A podcast series that aims to serve as a platform for women to discuss agricultural issues, and give power to the traditional, cultural, and experience-driven knowledge.
Can we balance the books of American Agriculture? Beth Hoffman an agricultural journalist, university professor, and Iowa farmer joins the podcast to discuss her new book, “Bet the Farm: The Dollars and Sense of Growing Food in America”. Our wide-ranging conversation centers around dispelling the myths about America's farms and farmers, and the reality of the punishing economics of modern farming. www.femalefarmerproject.org
First-generation Farmer Lexi shares what her first year of farming looked like and how pumpkins, potatoes and pizza played a big role in her journey. SHOW NOTES: http://www.femalefarmerproject.org/the-podcast/2021/12/15/pumpkins-potatoes-and-pizza-with-lexi-westover LETS CONNECT: www.twitter.com/femalefarmers www.instagram.com/rootedinthevalley/ www.facebook.com/FemaleFarmerProject/ www.femalefarmerproject.org
Why do we love the idea of small family farms? Our guest, Sarah K Mock says it's because we've been told the stories about family farms from an early age through nursery rhymes and picture books. But does that bucolic ideal exist? Sarah provides an agriculture insider's critique of the romantic agrarian ideal of the small family farm. She lays bare the shortcomings of that narrative — not all is as virtuous as it seems. In this thought-provoking conversation, Mock challenges the many conceptions about farming and farmers and asks the hard questions about the viability of the current systems. SHOW NOTES: www.femalefarmerproject.org/the-podcast/2021/11/2/farm-and-other-f-words-with-sarah-k-mock LETS CONNECT: www.twitter.com/femalefarmers www.instagram.com/rootedinthevalley/ www.facebook.com/FemaleFarmerProject/ www.femalefarmerproject.org
Have you ever wondered about how cranberries get harvested for your holiday table? Farmer Amber Bristow shares her journey as a 5th generation cranberry farmer and demystifies the cranberry growing and harvesting process for farmer-owned Ocean Spray. Spoiler - it's so cool! SHOW NOTES: http://www.femalefarmerproject.org/the-podcast/2021/10/13/eat-drink-and-cranberry-a-conversation-with-amber-bristow LETS CONNECT: www.twitter.com/femalefarmers www.instagram.com/rootedinthevalley/ www.facebook.com/FemaleFarmerProject/ www.femalefarmerproject.org
The common media representation of agriculture is one sentimentality — of bucolic green fields with grazing livestock or amber grain fields being harvested with synchronous combines. In our conversation with Cynthia Ryan we dig deeper. She is a woman who wears many hats; farmer, university professor, caregiver, wife, writer, mother, daughter. Cynthia eschews the sentimentality and strips the varnish off and gives us a true look into the battle to save the family farm. SHOW NOTES: www.femalefarmerproject.org/the-podcast/2021/9/21/fighting-to-keep-the-family-farm-a-conversation-with-cynthia-ryan LETS CONNECT: www.twitter.com/femalefarmers www.instagram.com/rootedinthevalley/ www.facebook.com/FemaleFarmerProject/ www.femalefarmerproject.org
Farmer Katey Evans had a challenge - extra farm fresh produce that couldn't be sold to her large grocery customer because of imperfections. She turned those misfit fruits into profits by turning them into sorbet, and frobert™. Her Frozen Farmer products can be found on shelves nationwide and her journey is as inspirational as it is aspirational. SHOW NOTES: http://www.femalefarmerproject.org/the-podcast/2021/8/26/the-frozen-farmer-with-katey-evans LETS CONNECT: www.twitter.com/femalefarmers www.instagram.com/rootedinthevalley/ www.facebook.com/FemaleFarmerProject/ www.femalefarmerproject.org
Women in Ag and AgTech are creating solutions to agricultures' biggest challenges. AgTech is an emerging category with potential to impact those challenges. Yet women founders remain underfunded and underrepresented. How do we challenge the status quo and the structural bias? Our guest Amy Wu tackles that issue by storytelling through her project, From Farms to Incubators. SHOW NOTES: www.femalefarmerproject.org/the-podcast/2021/8/3/the-grass-ceiling-of-women-in-ag-and-agtech LETS CONNECT: www.twitter.com/femalefarmers www.instagram.com/rootedinthevalley/ www.facebook.com/FemaleFarmerProject/ www.femalefarmerproject.org
We welcome Dr Jennifer Wells, an agronomist with Land O Lakes, Truterra to the podcast in honor of Soil Health Day. Together, we examine the impact of soil health on the way we produce food and how we can leverage technology to measure and improve soil health for a food system that is more resilient to climate change. We also discuss the gender gap in science, tech, and agriculture -- and her advice to young women who are considering ag science as a career.
Mary Mooney of Mooney Farms is the 3rd generation of a family and woman-owned farm. She is a powerhouse entrepreneur and pioneer who took the farm from near bankruptcy during the 1980s farming crisis to a $6million company in five years. Owner of the popular Bella Sun Luci Sun Dried Tomato Brand — Mary has learned many lessons in business and life that she shares in this conversation with Audra. Mooney talks about raising $30k in 30 days to save the farm, how she created many unique and delicious food products, what she's learned from being a woman-owned business, and how it's that much more difficult to raise money as a female entrepreneur and farmer. SHOW NOTES: www.femalefarmerproject.org/the-podcast/2021/6/16/be-persistent-dont-give-up-be-the-best-with-mary-mooney-of-mooney-farms LETS CONNECT: www.twitter.com/femalefarmers www.instagram.com/rootedinthevalley/ www.facebook.com/FemaleFarmerProject/ www.femalefarmerproject.org
Female Farmers can suffer from isolation, hard physical labor, numerous things that are out of their control like markets, weather and a global pandemic. For many women – there is also the invisible unpaid labor that often comes in the shape of domestic duties and mothering. In this conversation with psychotherapist, licensed clinical social worker, and farmer Alana DiPesa we tackle the shame and stigma around mental health for farmers and farmworkers. Alana shares resources, best practices, and her specific knowledge about mental health issues for those who work in agriculture. SHOW NOTES: www.femalefarmerproject.org/the-podcast/2021/6/1/mental-wellness-for-farmers-with-alana-dipesa LETS CONNECT: www.twitter.com/femalefarmers www.instagram.com/rootedinthevalley/ www.facebook.com/FemaleFarmerProject/ www.femalefarmerproject.org
In this conversation with Karen Washington, we unpack the narrative of Africa’s descendants and their agricultural past. We also tackle the biggest misconceptions that the public has about food access in communities of color. We talk about the racial inequities in the food system, and how food apartheid is an economic and power issue. We also learn about the new Black Farmer Fund and the work they are doing to create social capital and communal wealth in Black communities. A Cultivating Culture Episode with Melony Edwards SHOW NOTES: http://www.femalefarmerproject.org/the-podcast/2021/2/2/black-farmers-with-karen-washington LETS CONNECT: www.twitter.com/femalefarmers www.instagram.com/rootedinthevalley/ www.facebook.com/FemaleFarmerProject/ www.femalefarmerproject.org
The Vegan turned Farmer, Butcher, Author, and Educator Meredith Leigh joins us to discuss her new book, Ethical Meat. As a deep systems thinker, Meredith shares her thoughts on morality, power, privilege, and race in the context of our food system. We also dig into the COVID accelerated change we saw in 2020 and making space for women’s voices. SHOW NOTES: www.femalefarmerproject.org/the-podcast/2021/1/19/ethical-meat-with-meredith-leigh LETS CONNECT: www.twitter.com/femalefarmers www.instagram.com/rootedinthevalley/ www.facebook.com/FemaleFarmerProject/ www.femalefarmerproject.org
This is part two of our live recorded episodes from the AAAS where examine the impact of emerging technologies on the way we produce food and how we can leverage that technology to build a better and more resilient food system. Michelle Canfield is a farmer and an electrical engineer in the medical device industry by day and in her free time does education and outreach around quantitative genetics for seedstock selection. SHOW NOTES: http://www.femalefarmerproject.org/the-podcast/2020/10/21/estimated-breeding-values-with-michelle-canfield LETS CONNECT: twitter.com/femalefarmers www.instagram.com/rootedinthevalley/ www.facebook.com/FemaleFarmerProject/ www.femalefarmerproject.org
How do new and first-generation ranchers find the hands-on knowledge and mentors needed to become successful? We’re increasingly seeing first-generation farmers and ranchers turning to agriculture as their chosen career. But what do you do when you haven’t been raised on the ranch? The New Cowgirl Camp fills the gap! Beth Robinette is a fourth-generation cattle rancher in Washington State. She is a co-founder and hosts the New Cowgirl Camp, an intensive beginning ranching course for women. She shares how she finds ties to family legacy in her daily work, and how she is trying to build resilient systems. SHOW NOTES: www.femalefarmerproject.org/the-podcast/2020/8/28/the-new-cowgirl-with-beth-robinette New Cowgirl Camp: https://www.newcowgirlcamp.com/ LETS CONNECT: twitter.com/femalefarmers www.instagram.com/rootedinthevalley/ www.facebook.com/FemaleFarmerProject/ www.femalefarmerproject.org
Zerina Kapetanovic is at the intersection of technological innovation and food production. She’s working with Microsoft’s FarmBeats team to enable data-driven farming. Microsoft believes that data, coupled with the farmer’s knowledge and intuition about their own farm, can help increase farm productivity, and also help reduce costs. The team are building several unique solutions using low-cost sensors, drones, and vision and machine learning algorithms.
Statistics don’t lie. The future of agriculture is increasingly female. In conversation with Dr Gabrielle McNally of American Farmland Trust’s new initiative - Women for the Land. We discuss the nearly one million women farm operators and over half-a-million additional women landowners who lease their land to farmers and the policies and programs that have supported women farmers and which ones have left them behind. SHOW NOTES: www.femalefarmerproject.org/the-podcast/2020/3/5/women-for-the-land-with-dr-gabrielle-mcnally-of-american-farmland-trust LETS CONNECT!! twitter.com/femalefarmers www.instagram.com/rootedinthevalley/ www.facebook.com/FemaleFarmerProject/ www.femalefarmerproject.org
Ruramiso Mashumba farms in eastern Zimbabwe. She grows indigenous organic grains including maize, whole brown rice, sorghum, millet and gumtrees. She also grows peas for export and breeds cattle. Ruramiso holds an Agriculture Business Management degree from the University of West England and University of Iowa. She has 10 years’ experience in agriculture and has served in leadership roles as well as winning many awards and fellowships. She is passionate about empowering women in Africa to combat poverty and malnutrition by empowering and equipping them with skills and knowledge in agriculture. SHOW NOTES: www.femalefarmerproject.org/the-podcast/2020/2/22/empowering-female-farmers-in-africa-with-ruramiso-mashumba LETS CONNECT!! twitter.com/femalefarmers www.instagram.com/rootedinthevalley/ www.facebook.com/FemaleFarmerProject/ www.femalefarmerproject.org
Madeline and Abbe Turner, a mother-daughter farming team from Lucky Penny Farm join us to discuss their new book that celebrates a community of women in dairy who as entrepreneurs are growing local businesses and cultivating the next generation of thriving family farms, meaningful livelihoods, and sustainable enterprises. Shownotes: www.femalefarmerproject.org/the-podcast/2020/2/3/the-land-of-milk-and-money-women-in-dairy LETS CONNECT!! twitter.com/femalefarmers www.instagram.com/rootedinthevalley/ www.facebook.com/FemaleFarmerProject/ www.femalefarmerproject.org
A discussion with Dr. Ryanne Pilgeram about her decade long research about women in agriculture and the social, financial and other barriers they contend with including the acquisition of land. Historically women have been excluded from owning land and locked out of the successorship of generational farmland. Land ownership is the great tell of inequality in communities. Women not only have to be creative in navigating the acquisition of land and financing, but they are having to move further out from city centers where their customer base is. Show Notes: www.femalefarmerproject.org/the-podcast/2019/12/1/inherit-it-or-marry-it-women-accessing-farmland-with-dr-ryanne-pilgeram LETS CONNECT!! twitter.com/femalefarmers www.instagram.com/rootedinthevalley/ www.facebook.com/FemaleFarmerProject/ www.femalefarmerproject.org
Queen Sugar author Natalie Baszile joins us on our Cultivating Culture series to discuss the writing of stories about the African American experience including land ownership, intergenerational wealth, inheritance, land loss, mass incarceration, police brutality and other systems of oppression. Find us on https://twitter.com/femalefarmers https://www.instagram.com/rootedinthevalley/ https://www.facebook.com/FemaleFarmerProject/ www.femalefarmerproject.org Show Notes: http://www.femalefarmerproject.org/the-podcast/2019/9/4/afro-american-storytelling-with-queen-sugar-author-natalie-baszile
An article recently declared that farmers are making more money online with YouTube videos than on their farm. WTFarmGirl, Suzanne Cook is one of those YouTubers – she's a first-generation farmer who shares her journey with her 41k subscribers. Get in touch: Twitter @ femalefarmers Instagram @ rootedinthevalley Facebook /FemaleFarmerProject www.femalefarmerproject.org Show notes: www.femalefarmerproject.org/the-podcast/2019/8/22/farming-on-youtube-with-wtfarm-girl-suzanne-cook
Kari Warberg-Block is a female farmer and mother that was once on food stamps. She now is among the most successful business women in the United States. She started her company with nothing more than a package of garden seeds and a vision. Her $20 million dollar company, EarthKind began from her kitchen table, she sold her first products at her local farmers market and now she’s on shelves in every town. Come learn about her journey, her thoughts on leadership and how she leads her company with purpose. Get in touch: Twitter @femalefarmers Instagram @rootedinthevalley Facebook /FemaleFarmerProject www.femalefarmerproject.org Show notes: http://www.femalefarmerproject.org/the-podcast/2019/6/28/kari-warberg-block-earthkind
Lylah built her farm and farm businesses in a really unique and special way – not around efficiency, or production but around tables. Grab a cup of coffee and join us at Lylah’s table. Get in touch: Twitter @femalefarmers Instagram @rootedinthevalley Facebook /FemaleFarmerProject www.femalefarmerproject.org Show notes: www.femalefarmerproject.org/the-podcast…h-micha-ide
In the 2017 Ag Census data it showed that 66% of the responding female farmer-operators had an off-farm job. Micha Ide joins us to talk about her off-farm jobs and side-hustles all while farming full-time. Get in touch: Twitter @femalefarmers Instagram @rootedinthevalley Facebook /FemaleFarmerProject www.femalefarmerproject.org Show notes: http://www.femalefarmerproject.org/the-podcast/2019/5/29/off-farm-jobs-and-side-hustles-with-micha-ide
In the first of our Cultivating Culture series, host Melony Edwards welcomes Chantel Johnson from Off Grid in Color. Chantel’s shares her experience being personally affected by gun violence and her journey to homesteading in the rural South. She talks about access to pastured meat production for disadvantaged communities and how land access is her biggest obstacle. Get in touch: Twitter @femalefarmers Instagram @rootedinthevalley Facebook /FemaleFarmerProject www.femalefarmerproject.org Show notes: http://www.femalefarmerproject.org/the-podcast/2019/5/16/from-gun-violence-to-homesteading-with-chantel-johnson
Female farmers of color are the marginalized group within a marginalized group within agriculture. They live at the intersection of racism, sexism and classism. Melony Edwards, farmer and chef is joining the Female Farmer Project Podcast in her own series - Cultivating Culture where we are initiating the conversation with BIPOC farmers and those within the food system about racism, bias, and discrimination. justice issues. Get in touch: Twitter @femalefarmers Instagram @rootedinthevalley Facebook /FemaleFarmerProject www.femalefarmerproject.org Show notes: www.femalefarmerproject.org/the-podcast/2019/5/2/cultivating-culture-melony-edwards
Acadia Tucker’s longtime love affair with perennial foods has produced an easy-to-understand guide to growing and harvesting them. A regenerative farmer deeply concerned about global warming. Tucker believes there may be no better time to plant these hardy crops. Tucker lays the groundwork for tending an organic, regenerative garden. For her, this is gardening as if our future depends on it, and she spells out why. Get in touch: Twitter @femalefarmers Instagram @rootedinthevalley Facebook /FemaleFarmerProject www.femalefarmerproject.org Show notes: http://www.femalefarmerproject.org/the-podcast/2019/4/4/-growing-good-food-with-acadia-tucker
Tools to help small food producers and processors grow and scale their business. We discussed solving the hard problems that foodpreneurs face, whether it is government regulations, customer expectations, or employee problems. Get in touch: Twitter @femalefarmers Instagram @rootedinthevalley www.femalefarmerproject.org Show notes that include the workbook download: http://www.femalefarmerproject.org/the-podcast/2019/3/18/foodsafety
Kelsey Jorissen is a female farmer, writer, photographer, and educator that farms on five acres in Southeastern Wisconsin. She shares her thoughts on farming business mentors and using social media to effect change. Get in touch: Twitter @femalefarmers Instagram @rootedinthevalley www.femalefarmerproject.org
Angie Provost, puts a lens to the racism and discrimination that still exists in the agriculture industry. While painting is a balm that helps Angie cope with the stress of losing their land and livelihood after decades of discriminatory practices, it’s also a canvas that enables her to speak the truth and to fight back. Get in touch: Twitter @femalefarmers Instagram @rootedinthevalley www.femalefarmerproject.org
Lora Lea Misterly of Quillisascut Farmstead Cheese and School of the Domestic Arts shares her unique business models that she attributes to the 36 year success of her farm and have turned out hundreds of butchers, bakers and goat cheese makers into the world. Get in touch: Twitter @femalefarmers Instagram @rootedinthevalley www.femalefarmerproject.org
Meagan Burns is an avid sketcher and the marketing director for the one of the only organic, grass-fed, grass-finished cattle ranches in Mexico.
Kate Hill is a published author and professional cook of 30 years, in 1991 she founded Camont as a cooking school and retreat in the Gascony region of France. Kate is also the founder of GRRLS Meat Camp and an expert in the tradition of French charcuterie
Dr Jessica Gigot is a Skagit Valley farmer, musician, scientist, educator and poet. Her exploration of culture, tilth and territory is captured in her most recent book of poetry, Flood Patterns. Get in touch: Twitter @femalefarmers Instagram @rootedinthevalley www.femalefarmerproject.org
Women - especially women of color and rural women are historically underrepresented in leadership roles. An unprecedented number of women are running for political office in 2018, counted among them are many women farmers. These women, if elected, will bring diversity and provide a much-needed voice for these marginalized communities. Get in touch: Twitter @femalefarmers Instagram @rootedinthevalley www.femalefarmerproject.org
Breanna Holbert, the 2017-2018 National FFA President is wrapping up her year of serving as an ambassador - traveling all over the United States to help encourage young people to pursue their path in agriculture. She shares her journey and the things she’s learned along the way. Get in touch: Twitter @femalefarmers Instagram @rootedinthevalley www.femalefarmerproject.org
We first learned of Eleni, a chicken farmer in Central Washington State when she was 10-years old, now at 11 she is wise beyond her years. This episode will inspire young girls and the most seasoned of farmers!
This special Mother's Day episode focuses on childcare and how it influences decisions on farm business, division of labor for farm and home, productivity and the stress of the social and financial implications.
The making of a documentary film to honor women’s role in agriculture throughout history with historian Dr Rose Hayden-Smith and researcher Greta Hardin.
Carey Portell was severely injured in a head on accident with a drunk driver, her life forever changed. After two years in a wheelchair, Carey returned to farming with AgrAbility's help.
Farming in Iowa is not all unusual, but urban farming is definitely in the minority. Jenny Quiner is a vegetable farmer in Des Moines, IA - in this episode she shares her 'speedbumps and hiccups' while navigating regulations, policies and the learning curve in bringing this type of agriculture to Iowa.
Bridget Holcomb, executive director of the Women, Food and Agriculture Network shares her steps to creating a network of support for women in farming.
A Year in Review - Audra and Kate recap the past year's episodes and lessons learned, and give a peek into the episodes coming in 2018.
TOUGHER was founded in 2015 when founder and former Iowa farm kid, Stacey Gose reached her peak of frustration over how poorly women are served by the workwear industry. She was simply tired of shopping for menswear and she knew other women were too.
In service of our country these women veterans and farmers share their experience in leaving the military and launching their farm business and how they have been healed along the way.
We join Mary Swander, Iowa's Poet Laureate, distinguished professor and award-winning author at her kitchen table in an old Amish one room schoolhouse to discuss the intersection of art and agriculture.
Ellen Rosmann of Rosmann Family Farms in Iowa shares how she balances family, farm and her several farm business enterprises that include a food hub and a restaurant.
Shauna Farver of Farver Farms paints us a picture of her rural life and shares her fascinating farm enterprise where she took a commodity farm product, wheat and lentils, and turned it into a local food value-add product. Now her product is sold all over Montana and has a unique marketing model you want to know about.
We can close the gender gap by closing the data gap. A discussion with Barbara Rater, the Director of the Census and Survey Division at USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) on the importance of women farmers, farmers of color and indigenous farmers completing the upcoming census.
We're kicking off our new series exploring the intersections of art and agriculture with Kat Wright. Kat is the farmer/artist behind our podcast logo and was inspired by some special farmers in creating our logo, plus we have an big announcement! Podcast Tees!
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