You grow, girl!
Hello!
I had a change of scenery last week. I travelled to Charleston, West Virginia, to speak about flower farming at the West Virginia Small Farms Conference. Not much was in bloom along the roadsides as I headed south and dodged yet another Canaan snow squall. But I returned to bluebirds house hunting along our fence line and these hellebores by the front door.
It was such a nice conference. I attended sessions about soils, saffron crocus trials, and social media marketing, to name a few. Down the hall were sessions on feeds, fodder, and even carcass handling. I met people who reclaim coal fields, sell high tunnels, distribute ag-adaptive equipment, and, of course, other flower farmers.
And the food! All from West Virginia Grown* farms. It was so good. Not your usual dispiriting meeting fare; rather buffets of delicious roast meats and vegetables, sourdough breads, homemade soups, and salads, topped with dried apples and strawberries. West Virginia’s farmers have been busy!
Saturday’s final conference sessions rolled into the well-known Winter Blues Farmers Market. It completely filled the Charleston Convention Center’s main hall with 130+ stands piled high. I came home laden with sausages, more sourdough, craft dog cookies, and two sturdy organic blueberry plants. I even had a moment to schmooze the WV Commissioner of Agriculture, Kent Leonhardt.
Looking ahead, Sunday is International Women’s Day, our one-day-in-365 occasion to celebrate women’s achievements and forge gender equality. This year is also the UN Year of the Woman Farmer.
Last week, I learned that in West Virginia a third of farms list women as the owner-operator. Nationally, one-third of agricultural producers are women, and three-fifths of farms have a female decision-maker.
Women are feeding the world, but often without recognition and in the face of inequities that limit access to resources, opportunities, and decision-making.
We’ve come a long way, baby — but there is still a lot of room for change and growth.
Think global, act local, and buy local, friends.
Let there be flowers!
Lizz
* West Virginia Grown is a Department of Agriculture program that showcases products that are grown or processed in the Mountain State.