Texas Women in Denim Ride Again

By Thomas Reed, High Plains RC&D Coordinator, Friona, TX

More than 100 people from the Texas panhandle area attended the 2nd annual Women in Agriculture Conference held in November in Hereford.

The conference was a one-day seminar for women managing households, farms, ranches and businesses in agricultural settings. The activities were designed to give women the opportunity to increase their knowledge and develop skills in agriculture and business as well as learn useful information about maintaining their health.

Program organizer and High Plains Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) administrative assistant Jamie Brorman said, “We really worked hard to plan a program of value for women in agriculture. Our hope was to provide informative sessions to encourage their attendance.”

Topics covered at the conference included USDA Conservation Programs, crop insurance, financial and estate planning, and women’s health. On-site health screenings and shopping with local venders was also offered to the attendees.

The conference was hosted by the Texas Partnership for Farm Family Health and Safety, Inc., with support and sponsorship by the Texas Cooperative Extension, High Plains RC&D Area Inc., and the West Texas A&M University Division of Nursing.

Mike White, NRCS district conservationist at Hereford, presented an informative program on USDA conservation programs in one of the breakout sessions. Thomas Reed, NRCS RC&D coordinator, assisted with planning and technical support at the conference.

“Plans are already in the works for next year,” said Brorman. “Word-of-mouth has been our best form of advertisement, and I feel confident that the conference will continue to grow.”

Participants of the estate planning program discuss the information and benefits following the session. Sharon White and Courtney Morris were the program instructors.	Author Nancy Robinson Masters presented a program, Women Have the Power. The conference planning committee was part of the presentation and provided a skit to emphasize points in her presentation.

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