Come to Business After Hours at JC Huffman Cabinetry on Thursday, April 18th from 4-7pm! Appetizers and drinks will be served. JC Huffman Cabinetry is located at 3100 West Burlington Avenue in Fairfield.

"Quality custom cabinetry built exclusively for your home by JC Huffman. Since 1988, our family-owned company has been handcrafting custom cabinetry, cabinet doors, custom mantels and cabinet hardware. We are dedicated to making cabinets that are durable, functional and stylish. How do we do it? By focusing on absolute dependability and craftsmanship in our cabinetry. JC Huffman Cabinetry is known for our uncompromising quality, our hand applied finishes and our original designs."

The Chamber Business After Hours is a free, monthly networking event open to Chamber Members, their guests and the general public.  If you are interested in hosting a Business After Hours, please contact the Chamber at 641-472-2111 or by email at Info@FairfieldIowa.com.

The 2019 Chamber Annual Awards Banquet will be held on Thursday, April 11th, 2019 from 5pm - 9pm.

The Annual Awards Banquet is the premier annual celebration event for the Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce, our Chamber members and the Fairfield community. The 2019 Banquet will be held at the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center. Doors open at 5:00pm with Dinner served at 6:30pm. The Awards Ceremony will begin at 7:30pm and wrap up by 9:00pm.

Reserve your seat now! Reservations are per person or by table. Please click here to make your reservation. 
​Full Table (8 Seats): $500
Half Table (4 Seats): $375
Individual Seat: $38 Before April 5th
Individual Seat: $45 After April 5th

Every award the Chamber gives recognizes outstanding investment and innovation achieved by Fairfield business and community institutions. Honored achievements include capital improvements, community investment, innovation, and lifelong accomplishment. The Annual Awards Banquet evening culminates with the announcement of the Citizen of the Year Award. These honorees are selected by previous winners and are recognized for their outstanding volunteer service which significantly contributed to the betterment of community-life in Fairfield. The Chamber’s Annual Awards Banquet celebrates progress in our community.

Please click here to nominate a business or individual for an award! Nomination entries are due by 5pm on Thursday, March 7th.

The 2019 Annual Awards Banquet theme is Black & White! Please match your attire accordingly. ​

The following is a tentative schedule for the evening:
​

• At 5pm Registration begins and the bar opens
• 5:30pm - Social Hour begins, appetizers served
• 6:30pm - FHS Drumline performs
• 6:35pm - Chamber CEO - Welcome and Opening Remarks
• 6:40pm - Member Recognition
• 6:50pm - Invitation to start dinner
• 7:40pm - Chamber CEO recognizes Chamber team members (Ambassadors, Board, Past Presidents etc.)
• 7:50pm - Distinguished Awards
• 8:00pm - Leadership Fairfield Graduation
• 8:10pm - Distinguished Awards continued...
• 8:40pm - Citizen of the Year Award Presented
• 8:55pm - Closing remarks made by Chamber CEO
• 9:00pm - Banquet finished ~ Enjoy your evening!

In cooperation with the Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will provide viewing for the Farmers Market Nutrition Program 2019 webinar training for new and returning farmers market vendors March 28 or April 11. The webinar training will be able to be viewed at many Iowa State University Extension and Outreach county offices. This viewing option is for individuals who may not have Internet service or who may experience Internet service issues.

The Iowa Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) consists of the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) FMNP and the Senior FMNP. The FMNPs are Congressionally-authorized programs that provide fresh, nutritious, unprepared, locally grown fruits, vegetables and herbs from farmers markets and farm stands to nutritionally at-risk women, infants, children and low-income seniors.
 
The Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship does not limit the number of vendors who may become certified under FMNP. For more information and eligibility, visit www.iowaagriculture.gov, Marketing, Horticulture and Farmers Markets.
To attend an ISU Extension and Outreach hosted webinar, simply show up at one of these ISU Extension and Outreach locations near you.
 
 
Thursday April 11, 10 – 11 a.m., Iowa State University Extension and Outreach county office locations:

 
Appanoose County:  Centerville  501 N 12th St, Ste 4, 52544. Contact:  lfirkins@iastate.edu
Des Moines County:  West Burlington, 1700 W Mt Pleasant St, 52655. Contact:  mhoenig@iastate.edu
Jefferson County:  Fairfield, 2606 W Burlington Ave, 52556. Contact:  tru@iastate.edu

​​A four-session course designed to give women strategies for effectively working with family and employees.

Extending Knowledge ~ Empowering Women
Women in AG - Courses in Iowa

Classes starting Tuesday, April 9, 2019 and continuing:
April 16
April 23
​April 30
6:00pm - 9:00pm (meal at 5:30pm)
Jefferson County Extension Office - 2606 West Burlington Ave., Fairfield, Iowa

Please Register by Tuesday, April 2! Cost is $75.
Register online at www.aep.iastate.edu/womeninag
641-472-4166

Annie's Project - Empowering Women in Agriculture

Heartbeat of the Farm is taught in the tradition of Annie's Project:

• Topics of importance to your future in farming
• Brief presentations and extended discussions with ag professionals
• Practical hands-on activities
• Decision making resources available to you
• Networking with other farm women

Educational programs dedicated to strengthening women's roles in the modern farm enterprise. The courses foster problem solving, record keeping, and decision-making skills in farm women.

Courses are offered through a network of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach educators, including farm management specialists, value added agriculture specialists, and county staff that have received Women in Agriculture curriculum training.

"When interviewing look for personality not skills because you can always teach skills."
- Jewel, Petersburg, Virginia

What is Heartbeat of the Farm: Human Resource Management?
The heartbeat of every farm business is the people involved. This course is designed to empower farm women to improve working relationships with both family and non-family partners and employees. Women will become more knowledgeable on effective strategies to manage human resources in the areas of employee supply, recruitment and law; family and farm business communication; employee supervision and retention; and health, stress and well-being. The course is taught in the tradition of Annie's Project and incorporates a comfortable and supportive learning environment.

At the end of four weeks, participants will know more about:

• Employee Supply, Recruitment, and Law

1. Strategies for identifying labor needs
2. Hiring and terminating
3. Legal, tax and accounting requirements

• Family and Business Communication

1. Strategies for sharing farm business goals
2. Managing interpersonal conflict
3. Conducting farm business meetings

• Employee Supervision and Retention

1. Strategies for clarifying expectations
2. Training family or non-family job tasks
3. Evaluating employees and increasing job satisfaction

• Health, Stress, and Well-being

1. Strategies for balancing personal and work energy
2. Increasing farm safety
3. Planning for continuity if one or more key persons is lost

Heartbeat of the Farm: Human Resource Management courses in Iowa are made possible by these statewide sponsors:
USDA - United States Department of Agriculture
Farm Credit Services of America - Agriculture Works Here.