Saturday afternoon, the Little Red Wagon Winery outside Shawville was packed full of women, all who had one thing in common: they work in agriculture.
The reason for gathering was the Dollars & Sense networking and learning event for women who farm, organized by local producers Ursina Studhalter and Karri Munn-Venn.
As the event name suggests, the theme connecting the afternoon’s presentations was financial planning.
Speakers shared tips on business planning, working with banks and lenders, and creating a budget.
The keynote talk was given by Karla Rahn from Ag Risk Managers, an Ontario-based consulting firm that helps farmers manage financial risks. She spoke about how to prepare for applying for a loan from the bank.
She began her presentation by sharing a personal goal she’s been working on: taking up more space.
“In general, women are not encouraged to take up space. It’s happening more and more, but it shakes the foundation,” Rahn said. “It’s important that women speak with other women to know that they’re not alone in some of their struggles. There’s so much information in everybody’s heads here.”
Rahn said that she has experienced some extra barriers working as a woman in agriculture.
“I’ll get the comment like, ‘What do you know about business?’” she shared with THE EQUITY following her presentation. “There’s judgement right there. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m a woman or younger; I tried not to focus on it.”
Munn-Venn, who operates Leystone Farms in Luskville, said this was something that resonated with her.
“Unfortunately, agriculture is still a sector where women are not generally encouraged to take up space,” she said. “We’re still not the farmer, not the business leader, not the entrepreneur. I think it’s probably a shared experience, so why not create a space for women to come together and have these conversations?”
Studhalter, a chartered professional accountant, also manages a flock of 225 shedding ewes on a farm with her husband in Shawville. Her presentation focused on budgeting and making sure you understand cash flow.
“Your budget is the most important document you’ll have,” she said. “Nothing is the same from farm to farm and just because you have money coming in doesn’t mean you’re actually profitable.”
Munn-Venn said understanding finances aren’t the only barriers that women face when it comes to agriculture.
“It’s the little things, even workwear and equipment that fit properly,” Munn-Venn told THE EQUITY. “I have the hardest time finding gloves that I can use when my hands are going to get wet.”
She said she hoped Saturday’s event offered women the right tools to grow their business and an opportunity to network with other women in their industry.
