The latest Women in Ag Magazine is out! And there’s a few new things to discover in this issue…
We have been very busy behind the scenes at Women in Ag Hq.! Our magazine is growing, getting a lot of feedback on our existing issues, input for future ones and contact requests from big players in the industry. As a result, this issue is bigger than the last, full of inspiring stories, brand new features and an exciting announcement.
Just like our previous issue, this one now boasts three encounters. Women in Ag talked to Irish egg farmer Kylie Magner from Magner’s Farm, French beef farmer, entrepreneur and agtivist Emilie Jeannin about her “Boeuf Ethique” project and, since farming is about more than cattle or crops, to Brandy Ladner, site manager at Emerald Twist, Inc. cannabis farm (WA, US)! On top of that, our magazine has no less than three brand new features. It now includes a book review where we present a book, written by a woman and with an ag-related topic, in a short article. Our “More than farming” feature focuses on those women who take their farms one step further and expand its activities: agriturism, a farm shop… it is often the women who see this untapped potential and possibility to connect with the citizens, and we wanted to highlight that. Our first stop is at Burren Farm Experience in the beautiful Irish Burren National Park, where Brònagh O’Rourke added guided farm and nature tours to the family beef operation.
Our third new feature deserves some extra attention. We realise that mental health is an issue in our industry. Farmers are often isolated on their farms/ranches, feel misunderstood by their community and can have trouble communicating complicated emotions. These are all factors that lead to a high rate of depressions and suicide in farmers. There are several movements on social media, such as #agmentalhealthweek on Twitter, to try and spark conversations about this topic, but the stories of farmers struggling with mental health reach us on a weekly basis and we at Women in Ag decided we could not just do nothing: we needed to use our platform to join the conversation, offer tools and reach out. Women are very often the ones carrying the burden of their husbands, partners, brothers, sons,… etc. mental health issues on top of their work and their own emotional struggle. They deserve someone who is there for them, just like they are there for everyone at home or on the farm. That is why Erica Leniczek, founder and host of The Rural Mindset podcast and Mental Health First Aider, joined us as a columnist! In this first “Mental Health” feature, she tells us of her own journey. She will share her knowledge and support from now on.
Last but not least, we are happy to announce that we are organising the first Women in Ag Awards International in collaboration with Eurotier and DLG! The Awards will take place on November 16 at Eurotier and entries are open for women in agriculture worldwide!
All these new and exciting topics to discover were added to the features you know. In “Outsider”, we talked to Agricultural Economist Tessa Avermaete. Our “Influencer” is keynote speaker, tv host and founder of theFancy Lady CowgirlTM movement Courtenay DeHoff. Lore Thélu from Grimme France tells us about her brand’s presence at trade shows and the presence of women there in “Fair”, and Melanie Epp encourages us to take on leadership roles in her column.
You can read all of this in our brand new Women in Ag Magazine. Don’t forget you can always get in touch to pitch your story to our team and maybe get it published in a next issue by filling in this form or e-mailing to kim@womeninagmag.com . Last but not least, we hope you consider supporting our magazine so that we can keep bringing the inspiring stories of the women in agriculture! Help our magazine take off and us earn a living by donating to our GoFundMe page here!
We hope you enjoy reading our latest issue!
