Winston-Salem urban farmer looks to spur more women to the field
The census shows that in 2017, there were 1,745 total farms in North Carolina where the principal producer was Black. That’s less than 3%.
By Chris O’brien
Spectrum News
Mar 22, 2022
Excerpt:
Mother’s Finest Family Farm has a wide range of products, from tonic to eggs and vegetables. Some of the more interesting animals on the farm are the emus.
“They are a protected animal currently in the United States,” Winship said. “So, for me, when I got into chicken-keeping, preserving heritage breeds and where they naturally came from, and that history was really important to me.”
The USDA Agricultural Census shows that while the number of farms dropped in the last 30 years, farms where women are a principal producer have steadily gone up, with a huge spike in 2017. That number is now over 15,000 and accounts for 32.3% of all farms.
“We definitely play an important role in farming. We look at underdeveloped countries and women are in the lead of agriculture there,” Winship said. “So, it really makes sense in how food systems are built universally and around the world.”
Working and managing your own farm isn’t easy, no matter who you are. But Winship hopes seeing her in action will inspire others.
