PANHANDLE PERSPECTIVES: Women In Agriculture Conference Set for April 12 at Sidney

"Keep Life Simple" is the theme of the annual Women in Agriculture Conference, which will feature information and advice about simplicity and excellence, making meals with a multi-cooker, forage production, youth loans, farming with disabilities, and more.

This year's conference is scheduled for Friday, April 12, at Sidney. It will run from 8:15 a.m. until 3:45 p.m. at Buffalo Point Restaurant, 638 Cabela Drive.

The 2018 conference was canceled due to weather, but is being brought back in 2019.

The conference is intended to help women who are involved in agriculture improve their decision-making, increase understanding, and enhance their well-being in relation to their farm, ranch or agriculture-related business.

Advance registration is due by April 5. Registration forms and more information are available at the Nebraska Extension office at 920 Jackson St. in Sidney; by phone (308) 254-4455; by email to Karen DeBoer, Extension Educator at [email protected]; or browse to http://ckb.unl.edu/.

"Simplicity with Excellence" is the theme of keynote speaker Tami Lambertson of Scottsbluff. She was born and raised in the Midwest and she and her husband, Tyson, have been married for 19 years and have three children, ages 16, 14, and 12. They serve as lead pastors of The Rock Church.

Balancing the demands of family, work, and community involvement have taught her a lot over the last decade and she has come to live by the motto: Simplicity with Excellence. Simple doesn't have to mean cheap, or lacking thought or care. Keep things simple, but do it well.

Other topics at the conference will include:

The Mechanics of Estate and Business Transition: Attorney Pam Olsen of Cline Williams Wright Johnson & Oldfather will discuss the issues that can and should be considered as part of developing a generational or business transition plan, and the types of tools that may be utilized by owners/operators in creating a transition plan to best accomplish their goals.

How Much Forage Might Grow? Every spring, ranchers face the same challenge – trying to guess how much forage will be available on the range for grazing that summer. "Grass-Cast," the Grassland Productivity Forecast, is a new product that indicates whether your county is likely to have more or less rangeland vegetation than average. Presenter is Hailey Wilmer of the USDA Northern Plains Climate Hub at Fort Collins, Colo.

Quick and Easy Meals: Extension Educator Nancy Frecks will demonstrate how, with just a little planning and preparation, it's possible to have meals on the table in less time than it would take to order and pick up take-out meals. Advanced preparation, cooking once and eating twice ideas will be discussed along with information and recipes for using the newest kitchen appliance, "the multi-cooker."

AgrAbility: Nancy Frecks will tell how Nebraska AgrAbility works to enhance the quality of life for farmers and ranchers with disabilities or health conditions so that they, their families and their communities continue to do what they love.

FSA Ag Youth Loans: Presenter Kim Buchheit of the USDA Farm Service Agency at Chadron will explain how Farm Loan Programs offer opportunities to family-sized farmers and ranchers as well as youths to start, improve, expand and strengthen family farming and ranching operations. Types of assistance FSA can offer are annual operating loans (annual expenses), intermediate operating loans (breeding livestock and machinery purchases) and real estate loans to those who are eligible.

Nebraska Rainfall Assessment: Presenter Shelly Sutherland of the South Platte Natural Resources District will explain the Nebraska Rainfall Assessment and Information Network, a Nebraska-based project designed to study the patterns of rain, hail and snow across the state. Data collected from this project provides important daily decision-making information for both ag and non-ag related industries.

Spring is Coming: Time to think of those beautiful flowers to brighten up any corner of the yard, patio or deck. Wanda Talich of Sidney Feed and Supply will talk about how to plant those beauties in anything laying around the yard, or that perfect pot waiting to be filled.

Conference sponsors include Platte Valley Bank, Sidney; Farm Credit Services of America; Farm Service Agency; FirstTier Bank, Kimball; Great Western Bank, Sidney; Natural Resource Conservation Service; Points West Community Bank, Kimball; Points West Community Bank, Sidney; Points West Insurance, Kimball; Security First Bank; South Platte Natural Resources District; and Nebraska Extension in Cheyenne, Banner and Kimball counties.