This past Thursday after a day spent at the farm harvesting and mowing, I changed out of my dusty dirty farm clothes put on my going out clothes and headed out for the night. I meet up with a group of over 20 women who are involved in ranching, farming, school gardens, wineries, and other aspects of agriculture. We call ourselves the Rural Chicks and we get together once a month for dinner, chatting, and drinks.
These monthly dinners provide a casual setting for discussions about various agricultural techniques and marketing strategies. But more importantly it’s a place for camaraderie. A place for women to freely talk about their successes and challenges in their field of agriculture.
For me, like most women farmers and ranchers the majority of my peers are men. It is rare to be able to discuss farm work with another woman who is the owner and primary operator of their farm. It is refreshing and amazing to have the opportunity to get together once a month with a large group of women involved in agriculture. Having groups like this not only support women currently farming and ranching but also encourage more women to make agriculture their career.