GLENWOOD, Iowa — Area women with a passion for agriculture and the lifestyle that goes with it are invited to the 4th Annual Women Gaining Ground Conference on Saturday, March 10 in Glenwood. This event is brought to you by Women, Land & Legacy of Southwest Iowa and is a one-day event designed to be fun and empowering for women from all walks of life.
The conference will begin with check-in at 8 a.m. Once you’ve arrived, you’ll be treated to a yogurt bar, delicious sweetbreads, and plenty of coffee. You will also be invited to visit with the many vendors ranging from non-profit ag-related organizations, to the latest direct sales trends like Norwex and Thirty-One.
Starting at 9:00, the keynote speech, How Chocolate Cures Stress (And Other Stuff You Wish You’d Known Sooner) will be presented by Dr. Deanna Davis, Ph.D. Deanna is the author of three books: The Law of Attraction in Action, Living with Intention, and Laugh, Cry, Eat Some Pie. She is an accomplished professional speaker, coach and consultant. Through this opener, Deanna will help attendees explore how balance and bliss can peacefully coexist as she teaches us some of the best ways to handle life with more ease, less effort, and a strong sense of humor.
Following Dr. Davis’ keynote presentation, a panel presentation regarding soil and water preservation and conservation will be held. The presentation, titled Think Global, Act Local, will feature Sheila O’Riley, a lifelong conservationist with ties to the Backyard Conservation Campaign, Lori Altheide, the NRCS Assistant State Conservationist for Southwest Iowa, and Dr. Tiffany Messer, an assistant professor and water quality scientist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
From there, participants will choose three breakout sessions from a variety of relevant topics including:
- From mindFULL to MINDful, a session providing a toolkit of practical, simple, and blissfully enjoyable ways to learn how to live with intention to maximize productivity and balance by Dr. Deanna Davis.
- Gardening Guidance to Grow On, presented by the Mills County Master Gardeners, this session will feature a question and answer format designed to cultivate conversation.
- Under Pressure by Julie Barclay acknowledges that meal prep is challenging in our busy lives, but there are new ideas to help facilitate healthy eating such as subscription meal kits, meal planning services, and the latest craze-electric pressure cookers.
- e-Commerce Entrepreneur will walk you through the options for buying and selling online. Taught by Stephanie Shakhirev, you’ll learn what you need, how to use social media, and be armed with online marketing tools.
- Chair Yoga will clear your mind and relax your body while Tammy Grebert introduces breathing techniques and modified versions of stretches, bends and twists.
- What’s New On The Fat Front? will feature returning presenters, Whitney Larson and Corey Hall from Plattsmouth Hy-Vee. This time, they will explore how fat can be a healthy part of our diets, and they always bring samples!
- The Opioid Epidemic will be covered by Maggie Ballard. She will tell us what the epidemic looks like, how it is being addressed, and what we can do to aid in prevention, treatment, and law enforcement.
- Protect the Pollinators will feature two different presenters with a passion for bees, birds and butterflies. Jake Holt and Scott Evans will tell us what we need to know about pollinators, what perennials to plant, and how to manage pests without hurting the pollinators.
- Grow Fresh, Eat Fresh is all about local efforts to make healthy foods easily accessible. Betsy Maryott and Buddi Thompson are local producers with a heart for local foods. This session will also feature patio gardens.
- Raptor Recovery will not only bring us Kathy Fischer and Denise Lewis from Fontanelle Forest, but will also feature two birds of prey with a story of rehabilitation.
- Hidden In Plain Sight is an interactive walk-through display that will uncover surprising red flags of destructive behavior in teens. Presented by Page County Public Health, this is a can’t-miss for moms of teens and pre-teens.
- Katie’s Krazy Kookies will provide hands-on instruction for cake and cookie decorating techniques, and get a sample to take home. Taught by Katie Branson of Shenandoah, this session is sure to be one of the most popular!
Lunch will feature food from one of Southwest Iowa’s best restaurants, Classic Café of Malvern. During lunch, door prizes will be awarded, as well as the $100 Early Bird Cash Prize! More time will be available for shopping, and there will also be plenty of time for socializing with the other amazing women in attendance. The conference is scheduled to end around3:30 p.m.
Registration forms are available at www.extension.iastate.edu/fremont, or in any of the Extension offices in Fremont, Mills, Montgomery or Page counties. Register by February 23rd to be eligible for a chance to win $100 CASH! All registrations are due by March 2nd. Special accommodations, including dietary needs, must be requested in advance. Any questions can be directed to Fremont County ISU Extension at (712) 374-2351; Mills County ISU Extension at (712) 624-8616; or Montgomery County ISU Extension at (712) 623-2592.
Vendor spots are still available and vendor registrations will be accepted until March 2nd. Vendors can download the form at www.extension.iastate.edu/fremont.
Women, Land & Legacy (WLL) is an education and outreach program designed to educate and empower women. Three to four programs are presented each year to bring relevant information and resources to local women to help them affect positive changes in their communities. WLL of Southwest Iowa serves the counties of Fremont, Mills, Montgomery and Page. Its programs are available to all.
— Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
For more news from Iowa, click here.