It’s Women’s History Month, a time to reflect on the perseverance, bravery, and dedication of the women who have shaped our country’s history.
To celebrate, we’re excited to spotlight two of the women making history at Gaia Herbs® Regenerative Organic Certified® farm: Director of Farm Operations Kate Renner and her Assistant Operations Manager, Abbie Dillon.
Whether you’re curious about women in regenerative ag, what it’s like to work on an herb farm, or just enjoy learning about women making history, join us as we celebrate Women’s History Month by getting to know Gaia Herbs® women in ag!
Historical Highlights Of How Women Have Shaped Agriculture
Although historically men have been at the forefront, women have played a pivotal role in shaping modern agriculture for centuries on a global scale.
From tending farm animals and crops to preserving food, making sales, bringing in the hay, and bookkeeping, women were often equally involved in the success of farms as their husbands and fathers, whether they got credit or not.
However, it wasn’t until the First and Second World Wars that women had the opportunity to move to the forefront of agriculture.
In World War II, for example, legislation was passed creating the Emergency Farm Labor Program, which allowed various groups, including women, students, and prisoners of war, to work on farms. 1
Women were employed through the Women’s Land Army (WLA), which recruited and trained women to take over all aspects of agriculture, either part-time or full-time.
Women and families were also encouraged to plant victory gardens in their neighborhoods to help with local food production. Thanks to individuals and groups of women working together, an estimated 20 million victory gardens were planted during WWII, producing approximately 42% of the nation’s produce. 2, 3
Until this point, lawmakers didn’t believe women had the strength or skills to replace men in large-scale agricultural production.
Obviously, women proved them wrong.
The Emergency Farm Labor Program, along with the rise in feminism and advances in social justice for women, all helped open the doors for women to pursue careers and hold leadership roles in agriculture.
What’s It Like Being A Woman In Ag Today?
Times have changed for women in agriculture. Today, approximately 36% of farm operators are women, and 58% of all farms have at least one female decision maker. 4
It’s a significant shift from centuries and decades past.
To find out what it’s like to be a woman in ag today, we tapped farm operators Kate Renner and Abbie Dillon, who are making history on Gaia Herbs® farm.
Kate and Abbie help run the day-to-day operations of the Gaia Herbs® 269-acre Regenerative Organic Certified® Farm, along with a crew of 31 men. Despite the challenges of their jobs, each expressed their heartfelt love for and dedication to their careers in regenerative ag and shared some advice for other women in ag or considering a career in the field.
Celebrating Women In Ag - Kate Renner’s Story
Kate Renner began her career at Gaia Herbs® seven years ago, as the Assistant Farm Manager. Today, as Director of Farm Operations, she oversees and participates in all aspects of the farm’s success.
She is one of two women making history on the Gaia Herbs® farm.
Kate’s path to agriculture was forged from an early age from her parents, “They instilled a work ethic of respect for growing, processing, and consuming home-grown ingredients.”
She also served as an Agroforestry / Environmental Education Peace Corps volunteer in El Salvador, earned her Master’s degree in Nutrition with a focus on Sustainable Agriculture, and has dabbled in various local food, economy, and climate impact careers.
“Agriculture has been a consistent thread woven in both my personal passions and, thankfully, my career. While sustainability and organic practices were rooted from my earliest memories, regenerative practices evolved thanks to my employment at Gaia Herbs®."
“The opportunity to work where natural wellness is valued for its purity, integrity, potency, transparency, and a belief in using business as a force for good, is a dream come true.”
On The Joys And Challenges Of Being A Woman, And Mother, In Agriculture
When asked what she loves about working in agriculture, “not having a typical day” was at the top of Kate’s list.
“I can go from driving a tractor to digging deep into Excel sheets, to scheduling farm crew yoga, to harvesting and delivering produce for the employee vegetable program. The diversity of tasks and tasks keeps me engaged, inspired, and yet also challenged in all the right ways.”
As anyone in agriculture will tell you, the work is not without its challenges.
For Kate this includes the complexities of working with mother nature, especially within a regenerative organic model.
She also spoke candidly about the challenges of balancing work and motherhood.
“Enduring pregnancy while working through the physical demands of organic agriculture, securing crop oversight while on maternity leave, finding childcare to continue a career, and leaving the field to find a lactation location a couple of times a workday are not small feats to balance, both physically and emotionally.”
Kate emphasized she considers being a mother her greatest honor. But even today with an 11 and 8 year old, she struggles to find balance; especially being the only working mother in a team of 31 men plus her Assistant Farm Operations Manager, Abbie.
“I am beyond grateful to have a career and, more so, to have a team that supports my many pulls of motherhood."
“It has been a joy to have the farm crew watch my kids grow over the seasons, play with them when they visit the farm, and to feel like an extended family. This is an aspect of working at Gaia Herbs® that I will never take for granted."
We asked Kate what advice she would give to her younger self upon starting a career in ag:
“Trust the journey, even when you feel lost or are veering from your passion. Every job I had in my teens, twenties, and thirties not only provided my next step to get me to where I am today, but also allowed for the opportunity to meet and engage with individuals that would become lifelong resources of support miles down the road.”
She added not to lose sight of the big picture, especially when your voice feels so small in advocacy work around regenerative organic agriculture and social justice.
“Outside my hut in the Peace Corps, I painted the Barbara Kingsolver quote, “small change, small wonders—these are the currency of my endurance and ultimately of my life,” which still guides me.
Women In Ag at Gaia Herbs® - Abbie Dillon's Story
Abbie Dillon, Gaia Herbs® Assistant Manager of Farm Operations, has had a passion for organic foods, environmentalism, and natural medicine from childhood, which shaped her career path.
“I went to the University of Georgia and they have a great horticulture program so I thought I’d give that a try as a tangible way to make a difference."
“I took care of a rooftop garden and worked out at UGArden under the guidance of the wonderful Noelle Joy, where I learned to grow and process organic medicinal herbs. Growing these beautiful herbs from seeds, harvesting them with intention and creating delicious and medicinal products for the people was so fulfilling. And I just loved being outside. At that point I just didn’t really consider another career as an option.”
Abbie came to Gaia Herbs® right out of college with some hesitation due to her qualifications, “When I saw the farm crew lead job open up at Gaia Herbs®, I initially didn’t apply because it said Spanish was required, and I had made the mistake of taking French in school.”
Abbie felt she also didn’t have the required experience since she had just graduated, but decided to “go for it anyway”.
“I guess I must have been super charming or they were super desperate because they gave me the job!”
Abbie started as a crew leader in 2022 and was promoted to Assistant Farm Manager last year.
The Joys & Challenges Of A Budding Career In Agriculture
Abbie and Kate work side by side on many aspects of the farm, yet they face unique challenges & perspectives.
Says Abbie on the joys of the job, “The people I get to work with, the environment I get to work in, the perspective that farming gives you. It’s really rewarding. I actually like going to work, which feels like a rarity these days.”
The most challenging part for her, like every farmer, is the unpredictability. “Each year is so different from the last, and within that, each day is different from the one before it. This keeps things interesting, and the days fly by during the season. But it can also be what causes the most stress."
She mentioned the weather, which is very unpredictable in the Appalachian mountains, and the learning curve of improving soil health and implementing more regenerative ag practices and principles.
“We are constantly trying new things to bolster soil health, which is a learning curve for us but also a huge learning curve for our crew, some of whom have been farming here for over 20 years."
“At the same time, we are trying to use fewer and fewer resources to be a more self-sustainable farm, and it turns out it’s quite hard to find that balance. We are constantly trying to improve our practices because we truly care about our impact, but it can be a struggle to convey the true cost of the work we do to others."
When asked about her perspective on the biggest challenges for women in ag, Abbie shared this:
“I think, generally, women have to prove themselves more than men do and work harder to be taken seriously."
“Fortunately, I work with a team of people who generally don't treat me differently just because I’m a woman, including a total of 31 men. There is so much respect amongst our team, and our farm director is a woman, so it’s just not really an issue here.”
Abbie’s Advice For Young Women & College Graduates In Ag
Like Kate, we asked Abbie what advice she would give herself before beginning her career in ag:
“I think the biggest thing would be DON’T SECOND GUESS YOURSELF. Too many times I have had an idea but haven’t voiced it for fear of being wrong, and then it turns out it actually was a good idea,and it would have been great to try it out way earlier."
“Of course, they’re not always good ideas, but that’s okay, too! Everything new is a learning experience, and what’s the point of living if you’re not learning?”
How Women, Or Anyone, Can Get Involved In Regenerative Organic Agriculture
If this article has inspired you to learn more or get involved in making history in regenerative organic agriculture, Kate & Abbie offer these tips:
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Get to know your local farmers; if they utilize regenerative organic growing practices, support them as best you can.
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Become informed.
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Learn the nuances between “regenerative” versus “regenerative organic”.
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Engage in the Regenerative Organic Alliance website.
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Look for organic and Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC®) produce at the grocery store and on supplement labels, and vote with your dollars if it’s within your means. “Your purchase of these products moves the needle in creating “a healthy food system that respects the land, animals, empowers people, and restores communities and ecosystems”. Says Renner.
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Watch documentaries like Kiss The Ground and Common Ground, and share them with friends..
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Implement regenerative organic practices in your own garden.
We want to thank Kate, Abbie, and all the amazing women who have come before and who are making history in the regenerative organic agriculture space!
