Report submitted by Helle Ruddenklau
From left to right, Helle Ruddenklau, Linda Barnett, Molly and Leo Mulkey and Dana Bowers-Brock
Dana Bowers-Brock and I flew to Kansas City, MO in early November to attend the AAW annual meeting and convention.
I arrived in time for the Town Hall, where the most moving part was hearing from a farmer from Kansas. Her husband had passed away, and in his honor, she has started an auction, where the proceeds help other farm families impacted by tragedy.
In terms of AAW business, here are some of the note-worthy things that were presented or done:
- The financials of the organization are in good order. They are reviewed annually by a three-member financial review committee, including Jenny Hitner from Oregon. It was agreed an outside review would only be conducted every couple of years (covering one year only), and that it could be done by our current accountant. It was decided a full audit is not necessary at this point.
- The AAW dues were raised by $20 up to $50. There was some further discussion of whether all dues could be routed through AAW and how to make that work.
- Chrissy Wozmiak has worked hard to create a solid framework for AAW communications. Open your emails! If a member does not open twenty emails from AAW in a row, then the member will automatically be unsubscribed. They feel good about the weekly ag-bytes they send out. They can see which legislators open which emails.
- Road to Influence has a new cohort, and their capstone project is to find a way to engage the unaffiliated members more directly. One suggestion was to have specific activities for unaffiliated members only. AAW might set up a virtual satellite affiliate.
- AAW is instituting a photo contest. Watch your emails for more information on that.
- Debbie Bacigalupi is looking for more Ag Facts to create a new deck of cards.
- AAW is looking at reprinting “In Pursuit of Agri-Power.”
- Kim Bremmer has been digitizing all the old scrapbooks she could find. These are available on the website. Members can add pictures and comments.
- Debbie Bacigalupi has applied to present a workshop at next year’s national Ag in The Classroom conference.
- State Highlights
- TX provided Ag Day shoeboxes to elementary students.
- MT – Meg Foran has designed a beautiful silk scarf, which can be purchased from their website.
- IL has expanded their “Women Changing the Face of Agriculture” to a second location. This daylong event promotes agriculture careers to young women. They are also in search of operations with 3 generations of women actively involved. This is a nationwide search with significant cash prices involved. The event will take place on August 21, 2026.
- MN encouraged other affiliates to sponsor national events.
- New officers for AAW
- President Kim Bremmer, 1st Vice President Maggie Howley, VP of Communication Vikkie Becker, VP of Education Debbie Bacigalupi, Secretary Alex Henderson, Treasurer Sheila Currie, and Past President Rose Tryon VanCott
- Elected to the AAW Foundation (to join existing board members)
- Emily Cousins, Marci Williams and Chrissy Wosniak
- Elected to the Nominating Committee
- Jacquie Compston, Donnell Scott, Kellie Kittelmann and Deb Whalen
The group with the Peterson Farm Brothers, keynote speakers and award recipients
We enjoyed some excellent speakers and presentations. I especially enjoyed Stephanie Moreda-Arend of Dairy Girl Diaries, who is a fifth-generation dairy farmer from Sonoma County, California. Many of the struggles she described felt pertinent to what we deal with in Oregon. The Peterson Brothers were presented with the Veritas Award and they were also our featured entertainment on Friday night. During the Saturday banquet, I was presented with the LEAVEN Award for “Always Enthusiastically Teaching the Truth about Agriculture” and the Erickson-McCrum Outstanding Agricultural Mentor Award recipient was announced to be Oregon’s own Arlene Kovash. Kim Bremmer also received the LEAVEN award.
It is always an inspiration to spend time with other AAW members from throughout the country. We build friendships, but we also learn about issues which are impacting them, some of which might make their way to Oregon. This is an impressive group of women, and I’m always recharged and enthusiastic after spending time with them. If you get the opportunity, I highly recommend attending a national event.
Helle Ruddenklau, Dana Bowers-Brock and Heather Hampton+Knodle, Past President AAW