WASHINGTON—Sheila Newman, a Carroll County cattle farmer and longtime Virginia Farm Bureau Federation member, is ready to put stronger public speaking and advocacy skills to work after graduating from the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Women’s Communications Boot Camp.
Newman represented Virginia among the 14 farm women who completed the recent fall session of the intensive four-day program in Washington. Training focused on public speaking, media engagement and message development to help participants advocate for agriculture and rural communities.
She said she enrolled to learn more about leadership and how to be comfortable addressing crowds.
“I had always shied away from speaking,” Newman said. “But our presenters gave us great pointers which made us feel more confident.”
For her boot camp presentation, she focused on the farm bill’s importance to Americans and their food supply. She hopes to become more involved in Virginia Farm Bureau’s Legislative Day and share her concerns about agriculture with lawmakers.
“Women are influential leaders in agriculture, driving progress through their commitment and engagement,” said Isabella Chism, chair of the AFBF Women’s Leadership Committee. “As Boot Camp graduates strengthen their communications skills, they will be even better equipped to serve their communities and advance Farm Bureau’s mission at the local, state and national levels.”
The boot camp training built upon Newman’s experience at AFBF’s ACE Summit, held in June. She joined 20 other Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Women’s Leadership Committee members at the gathering, which drew around 450 attendees from across the U.S. and world. ACE stands for Advocate, Cultivate, Empower, and the biennial summit offers leadership development, advocacy training and networking opportunities.
Meeting women from farm operations beyond Virginia helped Newman recognize shared challenges.
“I returned home with new knowledge, valuable connections, and a renewed appreciation for the important role women play in agriculture,” she said of the summit. “Living down in Southwest Virginia, you become focused on your own community. Meeting with all the ladies from across the U.S., I realized our issues may be different—but they all have same theme.”
Newman also was honored in April as a Distinguished Farm Bureau Woman of the Year for Virginia Farm Bureau’s District 3. A Farm Bureau member for more than 26 years, she has participated in Young Farmers programs, served as a voting delegate at the organization’s state annual convention and supported agricultural education and outreach.
She and her husband operate a third-generation Century Farm in Carroll County, managing a 200-head cow-calf operation and growing hay. Her community involvement includes Ag Days for local students, the Southwest Virginia Farmers’ Market and the Carroll County Agricultural Fair Committee.
Participants in the VFBF Women’s Leadership Program support agriculture, the state’s largest industry, through educational efforts in their communities; local outreach projects; and advocacy for Farm Bureau policies.
Media: Contact Christy Murphy, Women’s Leadership Program coordinator, at 804-290-1031.
