Ag Women in DC to Advocate, Cultivate, and Empower
June 15,2026
As part of the International Year of the Woman Farmer, women in agriculture from around the country traveled to Washington, D.C. the first three days of June for the ACE Summit and the theme was clear: they were there to Advocate, Cultivate, and Empower.
Jeanne McKamey ranches near Great Falls, Montana, and was one of the women who attended the conference and then concluded with Women in Ag Day on Capitol Hill. McKamey said among the most stunning insights of the conference is when Cathy Burns of the International Fresh Produce Association called collaboration the new currency.
“We met Sarah Frey of Frey Farms and she was just delightful and she talked about feeling like David and fighting all the Goliaths and how she was always taught to be brave and stand up for herself and how that has helped her in her life,” McKamey said. “Johnna Miller (Senior Director, Media and Advocacy Training, AFBF) encourages us to participate in engaging the world around us about agriculture and educating the public by telling our story.”
She said Burns also told the women that they should look around the room at the other 500 women and see resources rather than competitors.
“We talked about how whether you’re feeding a crew or doing the books or planting the fields or running a garden, for generations women have been a part of agriculture and they have been farmers who support their husbands or business partners or families to have a way of life that not everybody in non-rural areas get to have,” she said.
While there, she joined Montana’s Congressional delegation for coffee and spoke with Senator Sheehy, and staff for Zinke, Downing, and Daines about the challenges facing ag producers in Montana including drought, the Endangered Species Act, the shortage of large animal veterinarians, and the railroad merger.
McKamey said the group also took the opportunity to visit the Washington Monument and other sites that allowed her to reflect on the sacrifices made for this nation as the 250th anniversary draws nearer. It was, she said, and uplifting and powerful way to end an encouraging week.
Hosted by the American Farm Bureau Federation and U.S. Agrifood System Stakeholders, the gathering was a landmark national gathering honoring the vital role women play in agriculture and the supply chain. The International Year of the Woman Farmer ACE (Advocate, Cultivate, Empower) Summit took place in Washington, D.C. June 1–3, 2026. This signature event—held in recognition of IYWF—will empower, equip, and connect women farmers, ranchers, and agribusiness professionals. Through skill-building sessions, high-impact networking, and advocacy-focused programming, attendees will strengthen their voices and leadership within the agricultural community.
Source: Western Ag Network
Photo courtesy of Jeanne McKamey
