PEORIA MAGAZINE December 2022

G rowing up on the farm is an experience I’ll never take for granted. I ’ve learned about re sponsibility and work ethic and about extremely hard and joyous times. I watch the most beautiful sunset in the en tire world and lay in the cold creek on a hot day. And I’ve come to understand that rain can miss my dad's field by just a quarter of a mile during a drought. I know that chickens are vicious and will chase you and they must never be trusted. (Helpful tip when dealing with chickens: Bring a broomwith you when you go get themail, you're gonna need it.) Typically, women aren’t pictured as the head of the farm. This concept isn’t a negative one, it just simply isn’t the norm. I mean, take a look at my dad. My grandparents didn’t stop having kids until they got a boy. (It took them five tries, if you were wondering.) But that was par for the course during that time. It just was not expected for the women growing up on the farm to end up playing a crucial role. TYPICALLY, WOMEN AREN'T PICTURED AT THE HEAD OF A FARM ... IN RECENT YEARS THIS IDEA HAS SHIFTED However, in recent years this idea has shifted. Now I feel as though there is a place forme on the farm, whereas before it wasn’t discussed quite as much. If I come back to the farm, my rolewould be just as important as my brothers’ roles. To quote my husband, Rob Sharkey, “One of the biggest mistakes a multigenerational farm can make is

Imagine what it would be like to create a product for yourself, only to find out a whole community wants to enjoy a soft sheepskin rug as well. Driftless Tannery helped Bethany and Danielle share their creative idea with the world. (Instagram: driftlesstannery) Stephanie and Hayley Painter are multigenerational organic dairy farmers. These women have 200 cows that they milk twice daily. These ladies alsomake the most delicious Skyr Yogurt and are certified yoga instructors. Their goal is to create their spin on ag, wellness and the food industry (Instagram: painterlandsisters). Chyenne Smith fromCarmen, Idaho is a rancher who likes to connect people to agriculture and showthatwoman can worksidebysidewithmen. She isopening doors one picture and conversation at a time (Instagram: jlazysangus). Watching daughters, mothers, wives, aunts, sisters and grandmothers chase their dreams and share their journeys of being a female in the ag community is truly inspiring. Stories of a woman being resilient and powerful – being leaders — in the workplace continue to encourage and motivate me to find my place and be a productive member of the ag community.

crushing the dreams of the kids that are coming back. To say that you're fifth, sixth or seventh generation and to succeed, you need to dowhat I or your grandfather or great-grandfather did. That is not fair to the next generation. So if my daughter comes back to the farm and she wants to try something dumb, I’ll ask her if I can help. And if she fails, shewill learn a better lesson than I could ever teach her. But if she succeeds, well then, that is what it’s all about.” The narrative is changing and I couldn’t be more eager to see what the future holds for the agricultural community. The collaboration between farmers and farm-hers, if you will, is refreshing. A woman's role on the farm can range from running the auger cart or combine to handling livestock, from raising the kids to simply bringing a sack lunch when the combine driver gets hangry during harvest. These are things that have been done for years. All these tasks can define a strong woman on the farm. All legacies don’t always lie in heavy labor or livestock farming. There are places for all sorts of jobs. Personally, I am passionate about the media side of what my family does on the farm. I have seen somanywomen using their unique ideas to shareamessageor inspireothers. Here are just a few lovely ladies that inspire me: Bethany Edmond Storm and Danielle Dockery run a woman-owned and -operated tannery in Argyle, Wisconsin.

Emily Sharkey is one half of the dynamic duo that make up “The Shark Farmer” broadcasting company. She and husband Rob Sharkey till the land at the family’s fifth

generation farm in the Bradford area. Their “A Shot of Ag” program appears regularly on WTVP PBS

DECEMBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 11