Soil Sisters: Wisconsin Women Farmers Host Farm Tours August 5
Source: Lisa Kivirist, Inn Serendipity Farm and B&B, Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service (MOSES), Rural Women’s Project, Email: lisa@innserendipity.com
Celebrate local agriculture on August 5 by visiting small family farms as part of a tour led by Wisconsin women committed to a healthy, fresh future for our children. From eggplants to emus, sheep to solar energy, bed & breakfasts to beef – these seven farms on the tour offer a unique diversity of farm experiences showcasing the summer’s bounty in one afternoon. This event is supported, in part, through a NCR-SARE Youth Educator Grant, "Women Farmers Supporting the Next Generation of Sustainability."
“Come meet your farmers and learn about local, seasonal food and how we can all transform what’s on our plate,” explains Lisa Kivirist, director of the Rural Women’s Project, a venture of the Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) supporting women farmers. Kivirist will be hosting tours on her family’s farm and bed and breakfast in Browntown, Inn Serendipity.
“According to the last US Census of Agriculture, women-owned farms increased thirty percent, making women farmers one of the fastest growing groups of new growers,” adds Kivirist. “Soil Sisters highlights a cross-section of inspiring women farmers in south central Wisconsin prioritizing small-scale, diversified, community-focused agriculture.”
The farms will be open on Sunday, August 5 from 11am – 4pm and will be leading tours on an on-going basis throughout the day. Tours and activities are free and open to the public and will take place rain or shine (come dressed for the weather). Farms will have various homegrown items for sale (so bring a cooler). No pre-registration is needed. Tour maps and more information can be found on the tour website: www.soilsisterswi.org.
These family-friendly farm tours will offer a various educational activities for kids, encouraging fun ways for youth to connect with our food sources and sustainable agriculture. Activities range from spinning demonstrations to exploring bean teepees to creating flower bouquets. See the website for more details.
The participating women farmers include:
- Kriss Marion, Circle M Farm (Blanchardville, WI)
- Lori Stern & LeAnn Powers, Lucky Dog Farmstay (New Glarus, WI)
- Lindsey Morris Carpenter & Gail Carpenter, Grassroots Farm (Monroe, WI)
- Lisa Kivirist, Inn Serendipity (Browntown, WI)
- Joylene Reavis, Sugar Maple Emu Farm (Brodhead, WI)
- Suellen Thomson-Link, Kinkoona Farm (Brodhead, WI)
- Dela Ends, Scotch Hill Farm (Brodhead, WI)
"I'm proud to be a part of this farm tour because it showcases the inspiring diversity and collaboration among Wisconsin women in sustainable agriculture," explains Joylene Reavis, who along with her husband, Mike, is co-owner of Sugar Maple Emu Farm in Brodhead, president of the Wisconsin Emu Association (WIEA) Region 3 director, secretary of the American Emu Association (AEA) and a board member of the Wisconsin Agricultural Tourism Association (WATA). "Just like nature, we represent a wide diversity of operations and share a strong commitment to connecting children with farms and our food sources.”
Support for the Soil Sisters tour is made possible by North Central SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education), the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSE)and Green County UW Extension.
Questions about the tour can be directed to the website (www.soilsisterswi.org) or Lisa Kivirist, Rural Women’s Project, Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service (MOSES); lisa@innserendipity.com; 608-329-7056.
Want more information? See the related SARE grant(s) YENC12-040, Women Farmers Supporting the Next Generation of Sustainability.
