Farming is Female is an inspiring book, looking at 25 young women who are shaking up the status quo of traditional farming. Farming food is one of the world’s most important jobs, so bring in some feminine blood to shake up the norm in a world full of pesticides and ‘men in grey suits’ that oversee much of our farming industry, can only be good.
Use no-dig gardening and fruit protection bags (over netting, which can trap birds and wildlife). Learn how to create pet-safe gardens (use humane slug/snail deterrents). Avoid facing indoor foliage to gardens, to help stop birds flying into windows.
This is actually an American book for children, but we think it’s a great book for adults to read anywhere! A recent UK survey among young children was quite frightening, with many thinking that cheese came from chickens, potatoes grew on trees etc.
This book (written by a climate journalist) educates children on where they food came from, and how young women are bringing affordable fresh organic produce to low-income neighbourhoods, as ‘food justice activists’ who are feeding their communities. The played-out image of ‘Old McDonald’ is being replaced by women farmers, who are rising up for the climate.
The Woman Who Pioneered Organic Farming
Have you heard of Mina Hofstetter-Lehner? No? Well, she lived from 1883 to 1967 and was the first organic farmer who did not use livestock. Age 3, she put her spoon down when fed meat broth (despite a terrible fear of cows!)
She even refused to marry a farmer because she didn’t like the smells of the countryside, but went on to marry and have 8 children. Growing her own food on the shores of Lake Greifen, as long as it didn’t involve killing animals.
After her health improved by going vegetarian, she began to teach her unique cultivation methods (one of her students was Maximillian Bircher-Benner, who invented the famed ‘Bircher Muesli’ that is still served today at health spas). She also campaigned for world peace and gender equality.
