In order to reach the growing number of women farmers and female landowners interested in agriculture, a “Women’s Conservation Learning Circle” will be held next week.
The Soil and Water Conservation Districts of Marshall, Elkhart and St. Joseph Counties have teamed up with the National Resource Conservation Service and the organization Women4theLand to host a conservation discussion and field tour on Tuesday, August 14th.
The meeting will begin at the Potato Creek State Park Nature Center at 9 a.m. and the entire event will last until 3 p.m. The final day to RSVP to attend is tomorrow, Tuesday, August 7th.
According to a news release provided by Debbie Palmer, the District Coordinator of Marshall County SWCD, there are more than one million women who operate farms all across the country and in the Midwest, women now own or co-own an estimated one-fourth to one half of the farmland.
Some of these women inherited the land, others are returning to the farm or just starting out while some may be “non-operating” landowners who lease their land to neighboring farmers.
The purpose of this free workshop is to bring together women who have an interest in land stewardship in an informal learning format that will focus on conservation planning, wildlife habitat restoration and healthy pastures. The discussion will be followed by lunch and a field tour to view on-farm practices.
Conservation professionals will be on-hand to share resources and answer any questions but participants are also encouraged to speak about their own experiences and goals in addition to listening to the presentation.
For more information or to RSVP for the event, call the Marshall County Soil and Water Conservation District at 574-936-2024.
