Letter: Diverse voices will help make great strides in farming

Graphic by Lori Deaton

I appreciate the “Women’s Work: Are Females the Future of WNC Farming?” article [Oct. 10, Xpress], spotlighting the important contributions and leadership women are making in farming. As three of your women farmers, Robin [Reeves], Susan [English] and Annie Louise [Perkinson] correctly pointed out, women have been integral to keeping our family farms going for generations.

I’m proud of all the women and men farmers working side by side with respect and appreciation for one another because they know we are all stronger together. It is important that we have a wide range of farm leaders speaking up in our community, as well as across the state and nation. I am optimistic that rather than a dearth of leadership, we are going to have a surge of leadership, and it is through the vitality of these diverse voices that we will make great strides in farming and community endeavors.

All farmers are welcome to join us at Buncombe County Friends of Ag Breakfast Quarterly, typically on the third Tuesday of that month at 7 a.m. [in the] Virginia Boone Building at the WNC Ag Center (Gate 5) in Mills River.

Buncombe County Friends of Ag Breakfast is a complimentary (donations appreciated) local-food breakfast featuring an agriculture-related speaker. Contact info: Ariel Zijp, 828-250-4794.

— Terri Wells
Sandy Mush

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Letters
We want to hear from you! Send your letters and commentary to letters@mountainx.com

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.