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This email is just a reminder to all of you who subscribe to our Ag UPdates newsletters that this coming Saturday, January 25th, Homer Soil & Water is hosting the:
8th Annual Women in Agriculture Conference
Organized by Women, Farms & Food
This is the first time Homer will be a hosing site for the conference! This one-day event will be held at the Kachemak Bay Campus of KPC and Homer will join the other 34 participating locations in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Hawaii by videoconference. 7:30 am to 2:30 pm (partial day drop-ins are welcome).
This year's theme "Healthy Farms" is all about maintaining a healthy YOU while keeping up with life on the farm. The day begins with learning how to cultivate your personal resiliency to handle all the “ups and downs” as a woman farmer. It’s no secret that things can be tough for farmers, whether it is things we can control or issues we try to control when we can’t. The stress in farming has always existed, but the levels can soar during times of high costs and low returns. Positive psychology – using our personal strengths – to focus on intentional well-being and to thrive during every challenge and change is a skill you will practice and learn.
We are also really excited to announce our panel of local women farmers who will be sharing with us about the different ways they balance their lives and approach decision. These two fabulous ladies: Allison Gaylord, of Alaska Beauty Peony Co-op and Anna Meredith of Bridge Creek Birch Syrup.
 
Allison Gaylord owns a two-acre farm called Willow Drive Gardens where she raises food for her family and commercially farms peonies. She heads up the Alaska Beauty Peony Cooperative based in Homer which provides centralized marketing, staff and distribution for cut flowers. She began farming cut flowers commercially eight years ago clearing land, planting cover crops and carefully planning her fields with appropriate drainage before planting commercially viable varieties of peonies. She uses organic inputs and sustainable practices. She also runs a technical consulting firm specializing in Geographic Information Systems.
Anna Meredith spent the first 20 years of her life as member of MereFam Farm, a working family dairy farm in Sherman, New York. From this background, Anna's interest in animal husbandry continues throughout her life here in Homer as she raises meat-breed lambs for winter harvest each year as well as keeping happy and healthy bees. Anna, along with her partner Jake, own and operate Bridge Creek Birch Syrup. Supporting community agricultural endeavors, Anna organizes annual educational visits with school classes to the birch groves and serves on the Board of Directors of Homer Farmers Market.
The final take-away message with the cap note speaker will be all about mindfulness. We will learn how to “use our minds to change our brains” for the good.
The conference is happening this Saturday. Online registration and more on the conference is at http://www.womeninag.wsu.edu. You can also register at the door at the KPC Kachemak Bay Campus, 533 E. Pioneer Ave. in downtown Homer.
Hope to see you there,
Nicole Arevalo
HSWCD's local organizer for the Women in Agriculture Conference
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