Several NDSU faculty and staff will give presentations at “Strengthening Our Way of Life,” a conference for farm and ranch women that will focus on recordkeeping, marketing and family communication. The event is planned for March 2-3 at the Jamestown, N.D., Gladstone Select Inn and Suites and on March 3-4 in Minot, N.D., at the Grand International Inn.

Lori Scharmer, NDSU Extension Service agent in Ward County and an organizer of the event, says the conference was developed based on feedback from farm and ranch women. "We surveyed rural women last fall and asked them specific questions about what they'd like to see in a rural women's conference. The respondents ranked farm family communication, recordkeeping and commodity marketing as top priorities. We then took their answers and developed the conference tailored to their requests."

Ron Hanson, professor of agribusiness at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, will open the conference the first evening with a dinner presentation. His topic is "You Can Buy the Farm, But Remember, I Still Own It."

"This dinner session is the one area where we are sending a special invitation to husbands and significant others," says Emily Tescher-Johnston, Ward County NDSU Extension Service agent and conference coordinator. "Hanson's message will be geared to couples involved in farm transitions or with generational challenges, so we're going to let the men register for that session."

Hanson also will speak the next day during breakfast. He will address the challenges of farm family communication with a presentation titled "Fence Posts Talking to Each Other."

Participants can choose from a variety of breakout sessions. Morning presentations include a grass-roots look at beef marketing by Walt Hackney, author of Data Transmission Network's "Talkin' Livestock" column. Frayne Olson, NDSU crop marketing specialist, will discuss choosing the right crop marketing tools at the right time. Tom Kalb, NDSU horticulture specialist, will give a presentation on tough plants for tough sites.

Lunch will feature entertainment by the Dixie Cups, a singing comedy group from Page, N.D.

The afternoon sessions will focus on recordkeeping and money management. Speakers include Jocelyn McCarthy, a financial adviser from Waddell and Reed Financial in Fargo, who will talk about family finances from a women's perspective. Tom Hanson and Virgil Dagman, farm business management specialists, will talk about the how, when and why of farm records. There also will be a showcase of software specifically designed for farm and ranch recordkeeping.
The cost for the conference is $85, which covers materials, sessions and meals. The registration deadline is Feb. 23. The registration fee after the deadline is $100. Spouses who plan to attend the evening meal can register for $35.

For more information or to register, go to www.ag.ndsu.edu/anniesproject or call the Ward County Extension Service at (701) 857-6444 for a brochure and registration forms.