(Ankeny, Iowa) – An Atlantic woman received a prestigious award Thursday afternoon, during 19th statewide Iowa Women in Agriculture conference. The 2025 “Winds of Change Up and Comer” award was presented to Ciara Hoegh. Ciara was nominated by LaVon Eblen and Catherine Booth. The award was presented at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny, where the theme of the conference was “Sowing Our Stories . . . Beyond the Farm Gate.”

The Iowa Women in Agriculture organization is comprised of women farmers, landowners, and agribusiness professionals who focus on expanding the knowledge and economic potential of women and their capacity to network with one another.

Pictured left to right: IWIA past president Deb Schuler, Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Bailey Smith, Allison Berryhill, award recipient Ciara Hoegh and Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce Program Director Kelsey Beschorner. (Photo courtesy Deb Schuler)

The conference explored the challenges of agriculture’s evolving financial and trade climate, including:

Commodity market scenarios and advice
Soil and water quality initiatives
Lender’s outlook for 2025-26
Prospects for a new farm bill, tariffs, and taxes
Latest on land values and transition planning
Ag community building/storytelling
Role of women in a dynamic ag industry.