March 2022
More than 100 women from across the state gathered for the 2022 Women’s Leadership Conference at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Melbourne, March 24-26. The conference featured keynote speakers, an awards banquet, breakout sessions and farm tours.
Keynote speakers included Lorenda Overman, vice-chair of the American Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee; national speaker Betty Wolanyk; NASA’s Gioia Massa; and Veronique Sallin, CEO of IMG Enterprise, Inc. and Florida’s 2020 Woman of the Year in Agriculture. Each speaker brought a unique and inspiring message that challenged attendees to learn about different facets of agriculture and to use the network of people around them.
Sixteen county women’s programs were recognized for their contributions to their communities and improving agricultural awareness through educational outreach and service projects.
Women heard from a guest panel and fellow women in agriculture about successful agritourism operations and outreach programs offered by county Farm Bureaus across the state. These initiatives provided women leaders the opportunity to interact with farmers and ranchers in their county and to learn more about agriculture.
Conference attendees toured three family-owned farms in South Central Florida. They learned about the cattle and seed business at Partin Ranch and Seed, picked fresh strawberries at Mick Farms U-Pick in St. Cloud, and finished the day with a steak dinner and tour of Kempfer Cattle Company.
Throughout the conference, attendees were referred back to Florida Farm Bureau’s annual theme “Rooted in Resilience”.
“This year’s theme “Rooted in Resilience” aptly describes Farm Bureau women,” said Danielle Daum, Women’s Leadership Committee Chair. “We are resilient in our personal lives as mothers, daughters and sisters as well as in our business and professional lives. Agriculture is lucky to have so many women champions.”
Next year’s conference will take place March 16-18, 2023 in Panama City Beach. Photos from the 2022 conference can be found here.