Northern Ag Network's Lane Nordlund speaks with Lillian Ostendorf, a rancher from Powderville, MT. She has been re-elected as a western representative on the American Farm Bureau Federation Women’s Leadership Committee (WLC). This is will be the third term Ostendorf has served in this capacity.
Source: Montana Farm Bureau Federation
Powderville rancher re-elected as national Women’s Leadership Committee representative
Lillian Ostendorf, a rancher from Powderville, has been re-elected as a western representative on the American Farm Bureau Federation Women’s Leadership Committee (WLC). This is will be the third term Ostendorf has served in this capacity.
“I am looking forward to continuing to serve the western region,” said Ostendorf. “The AFBF WLC has been working hard to collaborate with other agricultural groups nationwide on different projects. We feel it’s important to work with like-minded groups to further the concerns of agriculture and be stronger than before.”
Ostendorf noted that some of these coalitions could be with companies that work with agriculture, such as All-Tech from Kentucky. “We all agreed that we need to broaden our contact base.”
She pointed out that the Women’s Communications Boot Camp, as well as the Go Team, has provided great ways to encourage women to hone their communication skills. “These programs teach women how to speak out for agriculture because, as studies show, women are believable. We want to encourage women to sign up for the AFBF Go Team which is an advocacy outreach program.”
Ostendorf said at their latest meeting the group voted to improve Farm Link (a way to communicate food production to consumers directly) and develop a website for women who want to get information all over the county they represent in Farm Bureau. “We also said it was important to communicate, so are planning quarterly conference calls with WLC members.”
She added that the WLC wants to keep building on their strengths as women and as Farm Bureau members.
“It’s exciting to continue on the American Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee as the western region representative. I’m looking forward to continuing the progress our committee has made in encouraging and surfacing women in leadership roles as well as continue our progress in developing coalitions. I look forward to our committee promoting Farm Bureau advocacy and being pro-active about the future of agriculture,” Ostendorf concluded.
