Peace Country Beef & Forage Association (PCBFA) is welcoming all women in agriculture to its annual Northern Women in Agriculture Conference Feb. 19-20.
The annual conference will be held at the Dunvegan Inn and Suites in Fairview.
PCBFA operations director Alaina Archibald says it’s a great chance to shine a light on underrepresented groups and to spread agricultural awareness and education.
“While the Northern Women in Ag Conference is slightly out of the scope of the Peace Country Beef & Forage Association, we see great value in bringing together and empowering the matriarchs of the farming community,” says Archibald.
“In having this event tailored to women, it allows them to feel more comfortable, while feeling more like an educational retreat. Each topic is specifically curated to struggles women in agriculture may face and celebrates the strengths they bring to the farming community.”
Archibald says there is a number of interesting speakers attending with motivating topics at the conference including Through the Wisdom of the Horse Andonia Reynolds, A Woman’s Health Janet Kendrich, Chasing Cows and Chasing My Dreams Dr. Josee Marcoux, Modern Pioneering Britney Jacob, Online Marketing Made Easy Dani Wearden, and The Dirt on Being a Modern woman Caitlyn Lind.
“While this event began as a one-day gathering, feedback from attendees said they wanted more, so in 2025, we moved this event to a two-day format which was very well-received among those who attended, and we look forward to bringing that back in 2026,” says Archibald.
The event costs $160 per person to attend and includes full access to both days presentations, two hands-on workshops, four fully-catered meals and various other things.
The two workshops include Ladies Calving Clinic provided by Northwestern Polytechnic and Practical Farming Workshop with Bluesette Campbell.
“These workshops will cover multiple facets of women’s roles in agriculture and allow us to collaborate with many industry leaders,” says Archibald.
“Unfortunately, due to the closure of the NWP Fairview Campus, this will likely be our last year to collaborate them; a significant loss felt all across the Peace.”
Archibald says the calving clinic will provide a hands-on opportunity to learn and also to obtain valuable livestock husbandry-related information.
“In addition, we also have a female-focused vendor booth fair taking place on Feb. 19, which is only open to event attendees,” explains Archibald.
“We limit our tickets to 80 attendees to ensure a welcoming, personal environment for all those who join us,” she adds.
Attendees must pre-register and tickets will not be available at the door. Tickets can be purchased online at www.peacecountrybeef.ca under the Upcoming Events tab. Archibald says the event is already 50 per cent sold out.
If attendees require accommodations, the Dunvegan Inn and Suites has a block of rooms held until Feb. 1.
Emily Plihal
Local Journalism
Initiative Reporter