Rick McNary - Shop Kansas Farms

Before I started writing about farm families in Kansas, my stereotype of the American farmer was an old guy in bib overalls and a straw hat. I wasn’t too far off considering the average age of a farm owner/operator is a 58-year-old male. But there’s a new generation of farmers and ranchers who are shattering that stereotype: young farm and ranch women. 

1. They are entrepreneurs.

Every young farm and ranch woman I meet has entrepreneurial creativity. Valerie Visser started Fork in the Road near Riley by offering vegetables for sale – on the honor system – off the back end of a flatbed truck along the road. Her business has grown so much she built a beautiful storefront that still offers a variety of food products on the honor system.

2. They carry on the family tradition.

The role of keeping the farm going from one generation to the next has typically fallen to the sons, but not now. Young women, like Jacquelyne Leffler of Americus, are carrying on the tradition of their family farms as they share in the owner/operator responsibilities. 

3. They are highly educated and articulate.

Jackie Mundt of Pratt has won not just one, but two national American Farm Bureau Federation awards (each came with a new Ford pickup) for her strong communication and public speaking skills. During one competition, she spoke less time than any of her competitors, yet still won. She can pack a lot of content into a few words – that’s an art.

4. They are political.

Katie Sawyer of McPherson understands, like all farmers, that farming, ranching and politics go together. Katie works with her husband, Derek, in a farming and ranching operation near Inman. She is the state director for Sen. Dr. Roger Marshall and recently ran with Derek Schmidt for the Kansas Governor’s office.

5. They will fight back against the lies.

Farmers and ranchers are the target of some of the most outrageous smear campaigns in America. There are fear-based marketing campaigns against the food they produce, activists who create false narratives about animal care and will even sabotage crops and equipment. 

Brandi Buzzard near Greely is not taking it lying down; she is advocating with such clever grace that she is starting to break through the misinformation. Brandi once wrote a letter to Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) which drew such national attention that MSNBC came to her ranch to interview her about the realities of ranch life.

6. They are the ultimate orchestra conductors.

A farm operation is complex and farm women are the master organizers of activity that often begins before sunrise and ends long after sunset. 

7. They don’t raise sissies.

One of the most striking photos I have ever taken is of the 5-year-old daughter of the cowgirl and upscale clothing store owner, Brooke Greene Hebert of Cassoday. The Greene family was working calves, which involves castrating bull calves to make them into steers. The testicles are later fried and become mountain oysters. Brooke’s daughter had fresh-cut testicles in one hand to throw in a bucket while eating a cheese stick with the other hand. Brooke laughed and said, “I bet you don’t see too many city kids doing that!”

8. They are the consummate problem solvers.

Katie Carothers of KCK Farms in Anthony had an order for 150 Cornish-cross hens every week for a restaurant in Wichita but couldn’t find a processor near her to handle them. She solved her processing problem by purchasing a retrofitted shipping container/processing facility. On one side of her barn is the facility and the other side is a retail store. Katie created her own supply chain of production, processing and distribution, which is critical for those who sell food products from their farm. 

9. They are social media influencers.

If Whitney Larson had her way, she would invite you to visit her family’s farm near Sharon Springs. But she can’t because, according to her, they live too far out in the “boonies” of western Kansas. Yet she has 26,500 followers on her Instagram account. Her annual Cultivating Courage Conference draws hundreds of women to Colby each year.

10. They are tough.

Routinely, these young women handle animals that weigh up to 1,500 pounds. Brooke’s sister, Colette Greene, a professional barrel horse trainer, was bucked off a horse and broke her pelvis and femur. Two months later, she was in the saddle; 18 months later, she ran a marathon; she just ran the Heartland 100K Spirit of the Prairie. 

There’s a new generation of smart, savvy and passionate young farm and ranch women changing the face of agriculture. And to paraphrase a line from The Greatest Showman, “Look out, for here they come, and they’re marching on to the beat they drum.”

Rick McNary is a leader in bringing people together to build community and reduce hunger in sustainable ways. This article first appeared in the Kansas Living Magazine.