This week on the FarmHouse, a podcast by Lancaster Farming, we're taking a road trip to speak with attendees of the 2024 Women in Agriculture Conference in Stevensville, Maryland.
Hosts Stephanie Speicher and Candice Wierzbowski joined women from across the Mid-Atlantic as they gathered to discuss current agricultural issues and bond over what it means to work in a field that is often male-dominated.
Over the course of the day, Speicher and Wierzbowski interviewed multiple women, from beekeepers to Extension agents to chicken farmers. The attendees shared their personal farming histories, what they were currently working on and what being a woman in ag means to them.
"I have always been in the dirt. I have always been that person who was the rock collector, the bug finder, the caterpillar holder. I've always been in ag in some form or fashion," said Liza Goetz, a flower farmer, reflecting on how she found her way into agriculture.
Sophie Brauns of the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission talked about opportunity.
"People — consumers — are starting to ask questions about where their food comes from. More than I think I've ever experienced," she said. "That's really exciting to me, because that means that farmers are going to be highlighted more."
When asked what it means to be a woman in ag, attendees' answers, which can be heard in full throughout this episode, were wide ranging.
"To be a woman in ag, it's about standing up in a room full of men sometimes and just saying we're equal and 'Yeah, I'm here,'" said beekeeper Lauren Pascarella.
"I think that women in agriculture have different responsibilities and roles than men in agriculture," said Julianna Burns of the Maryland Department of Agriculture. "I think a lot of being a woman in agriculture is also taking care of people."
Or, as seed product development specialist Laken Bankert put it succinctly: "It means I'm awesome."
