In downtown Calgary, the Advancing Women in Agriculture West conference took place on June 21st to 22nd. The conference attracted several hundred attendees from across Canada and even from abroad. Women from over 150 different agriculture organizations attended this year's conference. The event, organized by Glacier Farm Media, was sponsored by several large companies in the agriculture industry.
According to Iris Meck, founder of the Advancing Women in Agriculture conference, this was the 14th conference in the series. As part of this conference, women in agriculture network and learn from various speakers, both in the agricultural industry and personal development space.
Among the attendees were women from all walks of life related to agriculture and food, including farmers, lenders, agronomists, and accelerator/venture capitalists. Additionally, the conference welcomed a group of 20 students from ag programs across western Canada and Agriculture Minister, Marie-Claude Bibeau's new Youth Council.
Over two days, the conference featured numerous panelists, workshops, and excellent guest speakers. As part of the event, Katelyn Duban, the podcaster behind Rural Womens Podcast, created a podcast showcasing the personal anecdotes of many attendees.
Some highlights of the conference included Michelle Cederberg's speech, Sandip Lalli's talk as former Nutrien EVP, and communication expert Lauren Sergy's presentation.
As part of her presentation, Michelle Cederberg discussed boosting energy and happiness while balancing conflicting priorities, such as farm management, working off-farm, personal development, and family responsibilities. Her presentation focused on implementing small habits to boost our focus on exercising, sleeping, and eating healthily to perform better on and off the farm.
As a knowledgeable expert on agriculture and sustainability, Sandip Lalli spoke about the importance of living our values, and always remaining true to them.
The next agricultural conference will be held in Niagara Falls, Ontario in November 2022, and the Western-based agriculture conference will take place in March, with the location yet to be determined. Those interested in attending are encouraged to visit advancingwomenconference.ca for more information.
