#AdvancingWomenWednesday

Every Wednesday for the past two months we have highlighted favourite moments and crucial messages from past conferences. The full playlist can be found here.

This week’s #AdvancingWomenWednesday presents Portia Macdonald-Dewhirst, Executive Director of the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council who presents the latest research findings on how best to support the advancement of women in agricultural leadership positions.

Coverage on the AWC WEST 2017 conference ...

Owning Your Value: Call Yourself the Chief Financial Officer - RealAgriculture’s Shaun Haney talks to Krysta Harden
RealAgriculture’s Shaun Haney sat down with Krysta Harden, vice president of public policy and chief sustainability officer of DuPont, at the recent Advancing Women conference to talk about recognizing each person’s value in a farm business (regardless of gender).
"Just as every farmer needs to move away from being “just a farmer” and recognize they are business owners and leaders, each individual within the farm business needs to own their true title — from operations manager, to human resource lead, and on to CEO..." (read and listen to the broadcast here)

My first time attending the Advancing Women Conference - Women in Ag
"The 2017 Advancing Women Conference was held in Calgary last week, and featured a line up of passionate and inspiring speakers from all across North America, as well as over 400 participants in attendance. Each speaker brought their own experiences, challenges, and success stories to the podium. However, one message was repeated throughout the conference; “Support and empower your fellow females.” This is also a core value of the Women in Ag group, and is a great reason we have such a close relationship with the Advancing Women Conference..." (click to read full article)

Women in agriculture: Lack of funding - The Western Producer
"This is the fourth of a four-part series looking at the role women play in agriculture, how it has changed and what the future holds.
When Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay announced two women would fill top posts on federal commissions earlier this year, the press release indicated each would serve as “a model to young women considering a career in agriculture.”
Jennifer Hayes, named a commissioner to the Canadian Dairy Commission, and Patti Miller, who now heads the Canadian Grain Commission, both have strong agricultural backgrounds and sector involvement..." (read the full article here)

Advancing Women in Agriculture West Conference 2017 Wrap-up
RRC’s Kara Oosterhuis reports on the 2017 Advancing Women in Agriculture West Conference, which took place in Calgary, March 6 & 7. (visit page here)

A Mirror, box of tissue, roll of duct tape and a 2×4: Tools for Family Farm Succession Planning - Rural Roots Canada
"Jolene Brown is no stranger to dealing with the often turbulent business world of the family farm. She has sat at over 400 kitchen tables as a business consultant helping families navigate the emotional entanglements that can destroy the family farm or at the very least leave the people involved in it with strained relationships if not properly dealt with..." (click for full article)

Les femmes s'imposent de plus en plus dans les prés
Selon la Fédération canadienne de l’agriculture, 30 % des exploitants agricoles étaient des femmes en 2016. Il s’agit d’une augmentation de 4 % depuis 2001, selon les données de Statistique Canada..." (lire la suite)

The Wheat Sheaf: It is an inside job - Alberta Wheat Commission Blog
"It is International Women’s Day and I am reflecting on my fourth year at the Advancing Women in Agriculture Conference here in Calgary, which took place on March 6 & 7. As always, this conference provided a valuable opportunity to network with other women, especially when you consider how often there are only a handful of us at many ag sector meetings and conferences. But something struck me this year with respect to the nature of the presentations and the discussion that followed..." (click to read the full blog!)

Women in Agriculture - Iris Meck in the Western Producer
This is the first of a three-part series looking at the role women play in agriculture, how it has changed and what the future holds.
"When Iris Meck got a management job right out of university in 1978, she didn’t consider it a big deal.
Yet by joining the Cargill management team, she became a rare find for that time — a woman working in a management position at a major agricultural corporation..." (click for more!)

Dianne Finstad talks with Journalist and Senior Editor, Maggie Van Camp
Advancing Women MC Dianne Finstad talks with Maggie Van Camp, Senior Editor, Country Guide, about what AWC means to her and the industry, and her upcoming presentation at the AWC conference on March 6 & 7, 2017 in Calgary. Click here to listen to the clip!

Dianne Finstad talks with Farmer, Author and Ag Champion Jolene Brown
Advancing Women MC Dianne Finstad talks with Jolene Brown, Farmer, Author and Ag Champion, about her upcoming presentations at the AWC conference on March 6 & 7, 2017 in Calgary. Jolene Brown is sponsored by RBC Royal Bank. Click here to listen to the clip!

Advancing Women's Conference West 2017! – Farms.com
"Join us to hear Jolene Brown, renowned farmer, author and agriculture champion. Sponsored by The Royal Bank of Canada..." (click for more!)

Provincial Funding Available to Attend AWC West 2017

Advancing Women Conference is now registered with the Farm Business Development Initiative in Saskatchewan
We are proud to announce that Advancing Women Conference is now registered with the Farm Business Development Initiative in Saskatchewan. This means that Saskatchewan farm women may be eligible for a reimbursement of up to 75% of the AWC registration fee by contacting FBDI at 306-946-3214. For more information, please visit fbdi.gov.sk.ca 

Are you a producer in Manitoba?
The Advancing Women Conference is a training opportunity in the Next Generations Program catalogue. Please contact your local MAFRD office and speak to a Farm Enterprise Specialist to apply to have a portion of your registration fee reimbursed.

Food Processors in Ontario:
As a food processor in Ontario, you may be eligible to receive up to 50% of your registration fee reimbursed through Growing Forward 2 for Skills Development. Please refer to: The Processor Guide for further information.

Producers in Ontario:
Your participation in the Advancing Women Conference may be eligible under the producer stream of cost-shared funding assistance through Growing Forward 2 (GF2). Please refer to the program: GF2 Cost-share Funding Assistance Program Guide for Producers

Join the SK Women in Ag group by travelling on a bus from Saskatchewan to AWC West 2017!

From Tisdale, SK to Calgary, AB:

• Bus will leave Tisdale, SK @ 10am on Sunday, March 5th, 2017. Meeting place:
  Tempo Gas Station 916 93rd Ave
• Bus will leave Saskatoon, SK @ 12:30pm on Sunday March 5th, 2017. Meeting place:
  Walmart Supercenter - Saskatoon West, 225 Betts Avenue
• Arrive at the Hyatt Regency in Calgary AB on Sunday March 5th, 2017 @ 5:30pm
  

Return Trip from Calgary, AB to Tisdale, SK:

• Leave the Hyatt Regency - Calgary AB Tuesday, March 7th, 2017 @ 5:30pm
• Arrive in Saskatoon, SK at 12:30pm on Tuesday, March 7th, 2017
• Arrive in Tisdale, SK at 2:30am on Wednesday, March 8th, 2017

Contact info@womeninag.ca to book your seat!

Coverage on the AWC EAST 2016 conference ...

Why Are There So Few Women in the Corner Office?
"Is Shaun Haney unknowingly biased? Why is agriculture so very short on good people to fill jobs — from the farm level to the corporate office?
Portia MacDonald-Dewhirst joins (the possibly-biased) Haney to talk about recent research by the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council that outlined the huge personnel gap in farming and agriculture processing..." (click for more)

Forget Balance! Work at Core Values & Embrace the Overlap — Amy Cronin
Yes you can have a very busy, multi-faceted farm and farm leadership career AND spend time on yourself and with your kids, but forget about trying to put it all “in balance” all the time. That’s according to Amy Cronin, president of Cronin Farms, chair of Ontario Pork, and mother of six..." (click for more)

Envisioning The Future of Farming and Food — Deb Stark
"There are so many moving parts in the agriculture industry — shifting food trends eventually are mirrored in production changes, and evolving markets and economics drive policy changes..." (click for more)

Networking is About Being Authentic and Making Connections –
Marie-Helene Budworth
"Are you good at networking? Or are you more likely to wonder why, as a farmer or rancher, you even need to? Perhaps you think networking is for salespeople, lawyers, and business big-wigs. According to our interview with Marie-Helene Budworth networking is for anyone engaged in business, and you’re probably much better at it than you think..." (click for more)

Procrastinating on Purpose to Be More Productive — Rory Vaden
"I have a fatal productivity flaw in my life. I procrastinate on many tasks in my daily agenda. I have no idea why. Personally I hate it. People around me tend to hate it as well and I constantly try to fix the tendency. It’s not an easy habit to drop..." (click for more)

Building up your personal brand to help your farm
"Katherine Surgenor is a Senior Partner with Ogilvy and Mather based in Toronto. She emphasizes personal branding is the key to rising above the fray and standing out..." (click for more)

Happy for No Reason — Switching Our Brains to Think Positively – Real Agriculture
"Are you regularly grumpy? Do you know someone that’s happy all the time and wonder, what is wrong with him? Is he/she just way too happy? Recently, at the Advancing Women Conference in Toronto, I chatted with New York Times best-selling author, Marci Shimoff..." (click for more!)

The Joy and Challenges of Running a Family Dairy Farm:
Cynthia Crowley – Real Agriculture
Cynthia and I discuss Crovalley Holsteins, how they involve multiple generations in business decisions, trade, the future of supply management and achieving work life balance..." (click for more!)

Cynthia Crowley, AWC 2016 Speaker, featured - Progressive Dairyman
"She’s bright, cheerful, welcoming – and very passionate about life and her dairy business. Raised on a farm with a beef feedlot in the Cobourg, Ontario, area, along with a sister and two brothers, Cynthia Crowley wasn’t planning a career in the dairy business..." (click for more!)

Managing stress helps ensure golden years shine: doctor – The Western Producer

Recognize periods of high stress in life and learn to manage them, delegates were told during the Advancing Women in Agriculture conference in Toronto this month.

Dr. Marla Shapiro shared her own story facing breast cancer, the sudden death of an infant and the fatal illness of a 25-year-old daughter..." (click for more)

Empowering. Celebrating. And Connecting. – Grober News
These harmonizing themes re-cap the Advancing Women in Agriculture Conference held this past October 2016 in Toronto, Ontario. Of which a small team from Grober Nutrition were happy to attend, participate and learn..." (click for more!)

Women in ag face unique business challenges – The Western Producer
“Why are so many women at the Royal York driving pick-up trucks?” one presenter joked during the Advancing Women leadership conference in Toronto earlier this month..." (click for more!)

Don't downlplay women's contributions – The Grower
"I was able to attend the Advancing Women in Agriculture Conference at the beginning of October. Conferences, as many may know, are a reason for people with similar interests to gather in one place. The Ag Women’s Network group mostly exists as an online community and the conference gives the participants the opportunity to gather in one place..." (click for more!)

Advancement starts with youth mentorship – The Western Producer
"Iris Meck hopes to put the next generation of female leaders on the fast track. Meck of IMCI Events in Calgary organizes the Advancing Women conference in Eastern and Western Canada each year, paying for and acquiring sponsorships for youth delegates to attend. “I believe that’s where our future is,” she said. “Young women today need mentors and coaches and hear the success stories of women in the industry...” (click for more!)

Learn to ask for help, listen to answers – The Western Producer
"The biggest barrier to women settling into leadership roles may be the women themselves. Sophie Perreault of Farm Credit Canada detailed her leadership journey in a presentation at the Advancing Women in Agriculture conference here this month. “Embrace our imperfections and know we are good enough,” the executive vice-president and chief operating officer said in an interview..." (click for more!)

Rethinking ‘Networking’ And the Idea of Procrastinating on Purpose — AWC Highlights With Dianne Finstad
"Over 450 women from across the agriculture community met in Toronto earlier this month for the 2016 Advancing Women in Agriculture — East event. Dianne Finstad has become a fixture at the Advancing Women conferences, keeping everybody moving and entertained as MC..." (click for more!)

Rural Roots Canada coverage of the Advancing Women Conference East 2016. Stay tuned for updates!
"Around 450 women from across the country and the U.S. came together in Toronto to talk agriculture, leadership, network and be inspired in October. The two-day event focused on subjects such as personal branding, leadership, entrepreneurship among others in the agriculture sector" ... (click for more!)