The WLL Local Team from Buchanan County developed and hosted Connecting Women in Ag, a successful virtual seminar that took place over the lunch hour on December 9 and 10, 2020. The seminar each day included two presenters and plenty of time for questions. The event was attended by 36 women!

On December 9th, Mary Faber, from Illinois, presented a colorful discussion about her new flower farm, which she started in the Fall of 2019. Mary talked about how she came up with the business idea, how she and her family started seeds, planted in the spring, and lessons learned. She talked about business ideas and plans and what changes and additions she intends for 2021. Also that day, Lynn Bolen talked about the dairy farm that she and her husband own and operate and New Day Dairy, the guest barn where people can stay and gain a dairy farm experience! This is also a new farm business, opening in January 2020! Despite the pandemic, this business venture has gone very well! Folks enjoyed going to a safe place to have a fun and unique experience!

On December 10th, Derrick Perkins talked about his new local food business, One Root. He started this in 2018 after his passion grew for people to become more interactive with the food they eat, the farmers who grow it and the importance of a healthy food system. One Root grows their own food and hosts educational farm dinners near Lamont, Iowa. And to wrap up the seminar, Julie Kenney, Iowa Deputy Secretary of Agriculture talked about Iowa Ag’s Response to COVID. She discussed several programs that Iowa developed in response to increased food insecurity related to the pandemic.