Summits
Influential Women in Agriculture Summit 2021
October 19, 2021 at 12:00pm ET

On DEMAND
Establishing and advancing your personal brand

Panelists:

• Andrea McKenna
• Tina Widowski
• Noura Ziadi

How can those starting out in agriculture find their niche, grow their skills and capitalize on relevant opportunities? And what responsibility do more established ag professionals have in helping others develop their careers?

On DEMAND
Building community

Panellists:

• Ellen Sparry
• Leona Staples

In order to build one’s brand and make change, one has to know how to engage with various communities. How can we build strong, engaged communities in agriculture, whether through traditional or more innovative means?

On DEMAND
Overcoming challenges and adversity

Panelists:

• Simone Demers-Collins
• Crystal Mackay
• Kim Keller

Moderator: Darlene McBain - Industry Relations Manager Farm Credit Canada

No career is without its challenges, and given the unique nature of agriculture, adversity can feel even more difficult to overcome. Participants will share how they’ve worked through setbacks and the lessons they’ve learned as a result.

ON DEMAND VIDEO
Managing creatively and accommodating unique needs

Candy Keith is the lead technician at the University of Guelph-Ontario Crop Research Station in New Liskeard, where she oversees both the Superior Plant Upgrading and Distribution (“SPUD”) Unit as well as the horticulture unit. Besides managing aspects of the facilities itself, Candy also manages one of the most valuable assets: the people. Heading a predominantly female team with limited resources, Candy shares the challenges and opportunities she’s learned from over the years, including planning around child and elder care, keeping a healthy team dynamic, promoting colleague mental health and wellness and more.

ON DEMAND VIDEO
Finding your voice and leading with emotional intelligence

For nearly 40 years, Claudia Wagner-Riddle has led collaborative research teams addressing many aspects of agronomy including soil health, productivity and nutrient loss. Throughout her career she has advised 27 MSc and 13 doctoral students to completion of their theses. She also leads a group of University of Guelph scientists in a new outdoor soil monitoring laboratory. Over many years, she has established her voice on a natural level to promote climate-smart soils and has lent her voice and expertise to many industry programs. In this session, Claudia shares how she’s engaged with different communities throughout the years, the intangible qualities that make a good leader and how to confidently bring new ideas to the table.

ON DEMAND VIDEO
Supporting one another and building community

Kelsey Banks might already sound familiar to you, especially if you’re a part of the #AgTwitter community. Banks, a farmer and agronomist in eastern Ontario, has grown an incredible network of contacts in person and online. Besides sharing agronomy tips, seasonal updates through photos and videos, and funny memes on Twitter, Banks gave her followers a glimpse of her journey through diagnosis and treatment of a brain tumour, and all of #AgTwitter cheered her on as she kicked Bob the brain tumour to the curb this past year.In this interview, Banks shares her passion for helping farmers, the importance of the support she received from her community through her cancer journey, and advice for fellow young women working in agriculture.