Last week I introduced a new series featuring the stories of Women in Agriculture. Some of them share many of the same successes and struggles as I do in my personal story, but some are extremely different. Some of us walk two very different life paths and that is perfectly okay! What isn’t okay is to let our differences somehow divide us.
I wrote last week, “As women we already catch so much persecution in our lives. We are constantly judged on our appearances, how we act, what we say, and for women on the farm, simply the fact that they are a female. We do not need more discord.” So my goal of this series is to unite women, from all walks of life. And I will be sharing the stories of different women for the next few weeks.
I want to give these women a space where they feel confident to share their voices without fear of being criticized or judged, but instead respected and encouraged. Although we may very well walk different paths, we are all to be celebrated for the hard work we do for an industry we all love so much.
Let’s meet some more women shall we?
Meet Diane…
I am married to a third generation farmer. A city gal that married into it. It was tough at first but now I totally 100% love it. Ag is our life. We farm full time, I blog about it, we give farm tours and I have a 10 minute radio spot every week that I promote ag, family and faith.
When we were first married – 43 years ago as a women I didn’t have or get much respect. I remember going to the parts counter and being ignored and other men waited on before me. That didn’t last long as I have no problem speaking up. Raising kids was first place for me until they were older. And now for me, being a mom with sons and husband in business together has its unique trials.
One of my favorite things about being a women in Agriculture is just being a part of it all. The smells, the sights, the hard work, the accomplishments – not sure if this is exactly a women’s point of view, but it’s mine.
To my fellow ladies in Agriculture, there is no reason why you as a woman should be treated any differently than any other farmer. Follow your heart, follow peace. Be the encourager. Family farming is a monster unto itself – here is a blog I wrote that will expound on that. Also, being a farmer looks different to every person. Some of the tasks I do is keeping the books, driving tractor, giving tours, running for parts, feeding the guys, promoting ag in my community. You don’t have to be in the fields to qualify or milk cows to qualify. If you’re a part or the entirety of the farm, you are a farmer. Like anything else a small percentage of the total is seen. It’s what’s not seen that is as important – consider an iceberg.
You can find more from Diance on her Facebook page as well as her website A Farm Wife.com!
Meet Jill…
I was born and raised on a farm. I participated in 4-H & FFA as a youth and teen. I went to University for Range Management and worked for the Federal Government in the US and later for the Provincial Government in Alberta. I married a farmer from Alberta, Canada and moved up here to help with his family farm. After helping on the farm for 7 years, we were fortunate enough to take over my husband’s family farm. I am active in the farm by managing and running our families’ beef cattle herd. I do all the day to day management of the animals and calving. To me, agriculture is not only my livelihood, but also my family’s business.
When I first worked for the Federal Government in the US, I was the first female Range Specialist for the area and again when I worked in Alberta. Most of the ranchers I worked with didn’t care about gender, but I had a few who at first refused to talk to me and would only phone my male co-workers. My other three (male) co-workers were great and helped facilitate meetings that eventually led to good working relationships with those ranchers. I have also encountered others who regardless of gender will treat you like crap, but being female you have to develop really tough skin.
One benefit I’ve found to being a female in Agriculture is dealing with pre-calving cows. I have more of a sense of who is going to calve more so than my husband. It’s hard to explain but I can usually tell who is going to calve before they start to show signs, just by the way they are acting. It’s almost like a sixth sense.
My main takeaway, if you’re going to be working with ranchers and farmers who have been in the industry for a long time, listen. They have a wealth of information to share and if you are willing to liste, they will share it with you. Also, as I said before, have tough skin. Don’t take everything to heart people say.
I don’t see myself as a “woman” in a man’s field, I’m just doing what I love!
You can find more from Jill on her Facebook page, on Instagram or Twitter, and on Crooked Lake Farm website!
Meet Kim…
“Kim Morton is retired, having most recently served as the Chicago based Director of Development for the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences. Prior to that she was the first Northeastern Illinois Legislative Coordinator for the Illinois Farm Bureau, a role created to lobby members of the Illinois General Assembly from Cook and the collar counties who may have little, if any, familiarity with production agriculture. She was a farm manager with The Northern Trust Company from 1984-2001, working with trusts & estates which owned farmland or timber. During this time, she became the second woman in the nation to receive the Accredited Farm Manager designation and she was a member of the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation Class of 1998. She left the bank as Vice President and Head of Agricultural Services. Kim is a native of Taylorville, IL, where she still owns the small family farm. She graduated from the University of Illinois College of Agriculture in 1982 with her bachelors in agricultural economics and received her MBA from DePaul University in 1990. She is a 30 year member and former president of The Chicago Farmers. Active in the Cook County Farm Bureau, she serves on its Political Action, Public Policy and Public Relations Committees. She is a member of the Cook County Farm Bureau Speakers Bureau and gives talks on the safety of GMOs in food. Kim also sits on the Board of the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation and the U of I College of ACES Alumni Association. She is married and lives in the Old Town Triangle neighborhood of Chicago.”
Jenny,
What a great and inspiring post! Great job. What a way to empower women, let them tell their story. Also, while not every farm woman plays the same role as the next, we all play a crucial role.