Soil Sisters

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Danielle Endvick

Farmer Katy Dickson of Christensen Farm in Browntown, Wisconsin, will be speaking duringa special all-day workshop as part of the 2022 Soil Sisters weekend.

There are plenty of ag events in Wisconsin during the summer, from Cows on the Concourse to dairy breakfasts on the farm. Soil Sisters focuses on women farming, with on-the-farm events involving more than 20 woman-owned farms in and around Monroe, Brodhead, New Glarus and Blanchardville. Workshops, farm tours, local wood-fired pizzas for sale and a cheese tasting are just some of the options during the weekend. All 2022 events will be held outdoors with plenty of room for social distancing. See full schedule at soilsisters.wixsite.com.

press release: Meet Wisconsin’s inspiring community of women farmers championing local food and family farms at SOIL SISTERS, the award-winning multi-faceted on-farm weekend event from August 5 to 7, 2022 involving more than twenty women-owned farms in and around Monroe, Brodhead, New Glarus and Blanchardville in South Central Wisconsin from August 5 to 7, 2022.

Governor Tony Evers officially proclaimed August 1-7, 2022 officially “Wisconsin Women In Sustainable and Organic Agriculture,” bringing the spotlight to the inspiring stories of Wisconsin women-owned family farms that produce food and fiber while stewarding the landscape. Women represent approximately 35 percent of farmers in Wisconsin and Wisconsin has more than 1500 organic farms, second in the country only to California.

“Come meet your farmers and learn about local, seasonal food and how we can all transform what’s on our plate,” explains Dela Ends of Scotch Hill Farm, a founding member of SOIL SISTERS since the event started ten years ago.  “From heirloom tomatoes to pickles, sheep to solar energy, farmstay bed & breakfasts to beef, we soil sisters offer a unique diversity of farm experiences showcasing the summer’s bounty and are excited to return after a two-year COVID hiatus.”  SOIL SISTERS is a project of the non-profit Renewing the Countryside.  All 2022 events will be held outdoors with plenty of room for social distancing and are ticketed with limited space available.  Grab your spot!

Featured on the latest episode of Around the Farm Table along with Midwest Living, Modern Farmer, Living the Country Life, FarmHer and a Top Rural Development Initiative Award winner, SOIL SISTERS offers a range of on-farm “green acres” immersive workshops, from preserving the harvest to learning about fiber to touring a quintessential dairy farm as well as several opportunities to experience what it would be like to run your own farm. Dining events featuring items raised by the soil sisters include the Pizza on the Farm fundraiser held at Inn Serendipity Farm and Bed & Breakfast and a new cheese tasting finale for 2022 hosted by Anna Landmark and Anna Thomas Bates, two women who met at a Soil Sisters potluck and together now run the award-winning cheesemaking operation, Landmark Creamery.

“SOIL SISTERS showcases the increasing role women farmers play in our rural areas, representing one of the fastest growing groups of new growers prioritizing small-scale, diversified, community-focused agriculture,” explains Katy Dickson of Christensen Farm in Browntown, Wisconsin.  Her farm will be the site of the Soil Sisters Share kick-off event on Aug. 5 with a day-long special session for aspiring women farmers called Soil Sisters Share.  “I have received so much advice and support from my women farmer community, I look forward to sharing my experiences at the August 5 workshop.  In the true spirit of Soil Sisters, participants get a chance to share their own stories and dreams, as well as network with others to help deepen connections to our rural countryside.”

The SOIL SISTERS weekend includes: 

•Soil Sisters Share:  A Buffet of Ideas, Inspiration and Resources for Women Farmers, a day long, hands-on program for aspiring women farmers with over a dozen organizational resources represented and resources for starting your own local women farmer network. Friday, August 5; 10 am – 3 pm; special pricing of $25 with scholarships available. 

• Green Acres Workshops: Over 20 on-farm, hands-on fun and educational workshops; Friday, August 5 through Sunday, August 7.  There are both two-hours introductory workshops as well as five-hour intensives and go into detail on topics like sustainable living, organic gardening and food preservation.

• Pizza on the Farm family-friendly fundraising meal hosted by Inn Serendipity Farm and Bed & Breakfast, featuring made-to-order personal pizzas made in a wood-fired oven with local ingredients including fresh produce and award-winning Emmi Roth cheeses; Saturday, August 6, 5 pm – 8 pm.

• Cheese Tasting Finale: How to Taste Cheese Like a Pro at Landmark Creamery; Sunday, August 7, 4 pm - 6 pm. 

“The SOIL SISTERS weekend celebrates women farmers pioneering new approaches to family farm businesses while honoring Wisconsin’s agricultural roots and encouraging new farms to launch,” says Jan Joannides, Executive Director of Renewing the Countryside.  “The SOIL SISTERS weekend provides a unique opportunity to directly connect with women stewarding our land and revitalizing our rural economy.”

SOIL SISTERS is a program of Renewing the Countryside with additional support from Edible Madison, the Wisconsin Farmers Union and North Central SARE.