Encounters

“We have to teach younger generations of all races about the importance of agriculture”

Rizpah Bellard, cattle rancher, Fresno, CA (USA) Rizpah Bellard was raised on a cattle ranch in Guinda, California and decided to pursue an education and career in agriculture. Nothing really out of the ordinary at first sight, except that she is the only Black female cattle rancher in California and the Central Valley, an […]

“Women are incredible bringers-together of community and facilitators of spaces where knowledge can be shared”

Roisin Beck Taylor, flower grower & florist, Verde Flower Co., Newcastle Upon Tyne (UK) Growing up in a rural area in County Durham, England, where she helped on a farm as a teenager, Roisin Beck Taylor feels a deep connection to agriculture. Working alongside her mother on her small-scale flower farm for a few […]

“It’s no longer all about physical strength if you want to do this work”

Johanna & Anneke Mohr, potato farmers, Kreis Dithmarschen (Germany) Kreis Dithmarschen is a tiny region in the northwest of Germany, in the state of Schleswig-Holstein. This region, which was still part of the sea five hundred years ago, has incredibly fertile soil, perfect for agriculture. It’s here that the Mohr family grows their seed potatoes. We […]

“Taking over from my parents was natural”

Petra Mayböck-Froschauer, egg farmer, Taufkirchen an den Pram (Austria) In the quiet Austrian countryside near the border with Germany, we find the tiny upper Austrian village of Taufkirchen an den Pram. The village counts approximately 2000 inhabitants and… 6000 chickens. Petra Mayböck-Froschauer is the head of egg farm Reiterer. The daughter of farmers, taking over […]

Our Lady of the Colours, four generations of girl power on the farm

Never has the name of this feature been more accurate: this is a true encounter, and one we at Women in Ag will remember fondly for a very long time. Our encounter with the four women running the Notre Dame des Couleurs dairy farm in Belfort-du-Quercy, a tiny village in the Lot region in southwestern […]

“Through chocolate, I am able to tell a positive story about agriculture”

Linda Kopczinski, farm chocolatier at Boerin Linda, Glane (Netherlands) Women in Ag is based in Belgium, the land of beer and chocolate. To us, chocolate is a national pride. And yet, we can’t think of anyone who does what Dutch farmer Linda does. In fact, there’s only a handful of farmers in the world […]

“Being women makes us better equipped to adapt to change”

Kate Hoare, winner of the Women in Ag Awards 2023, Trenance Dairy, Tideford (Cornwall, UK) In her mid-thirties, Kate Hoare decided to go for a career as a full-time dairy farmer. A farmer’s daughter, her choice to take over her dad’s milk contract and start her own farm with husband Kevin and their three […]

“There are a lot more women than men in agriculture in Zambia!”

Chileshe Chansa, Lusaka, Zambia Chileshe Emmeldah Chansa (41) runs a mixed farm in Lusaka province in Zambia, Southern Africa. Without a real agricultural background, she started up her farm, Mabala farm, all on her own after seeing a friend do it. Today, she runs a farm and all the administration that comes with it on […]

“We need to create awareness and help support other women!”

Judith De Vor, Snelrewaard (the Netherlands) Judith De Vor grew up around the countryside, but only decided to farm herself later. The interest in agriculture was always there, though. When it turned out that her husband was eager to take over his parents’ farm, she had quickly made her choice: Judith became a farmer. From […]

“I believe a farmer’s job is to continuously adapt and grow”,

Angela Ferraro-Fanning, Axe and Root Homestead, New Jersey (USA) Not far from New York City, in central New Jersey, USA, Angela Ferraro-Fanning decided to reconnect with nature and grow her own food. She does not have an agricultural background, but as the years went on her curiosity allowed her to learn and grow her […]