Farming - A Woman's Point of View
John Deere News & Information
This article was taken directly from The Furrow - Sept/Oct 2018
When someone says "farmer," odds are you will think of a man. It's not fair, but that's the way it is - a misperception.
Lynn Huston, an employee at John Deere, was at a farm conference listening to a farmer panel when someone asked Brad Aust of Kansas who made the major decisions on his farm. Aust was quick to share credit with his wife.
Huston realized that this story was not being told - women are farmers too. "It came to mind that we've got a lot of women doing great things in ag, but we don't hear about it," says Huston, "Women seem to be always in the background."
Huston talked with Aust's wife, Janell, and the two agreed to work on a special project - a series of videos on johndeerejournal.com. The first three videos are in-depth interviews with Janell, Brad, and their two daughters. "With the videos, we wanted to get a glimpse into the everyday world of a farming operation from a woman's point of view," says Huston.
In the videos, Janell Aust does just that. Without question, she is a farmer.
Janell came by it long before she met her husband. When she was younger, her father passed away and Janell's mother took charge, raised three children - and took over the farm.
"Seeing my mom stay so strong assured as that we're going to make it, we were going to be OK. She became in charge overnight of the farm, the row crops, and the cattle. She became the decision maker. It must have been overwhelming at the time. She was our pillar of strength." Janell has two daughters, and she's hoping to see them find a place in agriculture. "You're seeing more and more women in ag, in management positions, in the boardroom, there's no limit, says Aust. "I'd tell my daughters that whether you want to be in production ag or some other facet of the ag industry, go for it. There are no limitations for women in ag."
Huston is currently working on a video of Tanya Huwa, a farmer raising five children and running 600 cattle in Colorado. While she ranches, her husband handles a land reclamation business.
"While we're focusing on women in ag, we're also sending the message that today's farm families are alive and well," says Huston. To see Huston's videos, go to johndeerejournal.com and click on the "lifestyle" tab.
This article was taken directly from The Furrow - Sept/Oct 2018
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