Celebrating Women in Agriculture: Jen, Jodi, & Tracy

One of the the inevitable truths about blogging and sharing your life in such a public forum is that you will always have critics. There will be people that disagree with you and there will be people who plain don’t like you. The fact that I openly and honestly tell my own story here on this blog often leads to criticism of my life, my marriage, what I do on and off the farm, etc. Luckily, I’ve learned to accept all of it in this line of work. And found a way to approach my critics with class and grace. 

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 between us as women in Agriculture. It isn’t productive. You can disagree with what I have to say on this blog, but if you choose to mock what I share on this blog, you’re part of the problem. Not the solution.

In this day in age, we’ve come to a point in this life where constructive criticism is a lost art. I recently came across a quote that stated, “Part of constructive criticism is not making it personal”. Differing of opinions is certainly what makes this world go round. However it becomes a big problem when you can’t respectfully express your opinion. More and more, as a society, we forget this and instead believe we can say whatever we want whenever we want without any consequences. Your words always have consequences and especially in an online world, someone is always out there watching them. So choose your words lovingly and carefully. 

If you’ve followed me for any amount of time you will know that I regularly share about being a farm wife. I am proud of who I am, what I am, and the role I play in my life. I share about both the struggles and the successes of a farm wife and I have my own reasons for doing so. It is my story, it is my perspective. Many will agree with it and many won’t. 

In light of a recent criticism, I want every single one of my readers to know: Whether or not I walk in the same shoes as you, I support every single woman in Agriculture. Whether she be in the house with the kids, in the field with her husband, or possibly in a high rise office building. So in light of that, I want to start a new series… Celebrating Women in Agriculture!

A series where I share 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 celebrated and encouraged. Although we may very well walk different paths, we are all to be respected and celebrated for the hard work we do for an industry we all love so much.

Let’s meet the first of these women shall we?  

Meet Jen…

My husband and I both currently work on a wheat farm in Washington state. He was hired on the farm soon after we married and we have been here 23 years now. In the beginning I was the typical farm wife. I was his support team and I think only other farm wives can understand how important that is to a farmer.  It is not a 9-5 job. There is so much going on a farm and having a reliable person making sure everything else is taken care of is invaluable.  As my children grew up I took a more active role in the farm. Instead of just helping move  vehicles or bring parts, I would help fix things and drive tractor. My children have grown up, moved out, and I am now fully involved on the farm.

Since farming is such a physical occupation, it has traditionally been a male job. My boss at the age of eighty had a hard time adapting to a woman working so hard on the farm. It took a lot to change his views, but I earned his respect. I think the roles women take in agriculture will continue to expand as views slowly change. 

Don’t be limited by what you think you should or could do. Push yourself past the boundaries of traditional roles or self limitations. I remember saying, I could never do that! I can’t fix things! I can’t drive a seed truck! I can’t drive a tractor or a combine! You never know what you can do until you try. 

I love farming for so many reasons. I love the connection to the land. I love that I can see the rewards of my hard work in such a tangible way as a successful harvest. I love working side by side with my best friend to do something so important as grow food for the world. Every role women fill on a farm is important. Farming requires dedication and hard work. Working together as a team is important to a successful farm.

You can find more from Tractor Jen on Facebook at Tractor Jen!

Meet Jodi… 

I farm with my family in Ohio. We milk 115 Holsteins, as well as raise all the young stock and farm 400 acres. I handle most of the herdsman responsibilities, including health, reproductive programs, AI and daily milking. Agriculture plays a huge role in my life. I’m a third generation farmer, raising the fourth generation on our farm. We all deal with the daily successes and struggles on the farm. The cows schedule shapes our lives.

As a woman in ag I think we are second guessed sometimes. Every thing from our credentials to our physical capabilities. I’ve seen so many comments referring to farm women who advocate as just being a pretty face to get their page out. That we don’t actually work on the farm. It bothers me. I can pull a calf, run a skid loader and AI a cow, just like any male farmer. I once actually had a salesman stop at our farm and ask if he could talk to someone “who knew what was going on”.

 Anyone involved in agriculture needs thick skin because it’s a tough field to be in. Consumers are hard on you, other farmers can be hard on you. People are quick to judge and assume. Sadly my 5 year old daughter has already experienced this. She’s a budding poultry farmer. A few weeks ago she took eggs to the local hay auction. She always makes sure she stands by her eggs when they sell. The kid’s proud of her hard work and she wants people to know what she does. A few older men were picking on her. A 5 year old girl of all people was being pushed around about wanting to be a farmer. That to me shows where some peoples views still stand on female farmers. You have to learn who to ignore.

 I love how successful women in Agriculture can be. We no longer have to be the housewife who tends the garden while their husband is in the field (although I see nothing wrong with that, you’re still his support system). We can own our own farm, ranch or business. I think more and more of the “farm wife” stereotype is being dropped and women are being acknowledged as equal farming/work partners. There’s certainly some satisfaction in breaking down stereotypes. We are a powerful force in the agriculture field. If it’s owning our own farm, working as a farm hand, owning an agricultural business or running a farming household, it’s all hard work. More and more people are taking notice of what we can accomplish and that’s a great thing.

You can find more from Jodi on Facebook at Of Kids and Cows

Meet Tracy…

I am a third generation custom harvester. Agriculture plays a huge role in my life. For six months of the year, my husband and I are directly involved with “harvesting the crops that feed the world”. The custom harvester replaces the farmer during harvest with equipment and the man (or woman) power that’s needed to get the job done. We travel from the Southern states to Montana each summer chasing the ripening wheat. When we get back home in September, we cut corn and soybeans for a local farmer.  I also serve as the Executive Director for the U.S. Custom Harvesters. This keeps me busy all year long supporting the custom harvesters and businesses associated with the harvest.

The biggest struggle that I’ve encountered is gaining the respect of the men involved in this industry. The challenges that I’ve faced and have had to overcome have been true character builders. I have seen personal growth because of the tough times. I am a person who won’t give up – even when my insides are screaming that I should. I hate the word impossible. There may be people out there who would love to tell the rest of the world that women are equal to men. The true fact is they are not. I served as the president of the U.S. Custom Harvesters for three consecutive years. I’ve learned the only way to get through some of the tough times is to remain who you are from the beginning to the end. Don’t back down, don’t give up and whatever you do, do not forget the One who led you to where you are. Knowing that God put me where I am right here, right now for a reason has seen me through the really tough times. Fight for what you believe in and keep telling your story.

Women are multi-taskers. We can feed the babies, take care of the books, clean the house (when it absolutely has to be done), do the chores, drive the truck, drive the combine and drive the tractor. We can go to the grocery store, make the lunches, fetch the parts, kiss the “boo boo’s”, and love our husbands. All this in one day. 🙂 We are the backbone of the farm and the family. I know I tend to forget about taking care of myself. I forget that maybe once in awhile I should take a look at the mirror and see that my eyebrows need plucked, a haircut would be good or I haven’t been to the dentist in like 3 years. And…we certainly don’t have time to get sick!Although we all have the day to day grind to get through and most days are filled with the “must do” list, I would say take time for yourself. I don’t think we do that nearly enough. And it’s ok. We just need to have one really large gathering for all the women involved with Ag where we can drink a little coffee (or wine) and fill each other up again. Wouldn’t that be awesome?! 

Being a woman in Ag has proven to be a positive right now. It seems right now is the time for women to shine and show the world what we can do to make a difference. It just takes one or two to step up and give the others the encouragement to do something that hasn’t been done before and is a bit scary. I was the first woman president of our association. I hope, more than anything, I’ve given the women in our industry someone to look up to and move forward with. I KNOW there are other strong women who are fully capable of doing the job. I just hope they see that in themselves, gather the courage and DO IT! Being the minority (a woman) in Agriculture is a positive right now. The world is learning to listen to the female voice and realize that we do have something to say.

My advice for women in Agriculture? Just do it! Believe in what you have inside of you and share it with the world. And…never, ever, ever, ever give up! Regardless of just how hard it gets or how bad it feels. If you believe in what you’re doing and you know in your heart it’s something that needs to be shared, share it. Give someone else something to look up to and reach for. And, above all else, remember that God is there to carry you through!

To see more from Tracy you can visit her on Facebook or her blog Nebraska Wheatie!