PRESS RELEASE: Female Producer Panel Announced for WIA Summit
- Michelle Pelletier Marshall
- Apr 1
- 3 min read
ORLANDO, April 1, 2025 – The ever-popular Female Producer Panel at the Women in Agribusiness (WIA) Summit is now booked for this year’s event, to be held here, September 22-24 at the Hyatt Regency Orlando. With discussion facilitated by ag industry veteran Tim Brennan from Farm Foundation and including three female farm owners from around the country, this key session promises to showcase what farmers are focused on to survive in today’s tumultuous environment.
This year’s panelists will present dynamic solutions to staying relevant in the oldest industry in the world – agriculture – through blazing new trails and redefining the existing ones. Discussions will revolve around agrotourism, technical and vertical integration models, creative on-farm solutions and key collaborations with industry partners. Joining the panel on the first day of the 14th annual Women in Agribusiness Summit are:
Moderator: Tim Brennan Vice President for Projects and Strategic Impact, Farm Foundation
For this 92-year-old non-profit organization with a mission to build trust and understanding at the intersection of agriculture and society, Tim Brennan manages projects focused on farmer health, market development and access, digital agriculture and conservation. Prior to joining Farm Foundation in 2013, he held several different roles at the University of Chicago and Northwestern University. Brennan grew up on a small farm in northeastern Ohio.
Panelist: Cheri De Jong, Co-owner and CFO, AgriVision Farm Management
In her lead role with AgriVision Farm Management, Cheri De Jong oversees the management of 27 family-owned and operated agricultural businesses. She also is CFO and co-owner of Natural Prairie Dairy, based in Hartley, Texas, which is one of the largest, family-operated organic dairy farms in the U.S. Additionally, De Jong and her husband, Donald, oversee the De Jong Foundation, an organization whose mission is to empower people in agriculture worldwide.
Panelist: Lynetta Usher Griner, Corporate Secretary, Usher Land & Timber, Inc.
Lynetta Usher Griner is a generational logger, rancher and timberland owner in Levy County, Florida, who serves as corporate secretary of Usher Land & Timber, Inc., a family-owned agricultural business in Chiefland, Florida. She served on the Suwannee River Water Management District for 14 years (10 years as chairman of the Governing Board) and is the agricultural appointee to the Acquisition & Restoration Council. Usher Griner was the first woman president of the Florida Forestry Association in its 90-year history, and was honored in 2022 with the Florida Commissioner of Agriculture’s Environmental Leadership Award.
Panelist: Lisa Hill, Co-owner of Southern Hill Farms, Inc.
Lisa Hill, co-owner of Southern Hill Farms, has dedicated her life to preserving her family’s agricultural legacy. Raised in a farming family, her roots trace back to her grandfather’s vegetable farm on Virginia’s Eastern Shore and her father’s farm in Central Florida. Together with her husband David, Hill established Southern Hill Farms, transforming the 120-acre property in Clermont, Florida, into a beloved agritourism destination that welcomes thousands of visitors each year for seasonal u-pick experiences, festival events and fresh locally grown produce.
Join these extraordinary speakers and more at the WIA Summit in September. Also, check out the burgeoning WIA Summit agenda here, and note the growing list of sponsors and partners in this WIA journey to empower, educate and network with women in the ag sector.
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About Women in Agribusiness
Women in Agribusiness, an Arc company, is the foremost organization dedicated to leading the growth in global female agribusiness leadership with a platform that encourages collaboration for innovation and development. Its renowned annual Women in Agribusiness Summit, now in its 14th year, serves as a vital platform for women to network with professionals across the agriculture value chain, build business relationships, learn from esteemed thought leaders and stay informed on key commercial topics in agribusiness. Follow us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. www.womeninag.com.
About Arc
Arc is a B2B events, data and media platform, backed by investment funds managed by EagleTree Capital. Founded to redefine business networking, Arc organizes over 150 events a year and operates critical content platforms in HR, agriculture and food, financial services and investing, and education. Arc has over 350 talented colleagues located in the U.S., U.K., Netherlands and Singapore who focus on seeking out new ways to connect communities, wherever, whenever or however people need to come together to grow their businesses. For more information, visit www.arc-network.com or find Arc on LinkedIn.
PR CONTACT: Michelle Pelletier Marshall
Senior PR/Media Manager
Women in Agribusiness
+1.978.790.0565
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