Learn more about the Women in Local Food and Farming on our blog.
In May 2021, Center for Rural Affairs staff members Erin Schoenberg and Kirstin Bailey filmed an "alternative" farm tour to share with an online audience.
The farm tour features the southeast Nebraska-based group. Women in Local Food and Farming. Members of the group who were filmed for this video included: Alicia Schroeder of Delish Farms, Lainey Johnson of Bright Hope Family Farm, Katie Jantzen of West End Farm, Megan Nelson of Knocknamon Stable and Ranch, and Rose Munderloh of Rose's Home Crafts.
Mission statement
Women supporting women to improve our local food systems and sustainable farms.
The farmers
The women's farms include vegetables, livestock, cut flowers, eggs, bees, baking, and sewing.
Forming the group
"I'm just so glad people took the initiative to make this happen. This can happen in other ways too, with other groups, it just takes a few people that want to get something started." — Lainey Johnson
Encouraging help
"Being a part of this group has just been such an encouragement to keep going. The encouragement applies to everything from flooding to the day-to-day balance of raising a young family while also running a farm business." — Alicia Schroeder
Advice to earlier self
"You're going to make a lot of mistakes and that's okay. You can just learn from them, and there's always next year." — Lainey Johnson
Shared experiences
"This group gives women the social empowerment to get out and get their hands dirty and take on the challenges. It's wonderful to have other women to share these experiences with, and it's very empowering. We really like to share the sustainable women-led ideas that we all really hold dear." — Rose Munderloh
This case study is funded by the Beginning Farmer Rancher & Development Program (BFRDP) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Insitute of Food and Agriculture. Thank you to our partners at Practical Farmers of Iowa.
