The Pennsylvania Women's Agricultural Network (PA-WAgN) supports women in agriculture by providing a positive learning environment, networking, and empowerment.

PA-WAgN members are women farmers, agricultural professionals, and educators committed to supporting and providing educational opportunities to women working in agriculture and ag-related businesses.

PA-WAgN offers:

• Conferences
• Networking
• Mentoring
• On-farm education
• On-line newsletters
  (See Fall/Winter 2007 newsletter and E-News )
• Hands-on workshops
• Programming, including information for women farmers on business planning, farm management, direct marketing, farm equipment and safety, and health. (For a Powerpoint presentation of PA-WAgN 2007 activities, click here. )

• Check out E-News for upcoming events in PA-WAgN regions, items for sale, and opportunities.
  
  
• July 16, 2008. Holistic and Frugal Small Farm Management in Greene County Tour So’Journey Farm with PA-WAgN representative Sandy Brown, who raises grassfed Highland cattle and pastured poultry and manages a bed and breakfast. We will take a look at the practices that can reduce a farm’s environmental impact while boosting its bottom line. We'll also talk about adding agritourism to make the most of your farm assets. Some of the issues we’ll explore include:
  • Reducing waste
  • Reducing fuel costs 
  • Maximizing profit through creative marketing ideas
  • Producing your own staples and bartering farm products with other farmers
  • Creating communal marketing ventures
  • Using all your assets: Agritourism

   Registration: $15, which includes lunch. To see the agenda, click here (PDF).

  To register for this event, select the following link to be directed to PA-WAgN's two-part online registration and payment application: http://wagn.cas.psu.edu/Register0809.html

• Take the Growing Places Business Planning Course through Vermont WAgN. For more information, go to Growing Places.

• Learn more about Pennsylvania's Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) state tax credit program. The program, which was signed into law on July 19, 2007, will improve Pennsylvania's water quality through the use of tax credits for the implemementation of agricultural conservation practices. For more information, visit www.cbf.org .
  

• Complete a PA-WAgN Needs Assessment for Farmers. Help PA-WAgN identify your educational and technical training needs. We are particularly interested in how you learn best, your past experiences with agricultural education programs, and your future needs. Completing this needs assessment will take less than 10 minutes. Please download and read the implied consent form and the needs assessment and print them. After you fill out the needs assessment, please fold, tape, and mail. No postage is necessary. Your responses are completely confidential and your identity will never be associated with your responses. Thank you for helping us bring you better programming!
  
  
• Be Counted! USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) collects and disseminates data on all aspects of agriculture including demographic, production, economics, and the environment. This information is used every day by farmers and ranchers, but also by policy makers, producer groups, researchers, and agribusiness representatives who make decisions that affect you and your farm operation. NASS is committed to counting every farm in the 2007 Census to truly represent agriculture in the U.S. The current definition of a farm is any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were produced and sold in the Census year. As you know, women farm operators have often been undercounted by the Census. NASS has asked PA WAgN to help them improve their list of agricultural operations to ensure that women farmers are counted. NASS data is used to define and promote agriculture. Now is your chance to be counted. To ensure you receive a 2007 Census of Agriculture form contact https://www.agcounts.usda.gov/cgi-bin/counts or call toll-free 800-498-1518.