Women in Agriculture | Women in Farming Magazine

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<umbBlogPost id="77581" key="500bf100-8929-4acd-8680-9a51e64ed625" parentID="77575" level="5" creatorID="8" sortOrder="2" createDate="2019-06-03T14:58:06" updateDate="2019-06-13T15:58:46" nodeName="2nd Annual Montana's Longest Table" urlName="2nd-annual-montanas-longest-table" path="-1,1069,1057,75516,77575,77581" isDoc="" nodeType="1053" creatorName="NS" writerName="NS" writerID="8" template="1046" nodeTypeAlias="umbBlogPost" isPublished="true"><PostDate>2019-06-03T00:00:00</PostDate><blogHeadline>2nd Annual Montana's Longest Table</blogHeadline><bodyText>Submitted by Abby Majerus
Dark clouds roll in and drop the temperature a few degrees, soon the sun disappears and the clouds open up, soaking the area.  This is usual for a summer day in June in Central Montana, the rain shower is brief and soon the sun is back out warming the earth.  Just as quickly as the storm began, a group jumps into action, drying chairs and tables.  In fact, the table they are drying is one long table, ready to seat 200 Central Montanans.
This is the 2nd Annual Montana’s Longest Table.  An event intended to bridge the gap between the rural and urban communities and celebrate agriculture.  What started as a small idea has expanded to a much-anticipated event in Central Montana–an exciting way to celebrate the longest day of the year. 
Farm to table, soil to skillet, fence line to fork, gate to plate – no matter what you call it, events and restaurants featuring locally grown and sourced products are appearing across the country. 
Consumers are voicing their desire to better understand where their food comes from and how it was produced, and retailers, eateries and events catering to this are showing up in large cities and small-town settings alike.  Although individual and unique in approach, the concept is the same – to feature locally grown and produced goods and make the connection between the food on the plate and where it started its journey to get there.
Montana is no stranger to this movement.  Here in the Big Sky State, we have a deep heritage linked to farming and ranching.  Year after year agriculture is the leading industry in the state and as of 2017 there were just over 27,000 farms and ranches within our borders.  These operations are producing wheat and berries for your morning toast and jelly; they are raising the tasty protein sources of beef, pork, lamb and chicken served at Sunday dinners; they cultivate everything necessary for a scrumptious salad, lentils to spinach and finally the base ingredients for your evening cocktail of choice - hops, grapes and corn.
The average Montanan is no stranger to eating local. In fact, food may be as local as their own backyard.  But as generations become further and further removed from family farms and ranches, the “eat local movement” has endeavored to educate younger generations of the potentials of local agriculture and provide confidence for consumers in their food choices.  And the Longest Table event strives to do the same.
The 3rd Annual Montana’s Longest Table will be held Saturday, June 22nd in downtown Lewistown.  For more information, visit the website at www.montanaslongesttable.com.
Abby is a third-generation farmer and rancher, and works alongside her parents on their family operation in Central Montana. They raise Black Angus x Hereford cattle as well as wheat, barley and alfalfa. She is a University of Montana graduate with a BS Sociology and MBA, as well as UM Dance Team alumni. She is passionate about seeing agriculture thrive, educating people about where their food comes from, and what it takes to produce it. She loves the country life. She fills her free time teaching fitness classes, working from home in marketing, researching new endeavors for their ranch, exploring a photography hobby, volunteering her time to encourage entrepreneurial growth in their community, and just about any activity that allows her to be outdoors.</bodyText><tags>featured</tags><closeComments>0</closeComments><introduction>Dark clouds roll in and drop the temperature a few degrees, soon the sun disappears and the clouds open up, soaking the area.</introduction><articleImage>77580</articleImage></umbBlogPost><umbBlogPost id="77585" key="efe846a0-8fc0-4baa-a596-c64229393237" parentID="77584" level="5" creatorID="8" sortOrder="0" createDate="2019-06-10T13:33:39" updateDate="2019-06-13T15:12:18" nodeName="Saying “I Do” to Opening a Barn Wedding Business" urlName="saying-i-do-to-opening-a-barn-wedding-business" path="-1,1069,1057,75516,77584,77585" isDoc="" nodeType="1053" creatorName="NS" writerName="NS" writerID="8" template="1046" nodeTypeAlias="umbBlogPost" isPublished="true"><PostDate>2019-06-10T00:00:00</PostDate><blogHeadline>Saying “I Do” to Opening a Barn Wedding Business</blogHeadline><bodyText>By Shelby Watson-Hampton
We stood on the dusty floor of the barn and looked around.
The left hand side had been home for over two decades to cows, horses, and the occasional sow. The right hand side had housed tractors, farm implements, and other stray pieces of farm life. The large sturdy loft, which used to store hay, now stood empty.
The barn had good bones though. The wood still glowed faintly yellow and with pressure washing would look like new. Some repairs to the roof, some minor changes, renovation of the barnyard out front, and we could be in business.
We looked at each other. We can do it, we said. We can make this happen.
Thus the farm wedding business at Robin Hill Farm &amp; Vineyards in Brandywine, Maryland, was born.
“We” are Susan Watson-White and myself, Shelby Watson-Hampton, an aunt and niece female farming duo who are working together on our fourth generation family farm along with our husbands and other family members, who graciously allowed us to bring them into this crazy business!
We’re excited to share with you how we got into the farm wedding business, what we’ve learned, and a few funny stories we’ve collected along the way.
To keep a long story short, we’ll simply say in regards to farm history that the farm and the businesses on it have evolved with the family members and the markets over the years. Started and run by Russell &amp; Shirley Watson (our parents and grandparents, respectively) from 1955 to 2013 the farm had successfully been at various times a tobacco farm, a hog farm, a large tree and shrub wholesale nursery, and an agritourism fall festival destination.
When Russell passed unexpectedly in 2005, Shirley (Grandma) took a few years to retire the current businesses and then passed the farm down to her daughter, Susan. Susan and I got together to decide what should be done next. We studied a lot, connected with a lot of ag groups in our area, and had a lot of discussions before we decided that we’d go into the vineyard and winery business.
However, to finance that and build some capital we’d go into the barn wedding business first.
This happened coincidentally (or serendipitously) at the time that I had just gotten engaged to Wade, my then fiance (now husband), himself a farm boy with a skilled hand at construction and repairs.
It had always been a dream of mine to get married on the farm surrounded by my horses and family and friends. Now we had an even better reason to do it; business advertising.
We kicked into high gear. Driveway renovations, roof repairs, dusting, de-cobwebbing, and pressure washing. Tree removal, sod placement, new gravel, and fence repairs (we were still painting fence the night before the rehearsal dinner!). Everything being done with the dual purpose of our wedding day, and the farm wedding business marketing and promotion.
We got a website, added Facebook and Instagram, worked on our farm business plan, printed up business cards, and started making vendor contacts. We locked in the insurance requirements, the legal contracts, and the county requirements. We told everyone we knew what we were doing and word of mouth spread quickly.
On the day of our wedding on April 26, 2014, Wade and I were doing ‘first look’ photos over by the pasture. One of my bridesmaids pointed down towards the barn and said, “Look, there’s a group of people here already, who’s that? They’re two hours early.”
I peered around her and realized I didn’t recognize any of them. It took me a minute and then I realized that Susan was leading them around and pointing at various things. “Oh man,” I laughed, “she’s giving a farm tour! On my wedding day!”
It was a brilliant marketing move.
Susan had been contacted by seven couples who were interested in possibly booking with us, so to show them the farm in its wedding best she had invited them to view our wedding day. It was a live promotion that worked. We got married, all seven couples booked with us, and we were off and running.
It’s been five years and things have progressed fast. We planted the vineyard, added another partner to the group, Susan’s husband Bob, who’s our winemaker (they got married in the vineyard) and opened the winery (brides can now have our wine at their wedding bar).
We book weddings April through November every year. We’re booking 18 months to 2 years out. Most of our brides are from the Washington, D.C., Alexandria, Annapolis and Baltimore areas. Being in a rural town only a hour or so drive away from many bigger cities, has been very beneficial to the business.
We’ve seen every type of wedding at the farm; from black tie ‘Martha Stewart’ inspired weddings to backyard BBQ with boots, and boy, have we learned some things!
Glitter, sparklers, and open flame of any kind are a hard no. People will drive and park anywhere, despite the multitude of directional signs. Brides love to have their pictures taken with the horse and goat, but have to be reminded repeatedly that if the goat can reach it, he will chew on your wedding dress.
We pride ourselves on our customer service, and going the extra mile for the people who choose to share their special day for us.
We’ve done everything from minor dress repair in the bridal suite with a needle and thread, to finding a dress shirt in my uncle’s closet that would fit a groom who forgot his, and frantically searching for rings that a groomsmen lost minutes before the ceremony; only to find them in the canoe full of beer and ice he had just visited.
Susan is what we call “the Bride Whisperer”. She is in the taffeta trenches with them, all the way from the first phone call to walk-throughs, special requests (“Yes, you can walk your horse down the aisle”, “Of course, you can ride your dad’s Harley in”.) and hugging goodbye at the end of the night. She runs the show top to bottom for our weddings, and thank God she’s great at it, and thoroughly enjoys it. She treats every bride like they’re family.
I do more of the clean-up and get-out duties at the end of the night. Reminding groomsmen to gather their things (“okay, guys, who left both their socks, and one right shoe?”), scrubbing toilets at midnight, and making sure the bridal suite and groom’s room are ready for the next wedding. I also love working on our marketing with the website, newsletter, and social media.
Grandma oversees all the action from the farmhouse at the top of the hill. We call her ‘eagle eye’, because she doesn’t miss a thing. (A note to the groomsmen who prefer to just ‘step around the backside of the barn’ instead of using the bathroom trailers; the backside of the barn faces the front side of Grandma’s house. She has a bet going every year with how many of you ‘water the bushes’). 
Yes, we are a three generational operational female run farm. Without Grandma allowing Susan to take the reins, and me to bring in my ‘crazy ideas’, we wouldn’t be where we are today.
We are blessed to have our husbands who work so hard alongside us, our siblings, our parents, and many other fantastic family and friends who have helped make this happen. It has been a group effort, a true labor of love, and an adventure.
If you’d like to follow along with our family story we'd love to have you!  I invite you to find us on Facebook and Instagram under @Robin Hill Farm and Vineyards, or visit the website at www.robinhillfarmandvineyards.com. If you’re ever in Southern Maryland, please stop by for a glass of wine. Cheers!</bodyText><tags>featured</tags><closeComments>0</closeComments><introduction>We’re excited to share with you how we got into the farm wedding business, what we’ve learned, and a few funny stories we’ve collected along the way.</introduction><articleImage>77592</articleImage></umbBlogPost><umbBlogPost id="77586" key="0957c104-ccaf-470e-ac53-54fb1015a930" parentID="77584" level="5" creatorID="8" sortOrder="1" createDate="2019-06-10T13:35:51" updateDate="2019-06-13T14:33:18" nodeName="Do You Speak the "Love" Language?" urlName="do-you-speak-the-love-language" path="-1,1069,1057,75516,77584,77586" isDoc="" nodeType="1053" creatorName="NS" writerName="NS" writerID="8" template="1046" nodeTypeAlias="umbBlogPost" isPublished="true"><PostDate>2019-06-10T00:00:00</PostDate><blogHeadline>Do You Speak the "Love" Language? </blogHeadline><bodyText>There are 5 love languages but each of us typically only use 2 or 3 of the languages.
“People tend to criticize their spouse most loudly in the area where they themselves have the deepest emotional need.” ―– Dr. Gary Chapman
By now you have probably heard of a “love language”. Dr. Chapman became well known in 1995 when he published his book, The Five Love Languages. For 2 decades, his book has been one that couples have pulled out to improve their marriage and, in many cases, repair their marriage.
My husband Steve and I were first introduced to this book through a class at our church. After 10 years of marriage, we thought it would be fun to take a marriage class together to rekindle our relationship. We had babies at home, I was a stay at home mom trying to find my “purpose” after working full time for 8 years.
Steve and I have been married now for 25 years. Our children are in their teens and I still find it fun to pull out this book to “take the quiz” and remind myself of how to show my husband I love him.
“The Love languages describe the way we feel loved and appreciated. Depending on our individual personality types, we may feel loved differently than how our partners do.” 
There are 5 love languages, but each of us typically only use 2 or 3 of the languages.
 
The Five Love Languages
Words of affirmation   Using words to build up the other person. “Thanks for taking out the garbage.” Not – “It’s about time you took the garbage out. The flies were going to carry it out for you.”
Gifts    A gift says, “He was thinking about me. Look what he got for me.”
Acts of Service    Doing something for your spouse that you know they would like. Cooking a meal, washing dishes and vacuuming floors are all acts of service.
Quality time   By which I mean, giving your spouse your undivided attention. Taking a walk together or sitting on the couch with the TV off – talking and listening.
Physical touch    Holding hands, hugging, kissing, and…are all expressions of love.
www.5lovelanguages.com
Take the quiz online for FREE at Dr. Gary Chapman’s website. 
And find more ways to show love to your spouse.
Contributing writer: Christi Leonard, wife, stay at home mom, homeschooling mom/teacher, early childhood specialist
 </bodyText><closeComments>0</closeComments><introduction>There are 5 love languages but each of us typically only use 2 or 3 of the languages.</introduction><articleImage>77590</articleImage></umbBlogPost><umbBlogPost id="77587" key="15e17e59-3b36-4dac-a453-4efd3baf4dbe" parentID="77584" level="5" creatorID="8" sortOrder="2" createDate="2019-06-10T13:37:28" updateDate="2019-06-13T15:14:50" nodeName="Lettuce Bowls" urlName="lettuce-bowls" path="-1,1069,1057,75516,77584,77587" isDoc="" nodeType="1053" creatorName="NS" writerName="NS" writerID="8" template="1046" nodeTypeAlias="umbBlogPost" isPublished="true"><PostDate>2019-06-10T00:00:00</PostDate><blogHeadline>Lettuce Bowls</blogHeadline><bodyText>Family Garden Activity
Use this planting time to have lots of back-and-forth conversations. It's a great way to build the brain and relationship!
Step 1   You can find a plastic pot or bowl, as it’s lightweight you can move it conveniently. The container must be at least 6-8 inches deep as you’re growing greens and a few herbs and these plants can be grown in shallow pot.
Step 2   The soil you use is the key. So, choose a quality potting mix that is loose and drains freely. You can make your own potting mix. Also, remember, some soil mixes don't contain fertilizer, which means you’ll have to add fertilizer and organic material separately.
Step 3   You need to decide which type of lettuce you would like to grow: looseleaf, butterhead, Cos (Romaine), and crisp ones. Other greens you can plant are spinach, tatsoi, arugula, Swiss chard, mustard, bok choi and even green onions. In another bowl, for additional flavor, plant a few of your favorite herbs like parsley, mint, cilantro, chives, etc. As you’re growing only a few plants, it’s not necessary to start them from seeds. You can buy young plants that you can transplant into your salad bowl garden.
Step 4   Keep your pots in a spot that receives bright light all day and a few hours of direct sun (at least 5). Keep slightly moist but not wet. It’s not compulsory to water every day, always check out the moisture before watering by touching the soil with your finger.
Step 5   Greens need fertilizers that are rich in nitrogen. You can add well-rotted manure or compost to the soil at the time of planting. You can also look for balanced liquid fertilizer, applying once in every 8-10 days.
Step 6   You can start to harvest tasty salad greens from your homegrown salad bowl garden as soon as the leaves are large enough. You do not have to wait until fully mature. Snip them off when they are babies and taste the best. Be sure to cut individual leaves above the growing tips. (If you cut off or pull out the roots the plant will not continue to grow.) If your family needs more salad, plant a bowl for each person; including their favorite greens.
Websites to check out: https://www.growveg.com/plants/us-and-canada/how-to-grow-kale/ Cut and come again salads video: https://youtu.be/XPemcgIo48U Growing salads in containers: https://youtu.be/0wGexjSUQzc</bodyText><tags>fun</tags><closeComments>0</closeComments><introduction>Use this planting time to have lots of back-and-forth conversations. It's a great way to build the brain and relationship!</introduction><articleImage>77591</articleImage></umbBlogPost><umbBlogPost id="77589" key="f5d7d974-d938-4878-91d7-876d77f9dcb1" parentID="77584" level="5" creatorID="8" sortOrder="3" createDate="2019-06-10T17:13:52" updateDate="2019-06-10T17:15:34" nodeName="The Best Wedding Ever!" urlName="the-best-wedding-ever" path="-1,1069,1057,75516,77584,77589" isDoc="" nodeType="1053" creatorName="NS" writerName="NS" writerID="8" template="1046" nodeTypeAlias="umbBlogPost" isPublished="true"><PostDate>2019-06-10T00:00:00</PostDate><blogHeadline>The Best Wedding Ever!</blogHeadline><bodyText>As told by Jennifer Embry to Carol Hughey, co-editor Pink Tractor 
Do you remember planning your wedding?? I do, starting with the wedding I planned in my dreams as a young girl.   I had vivid dreams about my wedding which included my colors, the groom’s colors, even the plan to have both my parents walk up the aisle and give me away to my beloved.  It was amazing how many parts of my dream plans were included and realized in my actual wedding.
So, having said that, I know most women think their wedding is a big deal. And I was excited to start work on the Pink Tractor May/June e-edition featuring Farm/Barn Weddings.
I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to interview a beautiful young woman who had planned her own barn/farm wedding and experienced a fabulous dream wedding day, in her words, “the best wedding ever!”
Let me introduce you to the bride and groom, Dylan and Jennifer Embry.  They were high school sweethearts, attended the same college, completed their degrees, moved back to the county where they were raised, and are both employed in the World of AG!
Dylan's family has always been involved in some sort of farmin.  He currently works at Linak Manufacturing in Louisville, Kentucky.
 LINAK  manufactures linear actuators . (Actuators you ask???  <a href="https://www.linak-us.com/products/linear-actuators/">LINAK actuators</a> are used to adjust fertilizer, salt or sand in spreaders and sprayers, and to adjust height and angle on the auger spout on harvesters. Actuators are also used to control outlet and choppers on harvesters and when wrapping bales. Definitely my new learning for the day!)
Jennifer’s mom has worked at Fastline Media Group for many years so Jennifer is a second generation Fastline girl! (Fastline Media Group is dedicated to quality agrimarketing advertising both in print and online and just happens to be Pink Tractor’s parent company. check out <a href="http://www.fastlinemediagroup.com/aboutus/#history">http://www.fastlinemediagroup.com/aboutus/#history</a>  for more information.)
Jennifer officially joined the World of Ag when she graduated from college and started as a sales support person at Fastline. She recently changed positions within Fastline and is the Digital Marketing Assistant for I3 Digital agency. (Spinning off from our legendary parent company <a href="http://www.fastline.com">Fastline Media Group</a>, i3 exists to take your business past the catalog page and into the ever-expanding Internet frontier; check out their website to see how they might be able to help you.)
So, I sat down and started my interview with Jennifer. Why a barn wedding?   Jennifer responded very quickly and her face beamed as she explained: it was simple… a barn wedding truly reflects our journey. We were both raised in Kentucky; were around the farms; it was us… so we started the search for a barn venue.
Jennifer emphasized: it is very important to make sure you find one that allows you to make it yours and Walnut Grove was just that for us.  The owner allowed us to decorate the inside of the barn anyway we wanted, and they even had tables and chairs that he Hand crafted. (if you have a chance check it out online <a href="http://walnutgrovefarm.info">http://walnutgrovefarm.info</a>) It was a no brainer we’re doing it at Walnut Grove, we’re having a farm/barn wedding. Dylan, my family, and my mom all embraced the idea and immediately jumped into it with me. We were engaged for two years giving the time needed to plan the perfect barn wedding.
Jennifer’s face continued to beam as she shared; I was fortunate I surrounded myself with people who believed in my vision, agreed with my vision and helped me see it through.
We selected DIY projects to do (my mom is an amazing DIY’er, I’ve never seen anyone decorate as well as her). We limited it to 10 projects to ensure that they could be completed and meet our standards for our …MY…day. And what I learned most from that experience and something my mom has shared with me for years… if people are willing to help, let them. It’s OK to ask for help, what is the worst thing that can happen, you don’t know if you don’t ask.  I continue to hold that advice close and will use it my entire life.
But back to the wedding, it was perfect. We brought our two diverse families together and found space for everyone to be comfortable. We placed the ceremony in a spot that would not be difficult for all to maneuver to from parking or to get to the reception. The ceremony and reception being on one site truly helped it to be a relaxing fun day for all including me, my husband, Dylan, and my mom!
You asked me what would I change?? I can’t think of one thing (well except the weather… 107 in JUNE, but that was totally out of my power and we did plan by having portable fans). Jennifer went on to share as she gazed into space; I would not change a thing, I will never forget walking down the aisle looking around and seeing all the beautiful scenery;  the fields, the barn, the green, my family and friends ;  And then I looked at my dream ballgown wedding dress and at the end of the aisle there was Dylan…waiting for ME!   It was the most beautiful, serene, surreal moment of my life… I had the best wedding ever!!!!
Jennifer’s take away from the planning and actual wedding day experience is simple: Remember this day is for you and your husband.  Surround yourself with the people who know that, agree with that vision, and will help you make it happen. It is your day, do it your way for you…. for you will hold this memory close forever.
Jennifer and Dylan are living on 15 acres where his grandparents once grew tobacco.  The property has a pond, woods to hunt and is still used to grow hay.  A Farm/Barn Wedding, as Jennifer stated, was a true reflection of their journey!
Check out the list of pros and cons Jennifer shared.  (I am sure you will quickly notice the imbalance and I know I’m sold on Farm/Barn Wedding Venues.)</bodyText><closeComments>0</closeComments><introduction>Do you remember planning your wedding?? I do...starting with the wedding I planned in my dreams as a young girl.</introduction><articleImage>77588</articleImage></umbBlogPost>

The Best Wedding Ever!

Do you remember planning your wedding?? I do...starting with the wedding I planned in my dreams as a young girl.

Lettuce Bowls

Use this planting time to have lots of back-and-forth conversations. It's a great way to build the brain and relationship!

Do You Speak the "Love" Language?

There are 5 love languages but each of us typically only use 2 or 3 of
the languages.

Saying “I Do” to Opening a Barn Wedding Business

We’re excited to share with you how we got into the farm wedding business, what we’ve learned, and a few funny stories we’ve collected along the way.

2nd Annual Montana's Longest Table

Dark clouds roll in and drop the temperature a few degrees, soon the sun disappears and the clouds open up, soaking the area.

Featured Articles

Saying “I Do” to Opening a Barn Wedding Business

We’re excited to share with you how we got into the farm wedding business, what we’ve learned, and a few funny stories we’ve collected along the way.

2nd Annual Montana's Longest Table

Dark clouds roll in and drop the temperature a few degrees, soon the sun disappears and the clouds open up, soaking the area.

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