By Mary Boote, USA; Jennie Schmidt, USA; Ruramiso Mashumba, Zimbabwe; Gina Gutierrez, Mexico in collaboration with CropLife International
In celebration of International Women’s Day 2023, female members of the Global Farmer Network shared their stories with CropLife International.
Still today, there are unique challenges female farmers face every day and it’s important to talk about them to close the gap and achieve equality. As Mary Boote, Global Farmer Network’s CEO says, “The important thing to remember is that agriculture, farming, and food systems cover every aspect of our lives; women can find space in this important, life-sustaining industry.”
We invite you to go to the links and read their full stories, but we are delighted to share some insights from their interviews.
- Mary Boote, CEO of the Global Farmer Network, USA
- Jennie Schmidt, Farmer, USA
- Ruramiso Mashumba, Farmer, Zimbabwe
- Gina Gutierrez, Farm Manager, Mexico
Female farmers love their job for different reasons. Being able to produce food to help reduce the challenge of food insecurity in their communities is very rewarding, as they see each growing season progress to the end point of harvest knowing you did all that you could to produce safe, nutritious foods for consumers. It is truly an honor to be able to take care of life. From planting to harvesting our crops, seeing newborn calves every day and watching them grow, is just magnificent, and between all of this, there is something that hasn’t changed: the innovative creativity and resilience that is required of someone committed to agriculture production.
They have some advice for young women wanting to contribute to sustainable food and farming.
Mary Boote’s advice is to just do it! If you are interested in making a difference in our world and in people’s lives, engaging in the world’s food system is a place where you can truly make a difference.
Jennie Schmidt shares that women in agriculture have a lot to contribute and should not be intimidated into venturing into a non-traditional career in agriculture, so persistence is key.
Ruramiso Mashumba says that women are central in ending hunger, so women must have better access to resources, and that’s why it’s so important to share our stories.
Finally, Gina Gutierrez’ advice is to love what you do, because without passion, it won’t matter how much you studied and prepared yourself, you won’t be able to overcome all the obstacles there are, because women are still facing additional challenges that men rarely have.
Developing a network of farmers is what we do at the GFN. Our female farmers can guide younger women and advise them as they move forward. We invite you to get to know them better, visiting our Farmer Directory. We are actively looking for more farmers who are interested in the advocacy work of the GFN and have an interest to join the Network. To nominate a farmer, please complete an on-line nomination form.
Mary Boote serves as Chief Executive Officer of the Global Farmer Network. Raised on a Northwest Iowa dairy, pork, corn, and soybean family farm, she had the privilege of serving as agriculture adviser to Iowa Governor Terry E. Branstad from 1997-1999. Through the Global Farmer Network, Mary works with farmers around the world to develop and deliver communication platforms that engage the farmers’ perspective and voice as an integral part of the dialogue regarding the global agri-food system.
Jennie Schmidt is a third generation farmer and is a member of the Global Farmer Network. The family farm grows grains, vegetables and wine grapes on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The farm’s mission is to practice “synergistic farming” using the best of all farming methods to create healthy soils and sustain healthy food production.
Ruramiso Mashumba is a young woman farmer growing snap peas, maize, whole brown rice, sorghum, millet, gum trees and raises pigs in Marondera, Zimbabwe. She holds a BA Degree in Agriculture Business Management from the University of West England. Ruramiso has been recognized as the 2020 Kleckner Global Farm Leader Award recipient and is a member of the Global Farmer Network.
Gina Gutierrez is serving as Community Outreach Agvocate for the Global Farmer Network and a member of the Global Farmer Network. She is a 5th generation dairy farmer from the central region of Mexico. In 2015, Gina started a Facebook page advocating for the dairy industry. La Vida Lactea now has nearly 60,000 followers. She writes regularly for Ganadero and Holstein de Mexico magazine. In 2018, Gina received the Kleckner Global Farm Leader Award.
This column originates at www.globalfarmernetwork.org
