Emma de Long, owner of a women-run farm in Chester County, is the guest on this week's FarmHouse podcast.
De Long talks about creating a culture at Kneehigh Farm where she and her employees can be themselves.
"I really enjoy the dynamic of farming with women," she said. "We're able to get mad and cry and be frustrated, but also laugh. And I just feel like there's more space for the emotions that come up with farming or in any challenging situation, and also the joys that go with it. But there's just a little more ease, having it be all women."
De Long and her husband also own and operate Red Dog Market, a farm market specializing in hyper-local food from Kneehigh and neighboring operations.
"I think it's a really important component to a growing food chain and community where someone can get everything that they want from the local producers in one location," de Long said.
Her passion for this mission isn't exclusive to food. She's a co-founder of the PA Flax Project, a movement to bring flax farming back to Pennsylvania and reinvigorate the American linen industry.
She and fiber artist Heidi Barr founded the project after de Long approached Barr about making her wedding dress. During that conversation, Barr convinced de Long to grow flax for linen.
"It's really interesting to think about these large-scale farms including flax into their rotation and what it means for a climate-beneficial, plant-based fiber to hit the market," de Long said.
She admits that her operation may not always be 100% women-run, but she maintains her firm belief that women play a crucial role in agriculture.
"It's really important to show your community that this is a role that should be normalized for women, and that there is a woman out there succeeding," de Long said. "I think the more that women pursue agriculture and succeed, then the better our planet is for it."
