“Growing Connections” is the theme of the 17th annual Iowa Women in Agriculture Conference at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny Aug. 3.

The conference will explore challenges posed by agriculture’s current economic and environmental climate, including the 2023 farm bill, marketing scenarios, soil and water quality initiatives, financial outlook, social media advocacy, transition/succession planning strategies and the roles of ag women in this dynamic and growing industry.

Keynote speaker Brandi Buzzard Frobose, ag advocate and rancher at High Bar Cattle Company in Greeley, Kansas, will wrap up the conference with a motivational speech titled “Small Talk, Meaningful Conversations.”

The conference kicks off at 8:15 a.m. and concludes at 4:30 p.m. 

A complimentary welcome and networking reception will be held Aug. 2 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Reiman Gardens in Ames. Naomi Friend from Friend’s Flowers, Story City, will share how she and her husband, Andrew, launched a 3-acre cut flower farm in 2013.

Participants also can attend a pre-conference tour Aug. 2. The tour begins and ends at Danfoss in Ames, with stops at Clayton Farms in Ames and the Iowa State University Field Experiment Education Farm in Boone. 

Early bird registration is $55 until Aug. 1 and $75 after that date, including the day of the conference. 

Visit www.iowawomeninag.org for a full conference agenda and registration details. Early registration is required for those attending the pre-conference tour.