Renew Your Sense of Inspiration This Conference Season

The People

Let's face it, farming is a challenging occupation and many farmers experience feelings of loneliness and isolation. This can be especially true for farmers looking to go against cultural norms and do things differently.

One of the most powerful things about attending an event is the people you meet and the new sense of community you walk away with. The right connections can give you fresh ideas and open up new opportunities for your farm or ranch. These people could become mentors, business partners, or even lifelong friends. Look for a conference that's designed specifically for farmers and ranchers to come together to share ideas, make connections and build community.

The Schedule

Another thing to consider is the schedule of the event. What sort of speakers will the event have? What are some of the main topics that will be discussed? How much time is allotted for networking, socializing, and building relationships with the other attendees? Will you have the opportunity to ask questions or engage with speakers? Choose events that are focused on attendee education and engagement over vendor sales pitches.

Once you've decided on an event, here are some tips to help you get the most out of the conference:

Bring a Friend to a Farm Conference

Events are always more fun if you know at least one person in the room. Crowds can be intimidating and starting conversations is hard, but having a friend or spouse with you makes all of that much easier. It's also helpful to have someone to bounce ideas off of during the event, plus you can split up during breakout sessions and come back together to share your findings and connections made, almost like being in two places at once!

Be Engaged

Challenge yourself to ask at least one question at the educational seminars or breakout rooms. Be bold and introduce yourself to the speakers. Speakers are excited about what they are doing and love to share especially in 1 on 1 conversations. Also, speakers have lots of other connections so you never know what sort of opportunities could open up by talking with some of the leaders in the industry. With these tips in mind, here is an upcoming Green Cover event to consider. As always, keep your eye on the learning opportunities in our newsletter to know about other upcoming events.

Green Cover Conferences & Workshops

Each year we host a number of different conferences and field days to bring together farmers to learn from one another and share resources. We often feature keynote speakers who can share important perspectives on their area of expertise. We host several events at our headquarters in Bladen, Nebraska, events at our second location in Iola, Kansas as well as several events across the country. These meetings are always designed for the farmer and we are known for providing delicious, high quality meals that create great opportunities for networking. Check out our events page to see what upcoming events are on the horizon.