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Welcome, Women

This book is a place to explore the feminine side of working with the land. It is for any gender and any level of farmer or gardener. The gentle wisdom shared here penetrates across boundaries. Why, then, do we need a book about women farmers?

When I first began researching for this book, I delved into the gender issue because I didn’t want to make assumptions about who is biased against whom, what feminism is all about, and why being female makes someone a minority in the field of agriculture. If you take a quick look at the list of references at the back of this book, you’ll see that my research led me to exploring gender identity. With farming, an endeavor that can be deeply soul-fulfilling at one moment and can bring up shame and guilt the next, it helps if we gain a deeper understanding of women in agriculture and build supportive relationships to do this work well. Farming requires your whole self, and the more you can see that self for what it is rather than what others have labeled it as, the truer you can be to your calling. It doesn’t take much for food to grow, but consciously planting the social and environmental seeds for future generations of female farmers—and for all human beings—to flourish will be truly, deeply, and genuinely nourishing.

In my quest to understand and connect with more women who work the land, I interviewed farmers and gardeners: some I’ve known for years, some I’ve just recently met, some I only spoke to long-distance, and one I’ve known my entire life. I also attended the Southeast Wise Women’s Herbal Conference in Black Mountain, North Carolina. Immersed in the diversity I found there, I forgot that I was around only women. I heard their stories and learned from their generations of accumulated knowledge. In a place where trust is assumed, it is so much easier to share and learn. This is the power of finding your community and settling into it. This book will give you some ideas about how to create or join a trusting community where you can give and receive food, medicine, and knowledge.

Living in a bubble of love and protection where wise women nurture and teach us is possible at times, yet we also have to deal with the uncomfortable realities of going it alone, getting confused with conflicting information, and facing fears that threaten to stop us from following our desire to grow food and/or raise animals. Progressing in any chosen path calls for crossing boundaries, dealing with discomfort, and stepping up into a leadership role when it’s called for. In this book, we’ll take a look at how some of our farming sisters handle challenges and gain confidence from understanding that many of these barriers are invisible, imagined, and easily dissolved.

If you look around at those who inspire you, what are they doing with their lives? When you think about your future, does it look like a typical retirement? When you assess the talents and skills you have accumulated thus far, can you imagine unique combinations that don’t necessarily fit into a box? We all have so much to offer and the potential to grow in healthy ways. Identifying your personal boundaries, where you won’t compromise, can actually open up an immense freedom to explore the ways you can live every day to its fullest. At the risk of sounding like a self-help author, I want to encourage you to always keep your values and intentions a strong priority, no matter what work you do with your life. Our work does not define who we are. We define the meaning of our work.

There is no “normal” farm anymore. Regardless of widespread industrial factory farming, a new wave is rising throughout cities, suburbs, and the countryside. Think permaculture, agroforestry, aquaponics, urban vertical farming. A farm is anything but a series of straight lines, and the same goes for a farmer (curves are nice, aren’t they?). The farm of the 1950s did not look like the farm of the 1850s, and we can define what the farm of 2050 becomes. We are poised at an exciting time in which anything is possible. Hemp or hazelnuts can power our machines. Farmers can sell oak logs inoculated with shiitake spores, and customers can be co-owners and harvest their own food. Scarcity does not define our market or our future. Nothing is set in stone, and everything can be as fluid as you choose or as nature intends. Listen to what the land wants. She would like this to be a continuing conversation with you.

This book does not attempt to provide the specific instructions on how to plant, raise, harvest, preserve, and sell. Farming, whether for fun or profit, and its diverse interpretations are much too expansive to fit in any single book. Many great resources exist to provide specific instructions on growing crops and raising livestock. The evergreen advice of “consult your local agricultural extension agent” is one very valuable tip that I can pass on to you. Not only will the knowledge of your local cooperative extension cost you less than this book, it will be exactly what you need for your growing zone and microclimate. There are volunteer Master Gardeners in every state just waiting to lend you a hand, whether you are in a rural or urban setting.

In this book, you will find a wealth of wisdom, the kind that normally doesn’t come in written form but through years of mentorship, trial and error, and hands-on learning. Without those types of knowledge, growth in your garden or in your soul will not amount to much.

If you are a female who is interested in supporting a feminine approach to agriculture, curious about what women’s strengths as farmers are, or drawn to the idea of balancing all aspects of your inner and outer self, this book has something for you. You need not be a hobby farmer, a serious gardener, or a woman to effect change in your own body, community, and environment. The women in this book bring you opportunities to explore the hidden mysteries of natural cycles and our intuitive connections that help us get in sync with nature and with each other to grow food and to grow personally with ease.