woman farmer

“I think dialogue with farmers is incredibly important.”

Tessa Avermaete, Agricultural Economist Tessa Avermaete lives near Leuven, the pre-eminent university town in Belgium. She studied bioengineering with a major in agricultural economics, but discovered her love for farming on her grandparents’ farm. From her position as an agricultural economist and member of several management and advisory boards, she has a privileged view on […]

Raising cattle in the Drowned land of Saeftinghe

Kris Van Royen, beef and pig farmer, Netherlands Right on the Belgian-Dutch border, in the Prosperpolder, we find Kris Van Royen and her husband, Geert’s cattle and pig farm: Saeftingherhof. The farm specializes in a very special meat, called “pré salé meat”. Women in Ag had a talk with Kris about what that is exactly. […]

“Women in agriculture are tough cookies!”

Els Lippens, dairy farmer, USA Els Lippens grew up in Belgium, but moved to the United States with her parents almost twenty years ago. This farmer’s granddaughter learned the ropes of her trade on the dairy farm her father built from scratch in South Dakota, never to return to her home country. Today she and […]

“I feel deep respect for each of the amazing women who manage a farm”

Doris Letina, apple farmer and Vice-President of CEJA She is young, she is ambitious, she grew up on a farm and represents the second generation of women there, and she is very involved in organisations for young farmers in Europe. Women in Ag talked to Doris Letina, Slovenian apple farmer and Vice-President of CEJA, the […]

Mieke Verniest, Belgian pig farmer: “Taking care of piglets has always been my thing.”

Mieke, introduce yourself. My name is Mieke Verniest and I turned 40 in February – oh my God! I have been living in what we call the Flemish Ardennes, a vallonated area in Flanders, with my husband Luc for about 15 years and I run a pig farm. Tell us all about your business! We […]