Agenda
“Breaking Ground, Seeding Success””
Wednesday, December 4 to Thursday, December 5, 2024
Gateway Hotel and Conference Center, Ames, Iowa
Click on the days below to view the schedule
Networking and Refreshments
(11:15 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.)
This course will give participants the knowledge and skills necessary to recognize life-threatening bleeding and give care for a person with life-threatening bleeding until EMS personnel arrive and begin their care of the person. Recognize the signs and symptoms of, and describe appropriate first aid care for, the following injuries and environmental illnesses: burns; head, neck and spinal injuries including concussion, heat stroke, hypothermia, and poison exposure. After completing the course, participants will receive an official Red Cross First Aid certificate.
Tour attendees gather with committee hosts
Tour A1: Veterinary Diagnostics Laboratory
Committee Host: Sara Lira
Tour Presenter – Katie Woodard, DVM, Client Services Section Leader
The ISU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory is a national leader in protecting animal and human health. Experience what this fully accredited facility by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians provides using world-class technology, including quality diagnostic and analytical services for animal species.
Tour A2: Meats Laboratory and Consumer Experience
Committee Host: Carey Mathesius
Tour Presenter: Matt Wenger, Program Specialist, Meat Lab
Experience the state-of-the-art meat laboratory with a complete on-the-rail slaughter facility, meat processing equipment, analytical laboratory, and a retail sales outlet for meat products produced during teaching, research, and extension activities. You’ll also be given the opportunity to participate in an interactive consumer-focused session on meat grading and labeling. Closed-toed shoes required.
Tour A3: Kent Feed Mill and Grain Science Complex
Committee Host: Marilee Jones
Tour Presenter – Dierks Mayer, Professor/Director of Kent Feed Mill
The state-of-the-art facility furthers the university’s mission of teaching, research, service and extension. The 47,000-square-foot complex includes a warehouse and an educational building with an analytical laboratory, pilot plant, a 100-foot-tall concrete milling tower, a 40-foot-tall pelleting plant and 220,000 bushels of steel grain storage with handling and drying systems. The facility offers future leaders in the feed grain and grain processing industry hands-on experience in advancing innovation and sustainability. Closed-toed shoes required.
Tour A4: Bioeconomy Institute: Regenerative Agriculture in Iowa
Committee Host: Ann Wolf
Tour Presenters – Lisa Schulte Moore, Professor, and Brooke Rogers, Tim Youngquist, Elmin Rahic, Sarah Tyree, and Vivian Cook
Join a tour of ISU’s Bioeconomy Institute, where participants will explore recent regenerative agriculture research and opportunities to get involved. Learn about prairie strips and the benefits they bring, from decreased erosion and improved water quality to increased biodiversity and beauty on the farm. Tour the pyrolysis lab and learn about biochar, bio-oil, and carbon sequestration. Check out the building’s anaerobic digestion bench lab, where participants will be introduced to anaerobic digestion as a pathway toward increased farm circularity. And finally, enjoy the Biorenewables Complex art collection!
Tour A5: Midwest Wine and Grape Institute and Farm House Museum
Committee Hosts: Elly Cain and Chinwendu Ozoh
Tour Presenters – Erin Norton, Institute Director, and Nicholas Scott, Museum Educator
Tucked in to the Food Sciences Building, the institute was established in 2006 to support Iowa’s growing wine industry with enology and viticulture science. In 2021, a brewing science program and laboratory was added. Tour the laboratories and learn how the institute supports Iowa’s wine and beer entrepreneurs. At the Farm House Museum, explore a Victorian Era Christmas and life on the Iowa State Campus from its inception. Built in 1860, the Farm House was the first building on campus and is a National Historic Landmark.
Committee Remarks: Luci Sheriff and Jenna Tlach
Opener: Your Greatest Gift
Speaker – Lexi Marek Beeler
The oldest of four girls from a farm in Southeast Iowa, Lexi advocates for women in agriculture. This presentation is uplifting and encouraging, reminding women of the vital role they play in agriculture. Women have always been involved in agriculture, yet women haven’t always been seen in the industry. Lexi will share three actions all women can implement to make an impact in the industry.
Session B1: Leading as an Effective Board Member
Committee Host: Luci Sheriff
Speaker – Shelly Kruse, Executive Director of Strategic Relationships, GROWMARK
Have you ever thought about how you can make a real difference as a director or officer of a board? If you are currently on a board and desire to learn more about your role and responsibilities, this workshop is for you! Shelly will offer insights and tools to help you become a more effective board member and leader. She’ll share her experiences serving on over 25 boards of directors and supporting many more through her guidance and interventions. In this lively session, you’ll learn an 8-step cycle that includes best practices for functioning as a highly effective board. You will hear about real-life scenarios and select ‘what would you do’ options.
Session B2: Women Managing Farmland: Creating and Attaining Your Farm Vision
Committee Host: Marilee Jones
Speakers – Sharon Chism, Catherine Delong, Jennifer Harrington
Increase your confidence to set realistic goals for your farming operation and communicate them effectively. The presenters will share tools for assessing conservation on your land and planning to meet the land’s foreseeable needs. They’ll offer guidance and worksheets to help you determine your farm vision and set goals for the next year and next 3 to 5 years. Through discussion and activities, attendees will learn ways to communicate the farm vision to other stakeholders in the business. You’ll take home tips to share with your farming partners to improve profitability and move closer to your legacy vision.
Session B3: The UNSHAKABLE: Mastering Mental Strength to Thrive Under Pressure
Committee Host: Debbie Kassel
Speaker – Jennifer Bassman, Expert in Burnout Recovery
In the demanding world of agriculture, women face immense pressure to excel in both their personal and professional lives. They not only shoulder the physical and emotional responsibilities of running farms and agribusinesses, but also navigate societal expectations and the unique stressors of the agricultural industry. This workshop focuses on the mental strength needed to transform challenges into opportunities. Many women feel their emotions, stress, and the demands of the work against them, but building mental strength helps reframe those feelings into sources of power and resilience. This session provides practical strategies to help women in agriculture harness their inner strength, manage stress, and turn pressure into a driving force for growth. Through real-life examples and actionable insights, Jennifer will explore the critical distinction between mental toughness and mental strength. Attendees will learn how to embrace imperfections, set boundaries, and build a resilient mindset, all while balancing the daily demands of working in agriculture.
Committee Remarks –Abby Tlach and Ann Wolf
Networking Activity – Julia Brenizer
Hot Breakfast and Networking
Committee Remarks: Melissa O’Rourke, Madeline Schultz, and Abby Tlach
University Welcome – Jason Henderson, Vice-President, ISU Extension and Outreach
Keynote: Breaking Ground to Fulfill True Potential
Speaker – Heather Malenshek, Chief Marketing Officer, Land O Lakes
When people think of Land O’Lakes, many might think of butter – but there is so much more to that story. Hear from Heather Malenshek, Chief Marketing Officer at Land O’Lakes, about how her journey across multiple industries led to her current role as CMO of a 103-year-old agriculture cooperative where she builds on the brand’s legacy, amplifies the vibrancy of America’s rural communities, and leverages marketing as a tool to help solve modern societal issues.
Women Impacting Ag Recognition
Committee Hosts –Julia Brenizer and Lisa Scarbrough
Honorees –
Chris Cornelius, Co-Owner, Cornelius Seed
Julie Kenney, CEO, Agribusiness Association of Iowa
Wendy Johnson, Co-owner, Joia Food Farm
Janette Smith, GROW Grain Lead, Landus
We are excited to honor four amazing women who are making positive changes and creating a more sustainable Iowa by improving economic resiliency and stability; conserving natural resources; and being influential agricultural leaders, family members, and community supporters. We’ll highlight their accomplishments through videos and each honoree will share her story, goals, and encouragement for other women in agriculture
Session C1: Puzzle Pieces to Build a Career
Speaker: Jessie Alt, Global Wheat Lead, Corteva
Committee Hosts: Abby Tlach
Jessie has made a life and a career out of doing hard weird things. From growing up in Iowa and pursuing an education to growing her family, farm, and career, Jessica has pursued new opportunities with passion and creativity. She’ll share key strategies and things she learned along the way that enabled her to succeed.
Jessie Alt is the Global Wheat Lead for Corteva Agriscience. She has strong background in both varietal and hybrid crop breeding. She is passionate about enabling farmer success through improved plant genetics. Beyond research, she believes in building for the future by engaging children in agriculture and science as well as encouraging neighbors to act together for a common cause. Throughout her career, Jessie has served as an industry ambassador in several communication and outreach events sponsored by the American Seed Trade Association. In her spare time, she operates Alt Farms Pumpkins and leads neighborhood improvements related to the High Trestle Trail. Jessie has a PhD and MS in plant genetics from Iowa State University along with a BS degree in Agronomy from South Dakota State University. Jessie has made a life and a career out of doing hard weird things. From growing up in Iowa and pursuing an education to growing her family, farm, and career, Jessica has pursued new opportunities with passion and creativity. She’ll share key strategies and things she learned along the way that enabled her to succeed.
Session C2: Better Conversations
Committee Host: Sara Lira
Speaker – Jonathan Shavers, Envision Partners
The outcome of a conversation depends on where we start. With intention we can have healthier interactions that lead to real impact and leave everyone feeling stronger. Positive framing and appreciative inquiry are two conversation practices that we can use to create better and more useful conversations. A positive frame broadens the conversation to inspire curiosity and imagination about what is possible. Building on that possibility, appreciative inquiry is about asking the kinds of questions that generate ideas and thoughts that lead to better solutions. This will be an interactive session with role play in small groups. We will close with intention for where to try out these practices and have better conversations.
Session C3: Panel: Growing into Farm Management Roles: Annie’s Project Stories
Committee Host: Ashlee Bratthauer
Moderators: Linda Cline and Alexis Stevens
Speakers: Beth Collins, Lindsey Jeurgensen, Ashley Johnston, and Amber Kohlhaas
Women of all ages and different types of farming experiences have benefited from Annie’s Project and other extension farm management courses in Iowa. The courses introduce women to resources to help them identify and better manage financial, human resource, legal, marketing and production risk in agriculture. Join us as four women share how they took on new decision-making roles, strengthened their management leadership, and opened up new possibilities for the future of their farm businesses.
Committee Remarks – Carey Mathesius and Janette Smith
Panel: Leadership in Finance and Taking Care of Agriculture in Tough Years
Moderator – Melissa O-Rourke, Panelists – Karen Rawson, Deputy State Executive Director, Farm Service Agency, and Angie Treptow, SVP Retail Customer Experience, Farm Credit Services of America, Ag Country, Frontier Farm Credit
Karen Rawson and Angie Treptow are two women who worked their way up through the ranks in the agricultural finance industry. They’ll share key milestones they achieved throughout their long careers and the challenges and joys they encountered. These industry leaders will also discuss their thoughts on how lenders and borrowers may be able to work together in economically suppressed years like we are now experiencing.
Session D1: Empowering the Next Generation of Family Agribusiness Owners
Committee Host: Elly Cain
Speaker – Chris Cornelius, Co-Owner, Cornelius Seed
Working with family members and transitioning a business to the next generation takes conscientious work. It can mean a steep learning curve for all generations. The newest generation needs to pay their dues while the established generation should give them an opportunity to buy into the business. Chris shares her family’s story of passing the family seed business to the fifth generation while maintaining family harmony.
Session D2: Leading as a Communicator
Committee Host: Chelsea Llewellyn
Speaker – Kiley Fleming, Executive Director, Iowa Mediation Services
In this session, we’ll explore what it means to use leadership skills during critical moments that require effective communication, which applies to all women at various periods of time. From the farm operation, agribusiness, family dynamics, or organizational practices, it is important to talk with people in a way that bridges understanding and garners successful outcomes. When stakes are high, dialogue that includes neutrality techniques, de-escalating strategies, and negotiation practices prove to be invaluable ways of bringing parties to the table, which are skills that can be found within all of us. Balancing the intent and the impact of our messages, benefits everyone, including our own internal self-talk. In turn, we become effective communication leaders on and off the farm.
Session D3: Panel: Creative Entrepreneurship in Agriculture
Committee Host: Abby Tlach
Speakers – Laura Cunningham, SkyView Farms; Natalie Paino, HighTail Delivery; and Meredith Nunnikhoven, Barnswallow Flowers.
Carving out their own niches in agriculture, these three entrepreneurs used their unique talents to start new businesses and create new markets. From flowers and compostable vases to home delivered ice-cream, and locally raised beef, these business savvy women built on their agricultural roots and community involvement to develop profitable enterprises. Through creativity and dedication, Meredith, Natalie, and Laura are increasing Iowa’s rural vitality and sustaining agriculture into the next generation.
Committee Remarks –Elly Cain, Lisa Scarbrough, and Madeline Schultz
Capstone: Seeding Success through Power and Passion
Speaker – April Hemmes
Throughout her 39 years of farming and leadership, April Hemmes has been a passionate advocate. With a strong foundation in agriculture, she answered the call when asked. April rolled up her sleeves and championed agriculture locally and globally. She relates to everyone she meets with good humor and a commonsense attitude. Be ready to have some fun riding along with April as she plants ideas to help you find your own power and passion.