March 5, 2005

http://www.uvm.edu/wagn/womeninag.html

When: October 21-23, 2005
Where: Burlington, VT
Who: Farmers, ranchers, growers, service providers, educators, social and political activists, and those who care about food, fiber and the natural world.
Why: To honor the role of women in agriculture, to celebrate the power of women's networks to create change and to plant the seeds for future work.

Happenings: A sensory feast... Speakers to capture your imagination... Workshops to engage your hands and mind . . . Art to delight your spirit . . . Networking to stimulate your creativity. . . Activities to nurture the child within and . . Locally grown food that celebrates the bounty of the season.

Would you like to be a presenter? We are accepting proposals for presentations through March 10, 2005. We are looking for farmers, educators, activists and ag service providers to participate as workshop presenters.

Additionally, are seeking farmers, educators and other interested people to join our planning effort. We want a diverse group, both in terms of background and geography, to help design the program. We'll also be seeking grants and sponsorships to help support the event and keep it affordable to people who are making a living farming. If you're interested in participating in the planning or fundraising effort, please contact us at wagn (at) uvm.edu or at (802) 223-2389 x15.

Call for Workshop Proposals

http://www.uvm.edu/wagn/Women_in_Sust_Ag_Call_for_Presentations.pdf

The 2005 Women's Sustainable Agriculture Conference will bring together farmers, educators, and activists involved in sustainable agriculture to share educational and organization strategies, build technical and business skills, and address policy issues all aimed at expanding the success of women of in sustainable agriculture. The conference will work to set the agenda for the next decade of supporting women in agriculture. The conference will be held October 21-23, 2005 in Burlington, Vermont If you are interested in presenting a workshop or speaking at the conference, please send your proposal to Beth Holtzman by March 10, 2005.

AUDIENCE: Farmers, educators, and activists and agricultural professionals involved in sustainable agriculture

SESSION DETAILS: Sessions will be approximately 75 minutes in length. Expect approximately 25 attendees per session. We anticipate offering a variety of sessions, including one speaker sessions, joint presentations and panels that combine farmers, ag service providers and activists, and round tables. Participatory formats are encouraged.

FORMAT OF PROPOSALS: Please use the following format in your proposal.
1. Name of contact person, organization, address, city, state, zip, phone, email
2. Name and organizations of other presenters in your session.
3. Proposed title of session
4. Session format
5. A 200 word description of the session, including main points and goals. Include learning goals for audience.
6. A 50 word description of the session. If accepted, this write-up will be included in the conference program.
7. Audio-visual needs
8. Brief bios of presenters (one paragraph or less only). No resumes or multi-page CVs please.

TOPICS: We are seeking presentations and workshops in the following areas:
Policy, Activism and Networking: Workshops should provide opportunities for participants to the acquire information, leadership and organizing skills they need to be effective participants in policy development at the local, state and federal levels. We are seeking a mix of round-table, panel presentation and "how to" sessions. Examples of potential topic areas include: women and the Farm Bill; strategies to create community support for small farms and locally grown food; running effective meetings, mentoring, how to be an effective activist when you don't have a lot of time.

Business Planning and Development: These workshops will address the fundamentals of sound business development (business planning, marketing, the decision to diversify, financial management, etc.). We are particularly interested in interactive, hands-on workshops that will engage participants. Please indicate the experience level that would be most appropriate for this workshop (e.g. beginners, intermediate or experienced).

Apprentices and Beginning Farmers: Possible topics include: Strategies for finding apprenticeships, gaining farming experience and starting out with your own farm. Workshops on collaborative or cooperative models, practical tips and advice for young and beginning farmers, experienced farmers sharing stories about their begininngs, and other narratives of encouragement, success and opportunity are welcomed.

Cultural Enrichment: Farms, Food & Rural Life. Share your stories, papers, sources of inspiration, and art of all kinds.

Health & Safety: Workshops may address farm safety, wellness and nutrition, balancing farm and family, stress reduction, nutrition.

Sustainable Production: Possible topics in this area include: Soils (including management strategies to enhance soil quality); organic and IPM pest management approaches; systems approaches to production; cover crops; landscape diversity; and livestock health. We are interested workshops that share results of on-farm research, relay proven strategies, and/or provide "how to" information.

***Additional topics that are relevant to women in sustainable agriculture will also be considered.***

You may fax or email (preferred) your proposal.
Send your proposals to:
Beth Holtzman
Women's Agricultural Network
617 Comstock Rd.,
Berlin, VT 05602,
or email them to wagn (at) uvm.edu
YOU WILL HEAR BACK FROM US SOON

Submission of a proposal is not a guarantee of its acceptance. All proposals will be reviewed by a planning committee. Notification of your proposals status will be provided by April 30. Contact us if you don't hear from us by then.

PRESENTER BENEFITS: Presenters will be eligible reduction in the conference fee. A limited amount of scholarship and travel stipend funding is available, but is primarily earmarked for farmer participants.

Questions? Contact Beth at wagn (at) uvm.edu .

WAgN Women's Agricultural Network
617 Comstock Rd., Suite 5
Berlin, VT 05602
(802)223-2389
or wagn (at) zoo.uvm.edu