Clemson Extension announces Women in Ag Conference

Women are a critical part of farm and ranch operations in South Carolina and to help move this industry into the future, the Clemson Cooperative Extension Service is holding its first-ever South Carolina Women in Agriculture Conference.

This inaugural conference is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Nov. 4-5. Registration fees are $50 for just Friday and $100 for just Saturday. The fee for both Friday and Saturday is $150. Clemson University student rate is $45 for Saturday only. Deadline to register is Oct. 31. To register, go to https://bit.ly/2022_WomenInAgConference.

Charley Maxwell, Clemson Extension agribusiness agent and conference coordinator, said the conference will focus on connecting women in agriculture across the state.

“All women who are involved in South Carolina agriculture are encouraged to attend this conference,” Maxwell said. “We will have educational information available, as well as information about resources they can use to help them in their operations.”

Activities get underway with farm tours at 1 p.m. Friday. The tours will start at the T. Ed Garrison Arena, 1101 West Queen Street, Pendleton, South Carolina 29670, and will include visits to Clemson University’s LaMaster Dairy Center, Student Organic Farm and Agricultural Service Laboratory. Transportation will be provided.

On Saturday, the conference runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Clemson University Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business building, 225 Walter T. Cox Blvd., Clemson, South Carolina 29634. A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided. Lunch keynote speaker will be Marilyn Easter of Eastglen Jerseys in Laurens, South Carolina.

A variety of educational sessions and presentations from Clemson Cooperative Extension professionals and South Carolina producers will be held Saturday. Topics include farm income tax basics, agriwellness, financing options, hydroponics, forestry, agritourism, youth agriculture education and Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

Participants also will learn about the Clemson Extension Food2Market Program for Entrepreneurs, as well as other agriculture programs. Schedule listing of topics and speakers is available at https://bit.ly/2022_SCWAgN_Schedule.

For more information about the conference, including hotel information and more, go to https://www.clemson.edu/extension/scwgn/conference.html.

Women play an important role in South Carolina agriculture, comprising more than 14% of the state’s total producers. They are taking a more active role in day-to-day agriculture and farming operations. Data from the 2017 Census of Agriculture for South Carolina indicates between 2012 and 2017 alone, South Carolina saw a 27.8% increase in female producers and a 56.9% increase in females as principal producers on farms.

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