But just because they own farmland doesn’t mean women farmers
know what it takes to make a profit. Using needs assessments of
local farmers early on, Fery found that most women surveyed weren’t
confident with hand or mechanically powered tools, whether they’re
familiar with farming or not.
And though many of the farmers are selling their products,
there’s no cutthroat competition between one another, said Mindi
Thornton, one of the original founders of the network, who has
raised blueberries and kiwis on and near her Kiger Island Road
property for six years.
Though Fery said the traditional farmer’s wife role meant that
many women served as behind-the-scenes “invisible farmers” to their
husbands, state- and nationwide trends show that in fact women are
more often taking ownership roles on farms.
“In the course of a conversation, so much comes up that’s so
helpful,” Fairfield said, adding that she recently learned which
brand of labels to use on plastic packaging for frozen strawberries
from a fellow network farmer.
Consequently, the monthly meetings developed workshops centered
on skills the women farmers wanted to know more about. While some
meetings focus on learning a practical skill – everything from
building chicken coops to learning how to safely drive a tractor to
understanding how farms are taxed – others are visits to each
other’s farms to learn what methods others are using.
“The whole mission is to engage women that are farming and
ranching in our area so they’re able to work together to increase
their business, and provide a social network for these gals,” Fery
said.