Nebraska Women in Agriculture is bringing training and speakers to their growing audience through the “Open for Business: A Nebraska Women in Agriculture Agripreneurship Series,” a monthly webcast series that highlights the entrepreneurial spirit of women in agribusiness from across the state and offers unique insight into business success.

The conversations focus on surviving business shocks such as disasters, regulatory changes and shifting family dynamics. Female agribusiness leaders are interviewed by Jessica Groskopf, director of the Nebraska Women in Agriculture program.

“We know it’s a challenging time for our state, which is why we are excited to showcase the grit, determination, and success of female agribusiness entrepreneurs in Nebraska,” Groskopf said of the webcast series.

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Groskopf said about one-third of the state’s ag operators are female as well as about 40 percent of landowners. The opportunity to network and connect with other women entrepreneurs, she said, is a valuable one.

“The program actually came out of the farm crisis of the 1980s,” she said. “We had some faculty within the department of agricultural economics that were working with farm families on refinancing and bankruptcy and as they worked with them, they realized the women were more interested in farm and ranch management so that year they kicked off what is now our February conference.”

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RISK MANAGEMENT

The program, she said, has stayed rooted in an unbiased, research-based information foundation and provides resources year round related to risk management.

The Nebraska Women in Ag program, one of the longest running in the nation, has been serving the state for 36 years. The annual conference in Kearney will be February 18-19. The Nebraska Women in Agriculture Conference is an annual two-day event designed to educate and uplift women involved in any aspect of Nebraska’s agricultural industry. Workshops and presentations focus on risk management, successful management of ag operations, and finding success.

“It’s our hope that their stories inspire and uplift other women to pursue their own goals and that attendees can pick up some creative and useful business insights along the way.”

The webcasts are at 6:30 p.m. CT on the second Tuesday of each month. They are free to attend, but registration is required.

The next webinar on Feb. 9 features Triple E Equine, a family owned and operated business near Beaver Crossing, Neb. According to a press release, Emily Shook and her sisters, Hannah and Sarah Eberspacher, have grown up loving, owning, and showing horses locally and nationally in the AQHA, APHA, PtHA, and NSBA associations. As the fourth generation to live on the family’s farm, they have decided to incorporate their horse hobby by diversifying the farming operations to include a horse motel.

On May 11, 2014, the family farm suffered significant damage by an F-3 tornado, including destroying the horse barn and indoor arena. Because of this tragic event, they decided to rebuild in a new direction. When the family rebuilt the barn and arena, they also built an attached bunkhouse, which can be used as lodging for travelers.

Emily created Triple E Equine during college through the Engler Entrepreneurship program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her sisters and her were natural business partners so they officially launched their business in 2016 to meet the needs of both travelers and their horses. They also offer indoor and outdoor horse boarding.

Previous episodes can also be viewed and include Teresa Lorensen, co-owner/operator of Bloom Where You’re Planted Farm & Pumpkin Patch; Leah Fote, Good Berry Farms; Our Lavender Co.; and Jaclyn Wilson, fifth-generation cow-calf producer and founder of Flying Diamond Genetics and Flying Diamond Beef.