Ladies, there is still time to register for the Smart Women Smart Money Conference. It will be held Tuesday, March 31 from 8:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at Hawthorne Suites at 101 Trade Center Ave. in Champaign. Pre-registration is required for this free conference. Registration forms are online at www.treasurer.state.il.gov under the Smart Women Smart Money link.

The theme for the conference is From Surviving to Thriving. In this economic recession, the Illinois State Treasurer's Office wants to provide people with the tools necessary to thrive, not just survive. That's why Treasurer Giannoulias will host this free financial literacy conference for women in the Champaign County area. Treasurer Giannanoulis will deliver the keynote address. Shinae Chun, former director of the U. S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau, will present, The Road to Financial Security Starts with Your First Paycheck. Break-out session topics will be:

• Its Your Money!
• Making Every Dollar Count
• Nine Lives – What and How Much Insurance You Should Have?
• Eve-olution – Investing for Financial Empowerment

Check-in begins at 8 a.m. and the conference will follow from 8:45 to 1:30, including lunch. If you have any questions, contact Barbara Chalko at 312-814-4338.

Ladies Marketing Club

This year's Annie's Project participants suggested forming a ladies grain marketing club. Since 10-15% of our monthly marketing club participants are female, it makes sense to spin-off this educational opportunity. The extreme market volatility highlights the need for more understanding of the marketplace. We have not yet determined a place or time, but if you have an interest, please contact me at 333-7672.

Our next Champaign County Corn and Soybean Marketing Club meeting will be Monday, April 6 at 7 p.m. with guest analysts Luke Williams and Curt Strubhar of Advance Trading.

Pond Management

We still have a few opening for our March 28 pond seminar, Using GIS & GPS in Pond Management. The workshop will be from 9 to noon including a field trip to a pond to apply the knowledge. Participants will learn how to establish true acreage and volume before applying aquatic herbicides.

Tell Us

University of Illinois Extension needs to know what you need to make your life better, healthier, safer, or more profitable so we can better plan our programming. Please take a moment to complete a short online survey at http://tellus.extension.uiuc.edu. If you do not have access to a computer, contact our office for a paper copy of the survey.