Farm and ranch women are encouraged to attend a Strengthening Our Way of Life conference Oct. 29-30 at the Ramada Grand Dakota Lodge in Dickinson.

The conference is specifically designed for farm and ranch women living and working in North Dakota who wish to improve their agricultural knowledge in marketing, recordkeeping and communications.

Registration begins at 11 a.m. on Oct. 29 and the conference ends at 4 p.m. on Oct. 30.

Those attending will be able to participate in the Real Colors workshop during the afternoon session on Oct. 29.

“The Real Colors Personality Instrument is a simple, intuitive system for identifying the four temperaments people have,” says Samantha Roth, Stark and Billings County North Dakota State University Extension Service agent and conference coordinator. “It gives users an effective tool for understanding human behavior, uncovering motivations specific to each temperament and improving communication skills.”

Keynote speakers for the evening dinner are advocates for agriculture and motivational speakers Troy and Stacy Hadrick from western South Dakota. Their goal is to help participants tell a positive story about agriculture in the U.S.

Topics during the sessions on Oct. 30 are:

• The many faces of rural stress: women in agriculture
• Livestock nutrition
• Land leases
• Keeping the family farm in the family
• Transitional strategies and planning for beginning farmers
• Target Bakken: discussion about the Bakken oil field
• Beef cattle environmental issues

The cost for the conference is $90, which covers materials, sessions and meals. The registration deadline is Oct. 15. The registration fee after the deadline is $105. The cost is $40 for spouses who plan to attend the Oct. 29 Real Colors workshop and dinner.

For more information or to register, go to www.ag.ndsu.edu/anniesproject or call the Stark-Billings County Extension office at (701) 456-7665 for a brochure and registration forms.

NDSU Agriculture Communication