COLUMN: Women in Ag Conference is slated

   • “Digital Dilemmas: Succeeding in a Digital Ag World” is the theme for the Women in Agriculture Conference, set for March 22 at the Jim and Evelyn Eash Banquet room at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Washington, Iowa.

   The conference aims to equip attendees with the knowledge and confidence to navigate the evolving digital landscape in agriculture, according to a press release from Iowa State University Education and Outreach.

   Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. The conference program begins at 9 a.m., and will conclude by 3 p.m.

   For information or to secure a spot, call the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Washingtom County office at 319-653-4811.

   • A virtual field day to discuss rotations of cover crops and summer annual forages will be conducted by Iowa Learning Farms March 13 at 1 p.m.

   The purpose, according to an Extension press release, is to show how cover crops and summer annuals can help provide an additional forage source to Iowa beef producers, while protecting water quality and preserving valuable topsoil and nutrients.

   Information on joining the virtual field day is available at www.iowalearningfarms.org/events-1.

   • In 2024, the Coalition to Support Iowa Farmers celebrated its 20^th anniversary.

   According to a CSIF press release, it was formed in 2004 to help Iowa’s farmers implement best management practices, properly site locations for new livestock barns and feedlots, interpret rules and regulations, and enhance neighbor relations.

   Since 2004, the CSIF says, it has assisted 5,400 farm families, as well as providing educational programs.

   “Over the past two decades,” Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said, “CSIF has helped thousands of Iowa families and will certainly continue to be an integral part of keeping our livestock industry and the communities that surround them strong in the years ahead.”

   • Speaking of the CSIF, the organization has announced Sydney Septer as its 2025 communications intern, according to another release.

   Septer will contribute to CSIF’s social media, event coordination, industry relations and communication strategies.

   An ISU sophomore from Ackworth, Iowa, she is pursuing a double major in agricultural communication and agricultural and rural policy studies.

   • The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation has released a statement congratulating Brooke Rollins on her recent confirmation as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

   It reads, in part: “Rollins’ commitment to supporting agriculture earned bi-partisan support in the Senate, and Iowa farmers look forward to working with Secretary Rollins and USDA to take on the challenges facing agriculture today while cultivating new opportunities.”