WFB Women's Leadership Committee

STATE COMMITTEE MEMBERS: 

Vicki Malloy, Chair    

Helen Boldt

Susan Dufault

Paddy Irwin

Dianne Appel

Roxanne Husmann

Cheryl Ouellette

Mary K. Vejraska

WFB staff contact: Sandy McCaig or call (800) 331-3276 

SIGN UP TO ATTEND TODAY!
Women’s Leadership Spring Conference to be Held in May 2012
The Washington Farm Bureau Women’s Spring Leadership Conference will be held May 9-11 at the scenic Skamania Lodge in Stevenson, Washington.

If you are interested in attending, follow the directions to complete and submit the registration form. The directions are located at the bottom of this section.

The theme for this year’s conference is “Flavors of the Gorge.” Attendees will experience the exquisite sights, scents and flavors of southwest Washington, including Washington wines and artisan cheeses while catching up with old and new friends. Some highlights of the event include the opportunity to:
• Explore the properties of honey and herbs through hands-on workshops.
• Experience a clothing and jewelry fashion show.
• Enjoy a guided bus tour of historic downtown Camas, including a very special tour and tasting featuring exquisite olive oils & balsamic vinegars.

Of course, there will also be workshop sessions and time for sharing ideas. Although the conference is put on by the WFB Women’s Leadership Committee and hosted by the women of Clark-Cowlitz County Farm Bureau, it’s not just for women. Men are welcome and encouraged to attend, and more are doing so each year.

Registration is $30 per person and includes all conference materials and meals. The deadline to submit your registration to WFB is April 20. Registration forms and a complete agenda are now available.

Attendees are responsible for making their own hotel reservations and should do so by March 26 in order to receive the discounted rates. Room rates are $119 plus tax per night for a Forest View room or $129 plus tax per night for a River View room. To learn more about the conference location, or to make your room reservations online, visit www.skamania.com. Room reservations can also be made by calling (509) 427-7700 or (800) 221-7117.

With so much to see and do, you won’t want to miss this event! If you have questions about the WFB Women’s Spring Leadership Conference or have difficulty registering online, please contact Sandy McCaig at 1.800.331.3276 ext. 111.

DETAILED DIRECTIONS:

To RSVP
Please RSVP by April 20 to Sandy McCaig at (360) 331-3276 ext. 111 or by completing the registration form below. Please be sure to read the instructions carefully prior to completing the form.

Instructions
When you RSVP, please advise us if you would like a vegetarian meal or have other dietary preferences. Whether you plan to attend the entire event or just part of one day, the cost to register is $30 per person. Attendees are responsible for securing their own hotel reservations.   

NOTE: The registration form is an interactive PDF. To use it as such, please follow the first set of directions below. If that proves too difficult, follow the second set of directions.

If you choose to use the form as an interactive PDF, follow these steps:

1.Enter all appropriate information into the fields of the form (form is linked here as well as below this section)
2.Save the completed form with a new file name (example: your last name. pdf)
3.E-mail the completed form (the one you completed in step 1 and re-named in step 2) to Sandy McCaigat smccaig@wsfb.com. Or print and mail it to: WFB, Attn. Sandy McCaig, 975 Carpenter Rd. NE Suite 301 Lacey, WA 98509. Or, if you have a fax machine, you may fax your completed form to 360.357.9939.

To complete the form another way, follow these steps:

1.Click on the PDF of the registration form (at the very bottom of this section and linked here)
2.Print out the form and fill in the information in all appropriate fields
3.Mail the completed form to the address listed in #3 above. Or, if you have a scanner you may e-mail a copy to Sandy at smccaig@wsfb.com Or, if you have a fax machine, you may fax a copy to 360.357.9939.

2012 WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP SPRING CONFERENCE REGISTRATION FORM

CONFERENCE AGENDA & DETAILS

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AFBF Women’s Leadership Conference
In 2011, 18 women from Washington state attended the American Farm Bureau Federation’s National Women’s Leadership Conference, April 15-19 in Baltimore.

The theme for the 2011 Conference was Changing Perceptions, Unlimited Possibilities. As the number of women as principal operators on farms and ranches increases, so will the role of women in leadership in agriculture. The possibilities or involvement in the industry are limitless and the goal of the Women’s Leadership Committee (both on a national level and within Washington state) is to provide the leadership tools needed to make a difference. This conference was designed to provide those tools.

 
Washington Farm Bureau was well-represented with 17 delegates and one staff member attending the 2011 AFBF Women’s Leadership Conference in Baltimore.

  This chest was donated by the women for the auction.

Women's Leadership Committee Projects

Each year, the Women's Leadership Committee participates in activities designed to generate awareness and appreciation of agriculture in Washington state. One of the main focuses of the committee is to develop educational and leadership opportunities for people of all ages.

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Food Check Out Week 

Members of the Washington Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee, along with Lewis County Farm Bureau members converged at the Grocery Outlet in Chehalis Sat. Feb. 26 to celebrate Food Check-Out Week.

Held the third week of February each year, Food Check-Out Week focuses on helping Americans learn how to stretch their grocery dollars with healthy, nutritious food.

The event highlights the commitment of America’s farmers and ranchers to producing safe, healthy and abundant food. And, it demonstrates the concern they share with consumers when it comes to putting nutritious meals on the table while sticking to a tight budget.

Educational materials dedicated to helping consumers make healthier food purchases were distributed to consumers at the event. Simple recipes following this same philosophy were also handed out, in addition to literature and recipe books provided by the ladies of Clark-Cowlitz County Farm Bureau.

At approximately 3 p.m. all the donated food, totaling more than 2,400 pounds, was loaded onto a trailer and transported to the Food Bank Coalition donation station.It was then sorted and dispersed to homeless shelters and local food banks to serve local families in need.

To read more about this successful event and see additional photos, click here.

Outside the Centralia Grocery Outlet during Food Check-Out week.

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Ag Awareness, Education and Scholarships

WFB Scholarship Auction -- Washington Farm Bureau offers five $2,000 scholarships every year to college students enrolled in an agricultural field of study. The Women's Leadership Committee funds these scholarships by sponsoring an auction during Farm Bureau's annual meeting in November. Items for the auction are donated by county Farm Bureaus and individual Farm Bureau members. The photo above shows some of the items on display during the 2009 auction.

Sales generated from the auction items above contributed funds to the Farm Bureau scholarship program.

Ronald McDonald House
Members of the 2009-2010 WFB Women's Leadership Committee gather in front of items they collected for donation to Ronald McDonald Houses in the Seattle and Spokane areas.    

WFB Women's Spring Leadership Conference -- The Women's Leadership Committee sponsors an annual leadership development conference. The 2010 WFB Women's Spring Leadership Conference was held May 6-8 at the Inn at Gig Harbor.