Annapolis Valley (Rural Roots Canada) – The Advancing Women in Agriculture conferences are all about learning, networking, and growing, and Amy Vanderheide expects the upcoming AWC East 2024 will be no different.

This is Vanderheide’s first time participating in the AWC East conference. A farmer from the beautiful and diverse landscape of Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia, she’s one of the featured speakers on the Leaders On The Land panel.

“It’s designed to be an organic conversation between the panellists,” she said. “It’s a nice way to share information about our operations and learn from other women in leadership and ownership roles.”

Vanderheide certainly knows a thing or two about leadership and ownership. Growing up, she spent much of her time with her aunts and grandmother on the family beef farm. As she got older, she realized how rare it was to see women at the forefront of a farming operation. It was a realization that drove her to become a passionate advocate for women in agriculture.

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In 2015, she co-founded the Maritime Ag Women’s Network, an initiative that connects over 1,000 women involved in agriculture across the Maritimes. The network fosters a supportive environment where members discuss everything from farm transition and taxes to juggling farm life while raising children, to find women’s workwear. On top of that, Vanderheide is the full-time owner and operator of two farming operations: Mountain Base Farm and Coldbrook Farms, in Coldbrook, Nova Scotia. From chickens to crops to cattle, the mother of three runs the two operations alongside her husband and in-laws and is ready to bring her perspective on the challenges and rewards of being a woman in agriculture.

“I’m thrilled to have been asked to go,” Vanderheide enthused. “It’ll be a great few days and I’m looking forward to meeting other people and taking it all in.”

When asked why people should take part in the AWC East conference, she pointed to the incredible opportunities afforded by the event.

“Any time you have the opportunity to network with like-minded people, you should take it,” she explained. “With the number of breakout rooms and sessions that are offered through the Advancing Women Conference, there’s so much variety and so many specific things to choose from and to learn and talk about.”

The AWC East Conference will be held at the Sheraton Fallsview in Niagara Falls, Ontario from November 17-19, To register, you can visit the website.