“There is so much to learn and know in agriculture – from learning about soil nutrition and forage requirements (thankfully my husband has his degree in Crop & Soil Environmental Science), to finishing beef and muscle marbling and cutting instructions, to learning how to advocate and educate customers in the city and bridge the gap in knowledge, every day is something new.  I feel lucky to live in a world where I can look out my kitchen window and see the cattle grazing that will also nourish my family – few people get to be that close to their food source.”

Q: Tell us about your agricultural operation, your background and how you got started in agriculture. 

I grew up in a farming family with a background in small grains farming – some of my earliest memories as a little girl are of waking up from a long nap caused by the vibrations and gently swaying floor of the combine cab, riding with my dad and my grandfather.  I moved to the area my husband lived to take a teaching job after college and was introduced to the world of livestock farming.  We now raise and finish beef cattle and meat lambs on our 260 acres in Halifax and Pittsylvania County, Virginia, which we direct market as live shares for customers across the state – individuals, families, and even the director of a cooking school!

Q: What does working in agriculture, and specifically being a woman in agriculture, mean to you?

There is so much to learn and know in agriculture – from learning about soil nutrition and forage requirements (thankfully my husband has his degree in Crop & Soil Environmental Science), to finishing beef and muscle marbling and cutting instructions, to learning how to advocate and educate customers in the city and bridge the gap in knowledge, every day is something new.  I feel lucky to live in a world where I can look out my kitchen window and see the cattle grazing that will also nourish my family – few people get to be that close to their food source.

Q: What do you wish the next generation of women in agriculture would know about your work? What advice would you give them?

Sometimes, the only way to learn is to ‘do’.  The people who seem to know how to do it all don’t know that much more than you; and the people who know lots more than you, in my experience, are the ones who will calmly and patiently teach and encourage you.

Q: Have you had access to formal education or informal training programs to help you grow your operation?

I’ve been most helped by the Virginia women in Agriculture programs, including CattleWISE, the annual meetings, and joining our local Cattlemen’s Association – even when I’m one of only 2-3 women in the room, everyone has been very friendly and welcoming.  I’ve also been to lambing school at Virginia Tech and am, a certified master Cattleman through Virginia Tech as well (even as a UVA graduate!)

Q: What would make it easier for women in agriculture to access the capital they need?

Having more female loan officers in private, hybrid (Farm Credit) and public (USDA/FSA) loan programs.  We always know the books, but female loan officers, overall, take female farmers and their business goals more seriously and can get the money where it needs to be.

Q: What technologies or innovations have made the biggest difference on your farm? How do you stay informed about best practices, weather, markets, or new technologies?

Having broadband internet has made the biggest difference on our farm from a marketing perspective as well as taking online ag educational classes.  I’m also looking forward to becoming competent at AI through BreedHER, a 2 day class taken through the Women in Ag’s CattleWISE program.

Q: Describe a specific challenge you faced and how you overcame it. 

Four years ago, I faced a sudden life-changing health emergency and the surgery needed to save my life resulted in me waking up partially paralyzed.  I’ve since had to re-learn how to walk and use my body, and in the interim, when I could do nothing physically, I learned that I actually knew so much of the ‘how-to’ that I could sit and talk my children through, step-by-step, much of the work I did do on the farm.  It not only brought us SO MUCH closer, it also helped them learn so much more and become such competent little farmers!

Q: Has your state department of agriculture helped you advance your operation? How?

Extension, through the Women in Ag program, has helped us tremendously with our records and with the technical ‘know how’.  Although I am raising two boys, it’s wonderful that they can see me vaccinate a calf, or disassemble/reassemble a chain saw, and I hope it helps them grow into men who realize that women are a necessary part of having the best operation possible.