Farm Director KC Sheperd spoke with Oklahoma Department of Agriculture Public Information Officer Lee Benson about the upcoming 4th Annual AgHERculture Conference.
The conference is comprised of two events on two days. Friday, August 23rd will be centered on college-aged young women, and Saturday, August 24th will be for high school girls. Both events are designed to connect the younger generation of women interested in a future in agriculture with women already established in the industry to provide them with networking and educational opportunities.
The event was begun by Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur. “[Secretary Aurthur] is always invested in the importance of young people in the ag industry,” Benson said, “She thought that if she could connect these young people with women already involved in the ag sector from across the country, it could only do good things, not only for the here-and-now but also for the future of agriculture.”
The collegiate event will begin with the opportunity for each young woman to have a headshot taken for her professional profile. RFD-TV FarmHer Host Kirbe Schnoor will be a keynote speaker, and dinner will be offered that evening. Tables will be set up and mentors will be available for attendees to socialize with. “It is pretty informal, with the idea being to connect and meet as many people as possible,” Benson added.
Although there won’t be a keynote speaker at the high school event, headshots will still be offered, lunch will be provided, and mentors will still be eager to tell their stories and hear the stories that the girls bring with them.
“All of the feedback that we get here at the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture has been super positive from all of our past events. From what I’ve heard, it is well work your time, if you go,” Benson said.
While networking for information and finding mentors is important, an added benefit attendees should be aware of is to meet potential employers and internships. “Whether you are in high school or in college, if you want to stay and work in the ag industry in Oklahoma, you can meet a lot of people who can help set you up with a potential career or at least a start to your career,” Benson observed.
More information about the AgHERculture Conference can be found on the ODAFF Instagram or Facebook page, and while the high school event sold out only 48 hours after registration opened, students can still join the waitlist to potentially get a ticket. Collegiate-age women can sign up to attend by searching for AgHERculture at Eventbrite.com. “If you want to sign up for the collegiate event, do so by July 18 to get a free event t-shirt. The t-shirts are pretty cool,” Benson advised.
Link to register for the collegiate event.
