Press Releases

Agriculture Commissioner James Comer, right, visits with Helena Pitcock at the Kentucky Fruit and Vegetable Conference on Jan. 5 in Lexington. (Kentucky Department of Agriculture photo)

 

Monroe County farmer picked to lead Kentucky Women in Agriculture

 

For Immediate Release
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
For more information contact:
Ted Sloan
(502) 564-1138

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Helena Pitcock plans to raise awareness of Kentucky Women in Agriculture and help it grow as president of the statewide organization.

Pitcock, of Monroe County, was elected president of KWIA last fall, succeeding Sharon Furches of Murray.

“Helena is a lifelong friend of mine,” said Agriculture Commissioner James Comer, himself a Monroe County native. “She’s an excellent choice to guide an organization that does a great job of getting women involved in agriculture and helping them succeed.”

“There are women out there who are looking for something like [KWIA] where they can get information,” Pitcock said. “The biggest advantage to the organization is the opportunity for women in agriculture to network with one another, whether they are getting started in an agricultural enterprise or they have an agricultural enterprise and they want to expand or diversify.”

Pitcock said the KWIA’s annual conference, held every November, is an excellent opportunity for women in agriculture to participate in concurrent sessions on current agricultural topics, observe roundtable discussions, and tour Kentucky farms. One of its most popular features is the Kentucky Proud tasting event, where participants sample a variety of Kentucky Proud foods.

Pitcock said she also wants to help veterans and young people get involved in agriculture.

Pitcock was a charter member of Kentucky Women in Agriculture when it was founded in 1999. She served as secretary for the past two years before being elected president last fall.

A member of a six-generation farm family, Pitcock farms 650 acres of tobacco, cattle, and hay in Monroe County with her husband, Larry. They have three children and five grandchildren. Pitcock is retired from the Farm Service Agency, where she served as a farm loan manager.

To find out more about Kentucky Women in Agriculture, go to http://kywomeninag.com.