A woman in a ball cap, green T-shirt and jeans kneels beside a row of harvest ready lettuce plants, trimming the roots of a plant she just pulled from the ground to place in a black, plastic bin. — Lynda Carrier, OSU Student Farm manager, harvests lettuce from the OSU Student Farm in Stillwater. Women are involved in every facet of Oklahoma agriculture.

Women’s ag conference open to participants statewide

Friday, June 9, 2023

Media Contact: Gail Ellis | Editorial Communications Coordinator | 405-744-9152 | gail.ellis@okstate.edu

Oklahoma State University Extension will host the AgricultHer Women in Ag Conference June 30 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Eastern Oklahoma State College Student Center Ballroom in Wilburton.

The conference registration deadline is June 14. Those interested in participating can obtain a registration form from their local county office or register online. The $30 registration fee includes a T-shirt and lunch.

The event will provide hands-on learning and networking opportunities for women in agriculture along with a trade show for participants. Vendors are requested. Conference topics include farm safety for women and children, ag marketing, farm stress and mental health.

Afternoon breakout sessions will cover:

Cattle birth
Fecal egg counts in livestock
Forage quality and supplementation
Beekeeping
Raised bed gardening
Backyard poultry

Penny Raspotnik-Jones has attended women in agriculture conferences in the past and sees the value in connecting with female peers. She said it’s taken generations to acknowledge female agriculturists’ contributions to the industry.

“My inspiration is my grandmother, who took our ranch over in the 1950s when my grandpa was killed in a coal mining accident,” Raspotnik-Jones said. “She ran it until my dad came back from college to help her. Everybody said she couldn’t do it, but she proved them wrong.”

Today, Raspotnik-Jones manages the same registered Angus cattle ranch with her husband near Hartshorne in Latimer County. She has been involved in the family’s cattle operation since she was young.

She said connecting with other women in a male-dominated field boosts women’s confidence, giving them freedom to make management and financial decisions.

“A lot of women like to do business with other women, and I hope to meet some potential customers,” Raspotnik-Jones said. “The event is also an opportunity to learn from other women that may be doing the same thing I’m doing or involved in another facet of agriculture.”

Submit an online form or call 918-967-4330 to register for the June 30 event.