularly hard on girls as they are born into a life of slavery and virtual non-existence. The lack of birth certificates is a problem but the way they are treated is shocking.

We walked into this dark, dirt floor hut where lower-caste girls were splitting coconuts. As is the case in most of my travels, the girls want to communicate with you. Approaching the first child I asked, “What is your name? How old are you?” Immediately her male employer put himself between us saying, “She has no name. She has no birth.”

These are not extreme examples but vignettes of reality that demonstrate that a lack of respect for a female can spread from the family to the community, and finally strangle the female gender of a nation.

Read carefully the plea from Canadian father Glen Canning who lost his daughter to suicide after being raped by teenage boys: “Speaking of accountability, thankfully four in five Canadians (79 per cent) feel ‘boys will be boys’ is an outdated attitude. So that means, from a young age, we must hold our boys accountable for their behaviour. Our boys can be shown how to embody empathy and compassion. We must make no excuse for toxic masculinity to get embedded in our next generation.”

I have a high regard for the persons of each gender and believe that gender equality is standing up for the excellence of the other so that both may contribute in the way in which they are gifted. This starts from the first breath of that baby. How we shape their world depends on our own examples of equality and our healthy respect of boundaries.

The post Will boys always be boys? Not if we teach them proper boundaries appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

That was a recurring theme at this year’s Advancing Women Conference, where attendees were told their leadership and communication skills are badly needed.

“Women’s voices are needed, that’s my underlying message — your hard work, your commitment, your dedication, whether you’re in an office or in the field, no matter where you are in the value chain,” said Krysta Harden, who has been a deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and chief of staff to former ag secretary Tom Vilsack.

Although Harden, who grew up on a peanut farm in Georgia, became a top power broker in Washington, she said women can influence the future of agriculture in a variety of roles.

• Read more: The four factors that are changing agriculture

She highlighted the power of effective communication. People may not remember the exact words you used, but will never forget how a compelling story made them feel. And there is real power in agriculture’s story when properly told, she said.

“It’s not for the pay, it’s not for the glory — it’s for the sheer love of it,” said Harden, now public policy and chief sustainability officer with DuPont.

“How do we tell that story? That’s the story that no one does better than women.”

That’s especially important when connecting with today’s consumers, she added.

“When the consuming public — who doesn’t understand what we do on the farm or ranch, and who doesn’t understand your role in agribusiness — when they see your face, and you talk about your family and your kids and your worries, they perk up. They want to know more.”

Harden urged her audience to speak up, whether that’s at the kitchen table, in a boardroom, or at a meeting of a community group.

“This is not about taking away voices or diminishing our enlightened male colleagues,” she said. “It’s about adding your chair. Adding your voice to it. Adding your understanding of things.”

That’s exactly what one of Canada’s best-known farm leaders did a decade and a half ago — although taking that plunge was daunting, said Cherilyn Nagel.

“I admit that there were times on my journey when I felt intimidated,” said Nagel, who began by volunteering and serving on boards like the Grain Growers of Canada and the Western Canadian Wheat Growers.

“I felt inadequate, and I felt inexperienced. I was 22 and had never sat on a formal board before.”

In 2004, Nagel became the first female president of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association and a leading advocate of ending the monopoly of the Canadian Wheat Board.

“I wasn’t an expert on wheat markets, but I had a passion to make a change,” she said.

She urged conference attendees to trust in their ability to make a difference.

“Many of you have been asked to let your name stand for election on a board, and are interested in getting involved in a particular issue, but you haven’t done it yet,” she said. “Maybe that’s because you feel inadequate or inexperienced — don’t let that stop you.”

She said she soon learned that her young male colleagues also felt as inadequate, intimidated, and inexperienced as she did. She also discovered how to overcome those fears.

“The best way to overcome intimidation is to know your stuff,” said Nagel, who farms near Mossbank, Sask. “Learn the files and surround yourself with men and women who can help you navigate. Knowledge and networking will give you the confidence to assert yourself, but only time will give you experience.”

In addition to being a director of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers, Nagel also works with Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan to raise awareness and appreciation of agriculture.

Farmers need to be leading that effort, said Harden.

“What’s so special about our industry — and different than so many others — is that it is based on your passion and your commitment,” she said. “Your love of the land. Your commitment for caring for or feeding others.

“Whether you’re a small shareholder farmer in southern Africa or a large commercial farmer in Canada, the things you have in common are what make this industry strong.”

She then challenged attendees to “make sure you help each other.”

“Women have to help women. You’ve got to have each other’s back,” Harden said to applause from the room.

“Think about who you can help, who you can be there for, who you can support, who you encourage to say, ‘Ride with me to this meeting’ so you won’t be the lone voice.”

Helping other women can mean taking the time to teach, showing that you care, and hiring or promoting them, she added.

“It’s making sure you help each other because your voice is needed. It’s demanded. It is required at this point to tell that story about who we are as an industry, who we are as a people, and the difference that we make, either here or around the world.”

The post Jump in: Ag needs more women leaders appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

“I sometimes get a little annoyed at the fact women need more programming than anybody else,” said Good, who co-owns Farm Fresh Pet Foods, which has a line of healthy dog food products made from Alberta-sourced ingredients.

“I thought, ‘Women can do whatever men can do. Why are we worried about this? Let’s get past this. The less we talk about it, the faster we’ll move forward.’”

But Good changed her mind when she was invited to take part in a focus group for the Success for Women in Ag program, a pilot project for rural Alberta women entrepreneurs that will launch in 2017.

“Once I started talking to other women and listening to them, I realized that we face the same things,” said Good, who also operates a grain and cattle farm near Carstairs with her husband and two sons.

“We do have a different role in our agribusinesses, our families, and our communities. I eventually came to the realization that there are places where women can use more assistance.”

The three-year-long project is being designed to address some of the unique challenges faced by rural Alberta women when building their businesses, said Heather Broughton, who is leading the project for the Agriculture and Food Council.

“Because women are integral parts of diversification on farms and integral parts of the farms themselves, we wanted to see, if there are some barriers out there, what are they and what can we do to address them to build capacity within the agriculture and agri-food industry,” said Broughton.

The Ag and Food Council conducted online surveys, interviews, and focus groups across the province to see if there were any common challenges that women agri-food entrepreneurs encounter, said Broughton.

“We had over 200 conversations, and from all that data that we collected, we’re developing a pilot program to address those barriers that were identified and deliver it using various formats to try and help accommodate some of the barriers that were identified,” she said.

Stretched thin

Respondents said time management is their No. 1 challenge.

“Women are in unique roles where we tend to wear many different hats,” said Broughton.

That’s certainly true for Nancy Nolan, who manages a 350-head flock with her husband and also markets their meat to restaurants, grocery stores, and direct to consumers.

“We’ve got two young kids, so trying to balance our time between the farming operation and them is hard,” said the co-owner of Lambtastic Farms near Vulcan.

“At lambing time, I’m in the barn at 4 a.m., and then up again at 7 to get the kids dressed, and then back in the barn. This year, my two-year-old was absolutely scared of the sheep, so trying to manage him in the barn when he cries every time a sheep is around got pretty interesting.”

On Good’s farm, the chores and childcare “run pretty equal,” but the time requirements are “somewhat different” for her and her husband.

“My husband has lots to do on the farm, and he takes the lead on everything there,” said Good, who is also the executive director of a land trust in Mountain View County.

“But at the same time, we moms generally take care of the scheduling and do most of the filling in.”

Industry conferences and workshops tend to have more men than women in attendance, she said, adding that that may be because “things still need to happen at home.”

“The cows still need to be fed and the kids still need to get on the bus,” she said. “That just happens to be the way a lot of us gender split, but it does present a challenge if a woman wants to do a little bit more of her own agri-entrepreneurial thing.”

Many conferences also require travel into larger centres like Edmonton or Calgary, said Broughton, and that can pose a challenge for women who need to find childcare or who work off-farm jobs.

“Say they were two hours away from Edmonton, which is still a reasonable drive if you want to take in a conference that starts at 9,” she said. “But they still have to get up, get their kids off to a babysitter, and get organized. It’s not just a two-hour drive.”

By and large, the women who were surveyed want to get more involved, particularly in policy discussions and decision-making, but their time is limited, Broughton added.

“Women are very interested in participating, but they do find it a challenge time-wise because they are trying to build their businesses and concentrate on them,” she said.

“They’re also not 100 per cent confident in their skills in terms of contributing to a board.”

‘So many unknowns’

In many ways, the women surveyed also felt they lacked the knowledge to “make better decisions,” said Broughton.

“They felt they just weren’t as prepared as they could be in terms of basic accounting principles and understanding financial statements,” she said.

As a result, women agri-entrepreneurs need better access to information and information sharing, added Broughton.

“If I’m wanting to start a food-processing operation, the information is all out there, but it’s sometimes difficult to find what you’re looking for,” she said. “And because we’re in rural Alberta, sometimes it is harder to get out and network with other people who are doing something similar to what you’re doing.”

Nolan agrees.

“There’s so many unknowns that when you’re first starting out, you don’t necessarily know all the challenges that might be ahead of you,” she said.

“There’s lots of information out there, but it’s hard to find it — especially when you’re just starting out.”

And she’s hoping that the Success for Women in Ag program will make it a little easier to find some of that information and build connections with women who are facing the same challenges.

“When your business has an issue or something that needs to be resolved, the program is going to allow you to find those experts and resources,” she said. “It’s going to be a supportive environment where we can build our confidence and build our capacity.”

Pilot program

The pilot program, which is set to launch January 2017, was designed to build that capacity through skill development workshops hosted in smaller rural communities to “accommodate some of the issues that limit people’s ability to participate,” said Broughton.

“We’re trying to build the skills, build the confidence, build the networking using different formats — both face to face and virtual methods — while providing a platform for some mentorship and business coaching,” said Broughton.

The program will kick off on Nov. 19 with a series of events held simultaneously across the province, in Fairview, Vermilion, Parkland County, Olds, and Lethbridge.

“On that day, we’re going to have virtual presenters, in-person presenters, and women ag entrepreneurs who we will profile,” said Broughton. “We’re going to provide an opportunity to network, both within that group and with those across the province that day. It’s basically a debut for the pilot program that’s to come in January.”

Many of the topics covered will be applicable to both men and women, said Broughton, but “women have unique skills and characteristics” that require a unique set of programs and supports.

“Through this project, we’ve identified that we can build on some of those unique things that women can contribute, and we want to give them the opportunity to do so,” she said.

“If we can help facilitate their ability to build their capacity in their business, that’s what we’re going to do.”

The post Running from dawn to dusk: Women ag entrepreneurs face extra challenges appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

What is it that women need to do to be great farmers and how can farms prepare daughters for the ownership of the family farm?

Underlying any business transaction is value. And often, families focus on the value of the capital assets as a priority and as a starting point for discussion. I suggest that people are the most valuable asset to the operation and empowering young folks coming in is just as important as the paper transaction.

For the young woman coming to the farm it is important that she understand and appreciate her OWN value and have no fear in articulating this. Many women don’t appreciate themselves and in the process sell themselves short. Girls and women should be encouraged to do an honest evaluation of hard and soft skills; education and experience; adaptability and flexibility; knowledge and passion — and to stand by those qualities.

Girls and women can enhance their value in a farming operation. Experience is an astounding teacher. It could be in extensive education away from home, travel, global work experience on other farms and in other industries (for at least five years), volunteer time, playing on competitive teams or clubs, spending time with the poor, the unlovely, the marginalized or continuous technical training.

Globally I have experienced that the single most important factor in the success of the women who farm is literacy and particularly financial literacy.

There are very few schools that teach commerce and finance from Grade 1 (where it should start), and even fewer families that focus on the financial literacy of their daughters. This huge gap can be filled at any time in life but before women come back to the farm they should be strongly urged to become financially literate.

• More with Brenda Schoepp on the Alberta Farmer: Tech companies charting a new food trend

When farming with a partner, the daughter or female spouse is encouraged to have operations outside of the farm that are her own. It starts with owning land, investments or a home and having a business that is not tied directly to the farm, but is complementary to the life that you wish to lead there. One can still farm full time while having independent investments. In the interest of equality (social and economic) just as a fellow may solely own a heavy-duty garage so can a female partner.

The beauty of farming is the limitless opportunity and dreaming big is encouraged, but so is starting small. It is the business plan that allows the sole owner to navigate through the grid of farming. When farming falters, one can always return to the business plan as a neutral place to recharge. It is a flexible road map and should be complemented with personal and professional goals.

When women borrow money they have a tendency to ask for “just what they need,” and this has proven to slow the process of access to capital because banks like a decent-size loan, too. Think about the end at the beginning of the project, go back to the plan and mitigate risk within it, be bold, prepare for success, and ask for more.

Women are great farmers and creative marketers. The challenge then is in finding committed help that is willing to move into management. Preparing for success also means to prepare a human resource plan that allows for mentoring, growth, and empowerment of family and staff.

For all parties, the experience of a mentor will be the greatest gift they give themselves, but this is especially true as women start their independent farming careers. When the going gets tough, a good mentor gets going with empowerment, inspiration, and encouragement. Choosing to hang with family, friends, groups and clubs that build, educate and challenge keeps the momentum going.

The business of farming is just that — the business of farming.

Farms are to make money and support the family; be a steady source of income for employees; and help build communities. This is not a lifestyle — it is about money with a lifestyle bonus. Keep focused on the financials.

Respect family through the process. Bringing a global approach to the table is important but so is the understanding that the parents or sellers are also in transition. They may have concerns that are not addressed. Let them know they are appreciated and will be missed.

What can farms do?

Changes in farming are inevitable and because farming is such a creative business, it is an especially good fit for our daughters. As farm families go through the process of change in their daily life, there is great value in asking and discussing with children: What will change? Who will it affect? How will it be handled?

True equality starts with the respectful engagement of all family members and fostering an environment for girls where they create, problem solve, and execute with confidence. Having a business plan that is transparent and flexible attracts your daughter’s engagement and ensuring she is financially literate will boost her chance of success.

At all times, stand up for her excellence. She will be amazing!

The post Empower your daughters to be great farmers appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

“Women play key roles in the diversification and value-added businesses in the regional food system in rural Alberta. Participating in regional food systems not only creates economic growth for a region, but also provides entrepreneurs an opportunity to create value-added food adding to the long-term sustainability of their business,” says Bryanna Kumpula, AFC executive director. “AFC is seeking to examine a pilot project model that enables today’s high-growth agriculture-based women entrepreneurs the ability to seek out the expertise they need, providing them with the resources, skills and networks to optimize opportunities for success.”

The project involves a comprehensive assessment of the current situation facing women involved in agriculture, food entrepreneurism and policy development. It will engage stakeholders through survey responses, interviews, and focus groups, assisting in the development of a pilot program to help more rural Alberta women become successfully engaged in the regional food and agriculture economy and policy discussions.

“This project, focused on rural Alberta women entrepreneurs, will be carried out in five areas across the province,” explains Heather Broughton, S4Wag community animator for AFC. “We encourage women to contribute their input by participating in the survey available on our website.”

For more information on the Success for Women in Agri-Food project visit agfoodcouncil.com/s4wag.

The post Project supports rural Alberta women entrepreneurs appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

“Participating in regional food systems not only creates economic growth for a region, but also provides entrepreneurs an opportunity to create value-added food adding to the long-term sustainability of their business,” said Bryanna Kumpula, executive director of the Agriculture & Food Council

A research project called Success for Women in Agri-food (#S4WAg) will begin by assessing — through surveys, interviews, and focus groups — the current situation facing women involved in agriculture, food entrepreneurship, and policy development. It will then help develop a pilot project to “help more rural Alberta women become successfully engaged in the regional food and agriculture economy and policy discussions.”

The Ministry of Status of Women Canada is supporting the project. For more info, see agfoodcouncil.com/s4wag. An online survey is open to Feb. 29.

The post New project supports rural Alberta women entrepreneurs appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Gone are the days when farming meant back-breaking physical labour. As well, the trend towards larger farm operations has meant a need for different skills and capabilities, including management, sales, and marketing skills. There are also positions in agribusiness working for grain elevators, feed manufacturers, and input suppliers, to name a few.

Women comprised 48 per cent of the employed Canadian workforce in 2011. In addition, between 1991 and 2001, the proportion of employed people aged 25 to 34 with university degrees rose from 19 per cent to 40 per cent for women compared to only 17 per cent to 27 per cent for men.

With the number of women in the workforce and the higher levels of education they’ve achieved, agricultural businesses recognize they need to be female friendly or they will miss out on top talent. As a result, more are hiring based on skills and experience, with gender playing less of a role. In some cases, women who were raised in rural areas want to move to urban centres, but many in the agricultural industry want to learn how to attract more young women, to bring the energy and ideas of their generation to this evolving industry.

One indication that agriculture is a growing field for women is the launch of the first Advancing Women Conference in 2014. In 2015, there are two conferences — one earlier this month in Calgary and a second in Toronto in October. I had the pleasure of speaking at the conference this year.

Conference organizer Iris Meck is proud to shine a spotlight on the many accomplishments of women within the agricultural industry. She wants to “pay it forward and invest in future leaders by sponsoring and funding great opportunities for women in ag.”

Women are taking on leadership roles in all areas of agriculture. Some may work on the family farm and take over the management of it when their parents retire or following the death of a spouse. Other women may take on leadership roles in large companies related to agriculture — DuPont, Dow Agro Services, and Bayer Crop Science were all participants at the conference. Still others lead agricultural startup companies.

While more women are in leadership positions at work and control their family’s wealth at home, there are differences between the genders when it comes to wealth management. For example, only 53 per cent of women have the confidence to invest money, compared to 82 per cent of men. And although women make up half of RRSP contributors, their total share of contributions is lower — 39 per cent compared to 61 per cent for men.

Here are some tips women can use today to achieve financial independence:

• Think of long-term savings for a milestone event or retirement.
• Participate in your employer pension plan, and contribute to your RRSP and TFSA accounts.
• Learn by doing. When you begin investing start small, gain a comfort level with risk, and build from there.
• You want to pay down your debts, but be sure to allocate funds for savings too.
• Get advice. Find a financial adviser who is knowledgeable, who you connect with and who you trust. To find a financial adviser, get a recommendation from colleagues or friends.
• Remember, no matter your age, it is never too late to start saving.

There are certainly many opportunities for women in the agriculture industry, and many success stories to celebrate. By having a sound financial plan — no matter what industry you work in — you can reap the rewards of financial independence.

The post Talent, not gender, is what matters in today’s agriculture appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

My schedule does not permit me to engage at the level that I desire. I am often absent, sitting in another airport, driving down a new road, or simply too tired to contribute at a high level to the community in which I live. There is a farm to run, books to do, travel to arrange, documents to read, and calls to return. I chose this life and will do the best I can — every day — but I am only a small part of the greater whole. And the greater whole is composed of the support of women around me.

My “not-so-secret” secret sister Sonja is the one who calls to check in, buys flowers to brighten my day, bakes for me, and ensures that we always have the best deals from her shopping in our fridge. She listens with a caring ear and always attacks life with joy and energy. On those rare occasions that we can sit in her brightly lit home, I relax knowing I am in a safe place.

My long-suffering mom has made a noble attempt at domesticating me and in that quest has bought every gadget ever made for the kitchen. Sadly for her, I would rather sort cattle. My kitchen does not know me.

Despite this inability to bake (which will be a lifelong affliction) she has taught me well and I know the value of preparation and keep a neat home, understand reuse and recycle, and am trained to select lovely fabric. In my younger years, she cared for my children and I have never heard her say that I could not do what I set out to achieve.

My neighbours have helped me with calving and feeding, flooded basements, downed power lines, and all the trials of the farm. The ladies surprise me — you guessed it — with baking and other goodies. It seems that regardless of where we have lived, we often come home to bread, cakes, loaves and cookies. I am not a thin girl and these acts of kindness ensure I stay that way!

The generosity and unselfish giving of my friends is overwhelming. When they are not caring for my physical needs or rescuing me from some current disaster (including letting me use their new chainsaw), they are listening with openness and reply with candour and truth. My friends are a great strength and I am humbled to be associated with such resourceful and dedicated women.

I am also surrounded by women who I don’t know well, but whom I wish to honour in this column.

They are the nurses and doctors at our local hospital and the support staff at our efficient clinic. They are the ladies who take care of the church and the community hall, ensuring that families have a place of worship and play. I always appreciate the women who do the cooking for large crowds and co-ordinate community events, clubs, and associations. This is a lot of work! They are just as busy, or more so, as I. They have children, farm work, careers and other obligations, and yet still have the time and energy to keep church and community events alive and enjoyable.

Volunteers amaze me because they give so much of themselves. Although I love to go to the seniors’ home and visit (there are indeed many amazing men and women there) I don’t do this enough. I am grateful for those who do this on a regular schedule as their presence brings an appreciated light into the lives of those who need care or visitation, guidance or help, culture or outings. I congratulate women like my daughter who with an all-female volunteer team raised and then built a quarter-million-dollar playground for their school and the surrounding community, ensuring all ages and abilities had access to play. We would not be the communities of caring, loving people that we are without all these volunteers.

Statistically, we know women own the majority of small and medium-size businesses and are huge contributors to economic stability in Canada. They are also CEOs and corporate owners, photographers, artists, scientists, ranchers, farmers, accountants, homemakers, lawyers, and much more. They are wives, daughters, sisters and grandmothers. With such a diversity of interest and talents, our world is culturally and intellectually a better place. It is said that we are all makers of history and I believe we are all symbols of hope. I know as I watch the women around me I am inspired and grateful.

To all women who have gone ahead and paved the way to a better future; to women who are making our lives and communities great; and to those women of the future who will add to the stability, colour and culture, economy and prosperity of our country, I salute you. Thank you for making our world a better place.

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