Women in Southwest Iowa are invited to a day of fun, learning and friendship during the annual Boots to Heels Conference on Saturday, April 12th. The conference runs from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Cass County Community Center in Atlantic. Organizers say a dynamic lineup of speakers are scheduled for the one-day conference, to focus on the interests of women living and working in rural Iowa.

Kate Olson, program coordinator with Cass County ISU Extensio, says this is an event for any woman who wants to have fun and learn about farm related topics and plenty of other topics for ladies who do not have a farm background. Currently scheduled speakers include Kris Boettger, owner of Barn Happy, a restored old barn near Cedar Falls that features all Iowa made products, as the keynote speaker to start off the conference. Boettger will encourage attendees to know themselves, find balance in their lives and serve out their strengths in a session titled “Living and Giving Your Best.”

Brandi Eckles, owner of Lou Lou’s clothing store in Atlantic, will discuss fashion trends and share tips for mixing and matching the newest trend pieces in her session “3 outfits 9 ways” during the lunch hour. Additional breakout sessions include some favorite speakers and topics from years past. Breakout topics range from fitness to food and wine pairing, and farmland leasing to arm-knitting a scarf! Favorite presenters from previous conferences include Kate Kohorst, Dawn Rice and Aubrey Stuart. A few new speakers also join the lineup to share their expertise with conference attendees.

A full list of breakout sessions and descriptions is available on the Cass County Extension website at www.extension.iastate.edu.   Registration for the entire day, which includes all sessions, a continental breakfast, lunch, dessert and materials, is just $30. Registration forms with a full schedule are available at the Cass County Extension office and other local supporting businesses, or can be printed at the Cass County Extension Website www.extension.iastate.edu/cass.