Women's Leadership
Empowering voices
Women are essential to agriculture, as leaders on and off the farm, from running a farm or ranch business to advocating on Capitol Hill. The American Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership program provides women with opportunities for growth and development to sharpen their skills and strengthen their ability to inspire change.
Being involved in the Women’s Leadership Program has molded me into a better leader for Farm Bureau and my community. I encourage all women to get involved.
- Isabella Chism, AFB Women's Leadership Chair
Women's Communications Boot Camp
Women’s Communications Boot Camp is an intensive training opportunity for any female Farm Bureau member interested in building skills needed to communicate about agriculture and Farm Bureau. To date, 313 women have graduated from the program. These skilled alumni provide Farm Bureau with a passionate and persuasive group of advocates who connect with influencers on the local, state and national levels.
Two sessions of Boot Camp will be offered in 2025, one in spring and one in fall. Participants will receive training on advocacy, public speaking, communicating with elected officials, social media strategy, targeted messaging and working with the media in AFBF’s Washington D.C. office.
Two Session Options:
- Spring Session: April 21-24, 2025
Application Period: December 16-February 7
Rubric and sample application
It provided the opportunity to improve my advocacy skills in a number of areas and gain greater confidence as a voice for agriculture. It was also valuable to connect with amazing women involved in farming and ranching from across the country.
— Kat Peper, Women’s Communications Boot Camp Graduate, Wisconsin Farm Bureau Member
Women's Boot Camp graduates use their training:
- by positively influencing elected officials.
- by creating or acting upon local media opportunities to support Farm Bureau’s policy work.
- by joining social media campaigns to share positive messages about agriculture.
- by influencing consumers when planning and implementing outreach events.
- by speaking about agricultural innovations and enterprises with a variety of audiences, community groups, in classrooms and with neighbors.
Women's ACE (Advocate, Cultivate, Empower) Summit
Women’s ACE (Advocate, Cultivate, Empower) Summit is a two-day event offering national learning sessions and advocacy training opportunities for Farm Bureau Women. This event occurs every other year (even years) with the purpose of building a sustainable future by developing women leaders, engaging with lawmakers and advancing agricultural advocacy.
The ACE Summit will be held in Washington, DC on June 3-4, 2024. It is open to all Farm Bureau women and there is no limit to how many women can be registered per state until May 3, 2024 or until we reach the registration limit of 200 attendees.
At ACE Summit, Farm Bureau members will:
- be leading Advocates for agriculture.
- Cultivate relationships with lawmakers, industry partners and Farm Bureau Women from across the country.
- be Empowered with skills and resources for agricultural advocacy.
Ag ConnectHER
Ag ConnectHER’s purpose is to inspire and equip women in agriculture to succeed in leadership. This project, hosted by the American Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee, elevates and celebrates dynamic and successful women leaders in agriculture by showcasing their leadership journeys, connecting them through a quarterly on-line event with Farm Bureau women from across the country, and inspiring women in agriculture to discover their potential and succeed in leadership. This initiative spotlights prominent women all across agriculture—from top leaders of ag organizations to government officials and elected leaders.
Ag ConnectHER 2025 Online Event Dates – Held at 8:00 PM Eastern
- March 4, 2025
- June 3, 2025
- September 2, 2025
- December 2, 2025
Watch the recording of the December 3 Ag ConnectHER event featuring Shelby Watson-Hampton, author of ‘Grace, Grit, and Lipstick’, farmer, and leader in agriculture.
Watch the recording of the September 3 Ag ConnectHER event featuring Blayne Arthur, Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture and 2023-2024 President of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA).
Watch the recording of the June 4 Ag ConnectHER event featuring Brenda Martinez Vergara, Senior Agricultural Specialist, Agriculture Office, Embassy of Mexico.
Watch the recording of the March 5 Ag ConnectHER event featuring Ebony Webber, Chief Operations Officer, Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS).
Watch the recording of the December 5 Ag ConnectHER event featuring Beth Bechdol, Deputy Director-General, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Watch the recording of the May 9 Ag ConnectHER event featuring Jennifer Sirangelo, President and CEO, National 4-H Council.
Watch the recording of the September 5 Ag ConnectHER event featuring Dr. Jackie Applegate, President, Bayer Crop Science North America.
Cultivator Newsletter
The Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Cultivator provides program and regional updates on the American Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership program via a quarterly newsletter. Anyone interested in Women’s Leadership programming is encouraged to sign-up for the newsletter and select their region of interest.
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