We've visited with FFA members, advisors, parents from 37 states and Puerto Rico! There has been a lot of interest in AAW and what we do. We've heard many stories, like about Aunt Annie who worked the farm while her husband worked in town, and the FFA mom who drives the tractor and manages the local co-op. People of all ages really relate to Rosie the Riveter. Women going by, say, "Look, that's me." We've had women looking for information on starting a beekeeping business,a lady wanting information on getting grants for horse rescue,women interested in starting state affiliates, such as AZ and GA; an employment manager from Pioneer wanting to know how companies can plug their women employees into AAW; an ag teacher wanting to get his wife involved in agriculture; two teachers from South Carolina who are Sigma Alpha alums; Lots of people with connections to AAW in some way, like the ag teacher from Union, OR, whose student did artwork for an OWA poster; lots of compliments on the work of AAW affiliates, like the New Mexico people talking about New Mexico Cow Belles. Some of our affiliates and members have stopped by, including WNAAA and Sigma Alpha; a first-year ag teacher from Minnesota; a former member from IN now living in OH; also a lady from ANCW who's based in Minnesota, welcoming us to MN for convention.....One of the GA women is the chairman of a commodity commission and says she has an email list of over 1000 people and she'd like to email them asking if they'd be interested in starting a GA Agri-Women group if we'd come meet with them.
We've also had the opportunity to network with other organization representatives, USDA agencies, and ag companies, including AAW sponsor CropLife America's Jay Vroom and Allan Noe.
Why are we here? At the 2006 Mid-Year planning session, Kris Poirier suggested in a group that AAW should market our organization to youth and exhbit at the FFA Convention. Great idea! Nowhere else can you reach over 50,000 people involved in agriculture from all over the country, plus 418 other trade show exhibitors ( a record # this year). Kris also suggested that we use Rosie the Riveter in promotion for the youth marketing campaign. She had a friend put together the first draft of the Rosie the Riveter banner which is attracting so many people to our booth. That has really resonated with people of all ages. Groups of girls stop to get their picture taken with her, and many people have said "Where can I get a poster like that?" They like the "We Can Do It Together," and people say, that's it, women will get it done.
We also have the American Grown Goodness logo on a banner in the booth and information available on that program, and that's drawing positive interest as well. We are having drawings for the Livestock Breeds of the US poster set and having people sign up to get activity books.
