By Lindsey McKeever, Sarah Sivits, and Jessica Groskopf, Nebraska Extension
The Nebraska Women in Agriculture program marked 40 years of educating and empowering females in farming, ranching, and agribusiness, with nearly 370 people attending its annual conference on February 20 and 21, 2025, in Kearney.
The conference included 27 workshops, five keynotes, and other activities to help attendees learn how to manage risk better, improve their farms and ranches, and become more successful operators and business partners. Keynote speakers included Elaine Froese, Emily Reuschel, Jena Ochsner, Leah Peterson, and a Women in Agriculture Panel: Past, Present, & Future including Glennis McClure, Ann Marie Bosshamer, Hilary Maricle, and Debbie Borg. This year’s conference offered workshop sessions on agricultural leases, livestock insurance, land management, estate and succession planning, mental health, and other topics.
People attending the conference represented a wide variety of agricultural backgrounds and demographics. At the time of this article, 107 responses to the conference survey had been entered (n=107). Ninety-three percent of the respondents identified as female, 88% as white, and 86% as non-Hispanic/Latino. Ninety-four percent of participants resided in Nebraska. Figure 1 shows the roles and ages of those who participated.
Figure 1: Age and Roles of 2025 Nebraska Women in Agriculture Conference attendees.
The goal of this year’s conference was to specifically provide education in the areas of livestock insurance options, production, and risk management plans for female producers.
Survey respondents were asked to choose the statement or statements that best reflect their experience: “As a result of attending this conference I learned…” The response options and percentage of survey respondents for each option are listed in Table 1.
Table 1. Impact of workshop session statement results.
The conference depends on continued funding from grant agencies and supporters. This year’s conference was supported by a grant from the North Central Extension Risk Management Education Center. Additional supporters included the Doug Jose Women in Agriculture Program Conference Fund, the Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition, Nebraska Soybean Board, Nebraska Corn, First National Bank of Omaha, Farm Credit Services of America, The Andersons Inc., Nebraska Farm Bureau, Nebraska Dry Bean Commission, We Care for Kids, and the Nature Conservancy. There were various other agricultural businesses and government organizations who participated in our exhibit space.
During the conference, the Nebraska Women in Agriculture program launched Agri-Essentials, an online learning community designed to provide agricultural women across the state with a platform for education, support, and networking.
The initiative aims to bring together women in farming, ranching, and agribusiness, creating a space where members can access valuable resources, engage in meaningful discussions, and enhance their skills.
“Agri-Essentials is a great opportunity for women in agriculture to come together, no matter where they are located,” said Jessica Groskopf, director of Nebraska Women in Agriculture. “With the flexibility of online learning, we can offer educational opportunities that meet the needs of our diverse community.”
To learn more about Agri-Essentials, visit: https://go.unl.edu/jgdc or scan the QR code.
The Nebraska Women in Agriculture Conference will celebrate 41 years during next year’s conference, February 26-27, 2026, in Kearney at its new location, Younes South Conference Center. For more about the program, visit https://wia.unl.edu or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, @newomeninag.
Lindsey McKeever
Program Coordinator
Nebraska Women In Agriculture
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
lindsey.mckeever@unl.edu
Sarah Sivits
Conference Coordinator
Nebraska Women In Agriculture
ssivits2@unl.edu
Jessica Groskopf
Director, Nebraska Women in Agriculture
Regional Extension Economist
Center for Agricultural Profitability
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
jjohnson@unl.edu