Submitted by

Susan Henning

NEWKIRK — More than 150 people attended the 2010 Women in Agriculture Conference hosted by Kay-Noble County Conservation Districts.

Attendees learned about the Farm Service Agency programs from State Executive Director Francie Tolle. She also encouraged the women to tell "the agriculture story" to their urban counterparts.

Mark Gibson, District Attorney for Kay-Noble County, warned the crowd of the misuse of prescription drugs, especially by teen-agers, which has led to more than 90 deaths per year.

Conference participants chose two breakout sessions on subjects ranging from heart healthy cooking, Internet use, horticulture markets, crop insurance, assertiveness training, farm family relations and going green on the farm.

Vendor and informational booths were also available.

The four featured Women in Agriculture were Wynona Passow, Jane Imgarten, Carole Muchmore, and Mary Ellen Wooderson. They were honored at lunch sponsored by AmericanAgCredit of Ponca City. AmericanAgCredit, formerly the Federal Land Bank of Ponca City, has sponsored the featured women's registrations for all the conferences in 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2010.

The next conference is scheduled for 2012.

For more information, contact the Kay County Conservation District at (580) 362-2438 or the Noble County Conservation District at (580) 336-2003.