Bringing women in agriculture together for fun, learning and fellowship.
About Farm Women's Symposium
As a recognized non-profit organization, we are highly supported by many key agricultural businesses and commodity organizations. Activities are planned and the organization is governed by a 100% volunteer committee made up of women of agriculture spanning the State of Michigan.
Chairperson
Emelee Rajzer, Decatur, MI
Emelee's passion for agriculture started at a very young age, with having a small greenhouse and helping out at her grandparent's fruit farm. A graduate of MSU, with a B. S. in horticulture, Emelee went to work for MSU Extension, as a Horticulture Agent and began working with GreenStone Farm Credit Services in 2006. Emelee, her husband and sons, help on the family farm, greenhouse and farm market in Decatur. Emelee enjoys gardening, crafts and spending time with her family in her free time.
Treasurer
Keri Bancroft, Buckley, MI
Keri grew up in Traverse City, MI and moved to a Dairy farm in Buckley, MI in 2005. She has an Associate's Degree in Business from Northwestern Michigan College and works off farm for a local CPA. In 2008 she married her husband Greg, a third-generation dairy farmer. Sincer her move to the farm, the farm has transitioned from Dairy to Row Crops and Beef Cattle and Keri and her husband now own the family farm. In addition to farming, Keri and Greg are also partners in the family auction company, Wayne Bancroft Auction Service LLC and spend most Saturdays selling items from one person to another. Keri and Greg have one daughter Carley, who is blessed to follow in her father's footprints being raised on the family farm.
5th Member
Jill Miller, Kinde, MI
Jill Miller was born and raised in the Bad Axe and Port Austin Michigan area. She graduated from Saginaw Valley State University in 2001 with a bachelor's degree in business administration with a major in finance and a minor in business management. She started her banking career in 2001 and has been helping farmers for over 20 years. She now works as a specialty finance company, Ag Resource Management (ARM) as the area manager of Easter/Central Michigan. Jill has been married to her husband Jeff for over twenty years and have two grown children, Haley and Jack. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and spending time with family and friends.
Vice Chair-Person
Wanda Skinner, Ubly, MI
Wanda was born and raised in Michigan, the Harbor Beach native graduated from Baker College in 2011 with a B.S. degree in business administration; majoring in marketing and management. In 2008 she began working at GreenStone Farm Credit Services, serving the rural thumb community. Wanda is the wife to Jeff, aunt and "bonus mom" to many. In her spare time she enjoys traveling, crafts, and learning/connecting with others through volunteer work at many local organizations.
Secretary
Diane Loew, Byron Center, MI
Diane is a transplanted city girl to the farm many years ago straight out of high school. She farms with her husband, son, and daughter-in-law on a 1200 cow dairy farm in West MI. She is mom to 4 sons and 3 daughters-in-law. God has blessed her with 8 grandkids. There's usually some sort of baking or cooking happening in her kitchen. She has held baking and cooking classes and sells baked goods. Many years ago, after seeing how misinformed the public was with farming she decided to start blogging. She also had a radio spot on Holland's talk radio station for over 15 years. "Everyone has a story worth listening to" she says and "you need to be the one sharing it." Transparency is the key for Diane, much to her family's chagrin at times. She "found" Farm Women's Symposium in 2014 and has been attending every year since. Friends that she never knew she needed were born. Life long, die in the trenches friends have come from Farm Women's Symposium. Diane and her husband are phasing out of the day-to-day farming and wondering what in the world to do with the rest of their lives.
Meet the Rest of our Committee...
Planning:
Shelley Bryant
Christina Gelder
Anne Gentz
Laurie Korte
Elizabeth Long
Sandy Maynard
Barb Miller
Ginger Newman
Alecia Storms
Advisory:
Jennifer Berkey
Rebecca Potter
Sally Sahr​
Rachel Young
​