October 11 was the International Day Of the Girl.
As a female farmer in the US, I’m lucky to live in a place where I’m safe, where I attended college, where I have choices and the ability to use my voice.
Still, being a female farmer I’ve faced casual sexism, and countless times where men have underestimated me and written me off.
I’ve had to consciously cultivate my confidence in what I have to say and what I have to offer—again made easier by the many people (women and men) who support me. And all along, I’ve had the benefit of access to and ownership of land.
But that’s not the case for many female farmers around the world.
I believe one of the most powerful things we can do is to grow good food, and that starts with access to land. When women have land rights and are able to run their own farms and businesses, communities, regions, even entire countries benefit.
This spring I came across Landesa, an organization working to help women gain land rights in Asia and Africa. Their work has powerful ripple effects, and I’m so inspired by them and excited to introduce you to their work.
Check out what they do and why they do it here.
And learn more about how you can support this work.
Supporting and encouraging more women to grow food, be it in a garden or by starting their own farms, is a powerful act, and one that will grow generations of health, joy, wealth, and connection.
Whatever you’re able to do, whether it’s helping a girl in your life move closer to her goals, volunteering with an organization in your community, or donating money to an organization like Landesa—your action matters and it makes a difference.
Thank you for planting seeds, for showing up, for cultivating a world where we’re connected through healthy soil and joyful spirits, where every girl can grow and flourish.
So go take action now. Donate. Encourage. Act. Show up and tell the girls in your life that they matter, and tell the boys in your life that girls matter. Together we can grow a more bountiful world for all.
