The Oklahoma Women in Agriculture and Small Businesses Conference is set to return this August, bringing together women from across the state for a day focused on education, networking, and practical resources designed to strengthen both agricultural operations and small businesses.
Associate farm reporter Carli Davenport recently spoke with Lauren Minyard, Oklahoma State University Extension County Director, about what attendees can expect from this year’s conference, which will be held Thursday, August 6, in Edmond.
A Conference Built for Oklahoma Women in Agriculture
Minyard said the event has become a longstanding tradition for women involved in agriculture and rural business across Oklahoma. “The Oklahoma Women in Agriculture and Small Business Conference will be held this year on Thursday, August 6 in Edmond,” Minyard said. “This conference has been bringing together women for over 30 years now, and our goal is to always provide practical information, networking opportunities, and resources to help all of our women in Oklahoma succeed—not just within their business and their agriculture, but also in their communities.”
Diverse Topics from Cattle to Artificial Intelligence
This year’s conference will feature a broad range of topics aimed at serving women in many sectors of agriculture and rural enterprise. “We have a great lineup of speakers,” Minyard said. “We always try to offer a diverse program every year. We have everything this year, from cattle production and forage management to artificial intelligence, farm transitions, disaster preparedness, marketing, gardening, spray drones—just a lot of very diverse things to try to make sure there’s something for everyone.”
New Lunchtime Panel Focuses on Finding Your Circle
Rather than featuring a traditional keynote speaker this year, organizers are taking a different approach by expanding one of last year’s most popular sessions. “We’re actually doing something a little different this year,” Minyard said. “Instead of having a keynote, we had a session at the end of last year’s conference called Finding Your Circle that went so well. We wanted everyone to be able to attend that.”
That session will now serve as the conference’s lunchtime panel. “It’ll be a panel, and it’ll be someone from the CattleWomen’s Association, the Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee, and the Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers and Ranchers Program,” Minyard said. “They’ll talk about what they do and how you can get involved.”
Leadership and Networking Remain Key Goals
Minyard said the panel is designed to help women discover new ways to connect within agriculture while building leadership skills.
“These are great groups,” she said. “It’s a good way for our women to get involved, learn some leadership, continue that networking—everyone always asks us for networking opportunities—so those groups can really help with that and with advocacy in their communities and in our state.”
Returning Attendees Show Conference Impact
The conference’s continued success over the years is reflected in its loyal returning attendees. “We have a lot of the same women who come every year, and they always tell me they’re excited to come every single year,” Minyard said. “I’m really glad that it’s something we can offer and continue to offer.”
For many participants, the conference serves as an annual reunion. “They like to just come and visit and see each other,” Minyard said. “It might be the only time they all get together once a year.”
Registration Open Now
Registration for the conference is now open. “You can go to OSU’s website and search for the Women in Ag Conference,” Minyard said. “It’s $65 to register, and our deadline is July 24 for early bird registration.”
Minyard also encouraged attendees to follow the conference’s Facebook page for session updates. “You can also see all that through our Facebook,” she said. “We have our Women in Ag Facebook, and I’m going to be going on there this week and starting to put up our sessions, who our sessions are going to be, with descriptions, so everybody can start to see and figure out where they want to go.”
The 2026 Oklahoma Women in Agriculture and Small Business Conference will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Edmond, offering women across Oklahoma a chance to grow professionally, expand their agricultural knowledge, and strengthen connections within the industry.
