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CapitalPress.com
March 31, 2017
People & Places
In support of women in agriculture
She Grows Idaho
strives to educate,
empower and enrich
members’ lives
Western
Innovator
By CAROL RYAN DUMAS
Capital Press
TWIN FALLS, Idaho —
Laughter and lively banter
dominate at a recent gathering
of women passionate about
agriculture.
They are members of She
Grows Idaho, a fledging orga-
nization focused on support-
ing women in agriculture and
educating consumers.
The group is the brain-
child of Alison Hurwitch, a
veterinarian with Elanco, and
Karma Metzler Fitzgerald, a
writer and agricultural advo-
cate. Its inspiration was two-
fold — to provide a social and
supportive network for young
women in agriculture and to
educate consumers about food
and agriculture.
The approach is three-
pronged: to educate, empower
and enrich, Fitzgerald said.
There’s been an influx of
young women in agriculture
to the Magic Valley over re-
cent years and there was no
organization to help them find
out about available resourc-
es or how to connect to oth-
er women in agriculture, she
said.
“There is a void; there’s no
way for them to network,” she
said.
Agriculture can be a real-
ly lonely place for women,
whether they’re on the farm or
working in traditionally male
roles, she said.
Women’s struggles
Hurwitch said she knows
the struggles young profes-
sional women face. She came
to the Magic Valley as a single
mother in 2008, juggling ca-
reer, family and a little gender
bias. The first time she went to
a dairy to pull a calf, she was
met with “Where’s the vet?”
Women farm owners face
the same frustration when
people ask, “Where’s the
owner?” she said.
“We wanted get the group
Capital Press
Established 1928
Board of directors
Mike Forrester
Steve Forrester
Kathryn Brown
Susan Rana
Mike Omeg
Capital Press Managers
John Perry ................................Publisher
Joe Beach ..................................... Editor
Elizabeth Yutzie Sell .... Advertising Director
Carl Sampson ................Managing Editor
Barbara Nipp ......... Production Manager
Samantha McLaren .... Circulation Manager
She Grows Idaho
Founded: October 2016
Co-founders: Alison
Hurwitch and Karma Metzler
Fitzgerald
Membership: 105 and
growing
Mission: Empowering wom-
en involved in all aspects of
food production, from field
to fork.
Email: info@shegrowsida-
ho.com
Carol Ryan Dumas/Capital Press
From left, Jaclyn Bruhn and Alison Hurwitch, co-founder of She Grows Idaho, listen to a discussion
during the organization’s monthly meeting at a Twin Falls restaurant.
“It’s a mentoring thing,”
Fitzgerald said.
Her daughter is majoring
in agricultural technology and
production management at
Washington State University
and belongs to the universi-
ty’s dairy club, whose quar-
ters were designed for young
men.
Strong role in ag
Carol Ryan Dumas/Capital Press
Karma Metzler Fitzgerald,
co-founder of She Grows Idaho,
conducts business with flair.
together so women feel sup-
ported,” she said.
Women are taking up
non-traditional roles in agri-
culture — a great opportuni-
ty that comes with growing
pains.
“We want them to be excit-
ed and happy about choosing
a path in ag,” she said.
For those college-bound
women, the group wants to
encourage them to pursue
the degree they want — even
if it has been traditionally
male-dominated, she said.
The vast majority of club
members today are female,
all working on dairies, yet the
club’s quarters didn’t even
have a women’s bathroom un-
til recently, Fitzgerald said.
While women have always
had a strong role in agricul-
ture, they haven’t been rec-
ognized or appreciated. With
today’s young women now
working more, “We want
them to know they have a sup-
port system,” she said.
They’re bound to have
frustrations, and She Grows
Idaho offers a safe place to
air those issues and find solu-
tions. It’s a forum for empow-
erment and education where
they can find support, she
said.
It’s also a means to con-
nect women in the industry
and help them be a voice in
agriculture and for agricul-
ture, Hurwitch said.
“There’s a lot of misinfor-
mation out there about food,
labels and what’s going on
in agriculture. We wanted to
have an opportunity to ed-
ucate anyone and everyone
we can on what things mean,
such as GMO or hormones,”
she said.
The group is also meant
to further the education of
women in agriculture, from
production and marketing to
how to give farm tours and
handle public-relations issues,
she said.
Varied backgrounds
The group spans the spec-
trum of backgrounds — from
Ph.D.-level researchers to
traditional farm wives, from
young women just entering
agriculture to those closer to
retirement and from staunch
conservatives to determined
liberals.
The constant is their fe-
male perspective and their
passion for agriculture.
“Being able to hang out
with women who have the
same agricultural passion” is
what drew Shayna Wilks to
the group.
She’s part of a multi-gen-
erational dairy in Gooding
County and said there are a lot
of men in dairy. She Grows
Idaho gives her the opportu-
nity to be with like-minded
Website: http://www.
shegrowsidaho.com/
Motto: “Lead by serving,
learn by giving and nurture
by feeding our families, our
communities and our world.”
women and provides resourc-
es as well.
“It’s reassuring to hang out
with people (women) from
the same walk of life,” said
Kristina Reitsma, the only fe-
male on her multi-generation-
al family dairy.
Katy Jo Fitzgerald, in
her first year of ag studies at
Washington State University,
joins the group when she’s in
town.
People think she can’t
handle ag work because she’s
female, and she enjoys being
with women who do “handle
it,” she said.
Other members of the
group said the group gets
them out in the community,
both through meetings and
educational activities, and
provides networking.
Karen Fields, who farms
and keeps records on breed-
ing and genomics at a nearby
dairy, said women play an im-
portant role in agriculture yet
don’t seem to have much of a
voice.
“Maybe this group can
help; I felt it was important to
support this group,” she said.
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mit an Event.” Calendar items can
also be mailed to Capital Press, 1400
Broadway St. NE, Salem, OR 97301
or emailed to newsroom@capital-
press.com.
Friday-Saturday
March 31-April 1
High Desert Stampede. 6-10 p.m.
Bank of the Cascades Center, 3800
SW Airport Way, Redmond, Ore. High
Desert Stampede, in concert with
the Professional Rodeo Cowboys
Association, will be presenting a full
rodeo performance lineup complete
with bull, bareback and saddle bronc
riding, steer wrestling, team roping,
calf roping and barrel racing. www.
highdesertstampede.com
Saturday-Sunday
April 1-2
Spring Farming Days. 9 a.m.-4
p.m. Eastern Washington Agricul-
tural Museum, 99 Fairground Road,
Pomeroy, Wash. Old-time horse and
mule farming on 13 acres, plus stat-
ic and active equipment and vehicle
displays and artisan displays. RV
and camping available and hot lunch
available both days. Cost: Free.
www.co.garfield.wa.us/museum
Tuesday, April 4
Understanding and Applying
Farm Market Reports. 6-8 p.m. OSU
Extension Auditorium, SOREC, 569
Hanley Road, Central Point, Ore.
Have you ever wondered what that
Market Report at the back of the
Capital Press really means? Perhaps
you just ignore those pages, hoping
it won’t hurt your business too much.
This class will teach you about market
reports. You need to understand the
terminology, where to find reputable
market reports, get a market report
update and learn how to apply the
information gleaned in market reports
to your operation. Cost: $20 one/ $30
two from same farm. http://bit.ly/Jack-
sonSmallFarms
Wednesday, April 5
Exploring the Small Farm Dream.
5-8 p.m. OSU SOREC Research
Building Library, 569 Haley Road,
Central Point, Ore. This three-session
course provides an excellent frame-
work to help new farmers assess their
skills and interests, learn the realities
of farm business ownership, and
become connected to local resourc-
es. The aim is to help those thinking
about small-scale commercial farm-
ing learn what it will take to start and
manage a farm business, and decide
whether that is something they really
want to pursue. $50 per person, $75
for two from the same farm. Website:
http://bit.ly/JacksonSmallFarmDream
Wednesday-Saturday
April 5-8
86th Idaho FFA State Leadership
Conference. College of Southern
Idaho, Twin Falls. www.idahoffa.org/
conferences-conventions/
Thursday, April 6
Second Annual Friends of Idaho
FFA Banquet. 4:30-7 p.m. Canyon
Crest Event Center, 330 Canyon
Crest Drive, Twin Falls, Idaho. The
silent auction and social hour start at
4:30 p.m., followed by dinner, a pro-
gram and live auction. Cost: $25 per
person, or $300 for a table of eight.
Website: http://bit.ly/2nGk2zQ
Saturday, April 8
Community Food System Gath-
ering. 9 a.m.-noon. Broadway Com-
mons, 1300 Broadway St., Salem,
Ore. A healthy community begins
with a healthy food system. Everyone
involved in creating the Mid-Valley
Food System, including farmers, gar-
deners, food processors and eaters
are invited. The purpose is to give all
of stakeholders in the Mid-Valley food
system a chance to network and dis-
cuss pressing issues with their peers.
The event will also feature a keynote
address about “The Future of Ore-
gon’s Agricultural Land” from Nellie
McAdams with Rogue Farm Corps.
It will conclude with an optional tour
of the Salem Saturday Market. Cost:
Free. Website: http://bit.ly/2mZy2oy
Goat Seminar. 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
7211 40th Ct. NE, Olympia, Wash.
Learn about goat healthcare and
nutrition, along with a short session
about packgoats. Cost: $25 public;
$7.50 4H/FFA. Website: http://edel-
weissacresobers.com/
Tuesday, April 11
Do Your Kids Want the Busi-
ness? Planning for Yes or No. 7:30
to 9 a.m. Hayden’s Lakefront Grill,
8187 SW Tualatin-Sherwood Road,
Tualatin, Ore. Presented by Steve
Bennett, Farleigh Wada Witt and
the Austin Family Business Pro-
gram, Oregon State University.
800-859-7609, http://bit.ly/2h3k8Ck
Wednesday, April 12
Exploring the Small Farm
Dream. 5-8 p.m. OSU SOREC
Research Building Library, 569 Ha-
ley Road, Central Point, Ore. This
three-session course provides an
excellent framework to help new
farmers assess their skills and in-
terests, learn the realities of farm
business ownership, and become
connected to local resources. The
aim is to help those thinking about
small-scale commercial farming
learn what it will take to start and
manage a farm business, and de-
cide whether that is something
they really want to pursue. $50 per
person, $75 for two from the same
farm. Website: http://bit.ly/Jackson-
SmallFarmDream
Local Meat Marketing and
USDA Processing Workshops. 11
a.m.-2 p.m. Expo Center, 45224
284th Ave. SE, Enumclaw, Wash.
Workshops will focus on market
demand for local meats, eco-
nomics and processing options
to help determine what is best for
your livestock enterprise. Contact:
Patrice Barrentine at King County
Agriculture Program at Patrice.
Barrentine@kingcounty.gov
or
(206) 477-1556. Cost: Free. Web-
site: https://goo.gl/forms/JENmH-
1PAWkQfZDaH2
Thursday, April 13
Oregon Mint Commission bud-
get hearing. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. White
Buffalo Bistro, 4040 Westcliff Drive
(Exit 62 I-84), Hood River, Ore. Any
producer of Oregon mint oil has the
right to be heard on the commis-
sion’s budget for next year.
Saturday, April 15
Oregon Women for Agriculture
30th annual auction and dinner. 5-9
p.m. Linn County Fair & Expo Cen-
ter, 3700 Knox Butte Road E, Alba-
ny, Ore. Website: owaonline.org
Wednesday-Friday
April 19-21
National Organic Standards
Board meeting. 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel,
1550 Court Place, Denver, Colo.
During meetings, the board listens to
public comments, discusses agenda
items and then votes in a public fo-
rum. Website: http://bit.ly/2gKsKgb
Friday-Saturday
April 21-22
Second Annual Horsedrawn
Vehicle and Equipment Auction, 10
a.m.-5 p.m. Yamhill County Fair-
grounds, 2070 NE Lafayette Ave.,
McMinnville, Ore. Preview starts at
8 a.m. both days. Auction benefits
the Youth Educational Scholarship
Foundation. www.pacificoverland-
expo.com
Saturday, April 22
Local Meat Marketing and USDA
Processing Workshops. 10 a.m.-2
p.m. Carnation Farms, Carnation,
Wash. Workshops will focus on
market demand for local meats, eco-
nomics and processing options to
help determine what is best for your
livestock enterprise. Contact: Patrice
Barrentine at King County Agricul-
ture Program at Patrice.Barrentine@
kingcounty.gov or (206) 477-1556.
Cost: Free. Website: https://goo.gl/
forms/JENmH1PAWkQfZDaH2
Map & Compass Workshop. 9
a.m.-4 p.m. University of Idaho Ex-
tension Office in Kootenai County,
1808 North Third St., Coeur d’Alene,
Idaho. The program features 2-3
hours indoors interpreting various
natural resource maps, followed by
field activities using magnetic com-
passes. Those wishing to participate
should pre-register by Friday, April
14, at the University of Idaho Exten-
sion office in Kootenai County. Cost:
$10. Website: www.uidaho.edu/ex-
tension/forestry/calendar
Saturday-Tuesday
April 22-25
California FFA State Convention.
Fresno Convention & Entertainment
Center, 700 M St., Fresno, Calif.
Website: www.calaged.org
Thursday, April 27
Growing Forest Mushrooms
workshop. 6:15-8:45 p.m. The
workshop will cover techniques for
growing a variety of edible forest
mushrooms, including oyster and
shitake mushrooms. Kootenai
County Fairgrounds, Building 2,
4056 N. Government Way, Coeur
d’Alene, Idaho. Cost: $15 by April
21. Website: http://www.uidaho.
edu/extension/forestry.
1 year 4-H, FFA students and teachers ....$30
Friday, April 28
Visa and Mastercard accepted
Forest Edibles workshop. 1-5
p.m. This workshop will cover the
range of edible non-timber products
that can be harvested from forests.
Kootenai County Fairgrounds,
Building 2, 4056 N. Government
Way, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Cost:
$15 by April 21. Website: http://
www.uidaho.edu/extension/forestry.
Saturday-Sunday
April 29-30
Oregon Ag Fest. 8:30 a.m.-5
p.m. Oregon State Fairgrounds,
2330 17th St. NE, Salem, Ore. Ag
Country activities, a petting zoo,
pony rides, toy tractor races, a
craft and garden show and family
entertainment make for a fun and
informative day. A ranch breakfast
is served on Saturday from 8:30 to
10:30 a.m. Cost is $6. Sunday Ag
Fest hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Ag
Fest cost: Free for 12 and under.
$9 for 13 and older. Free parking.
http://oragfest.com/
Wednesday-Thursday
May 10-11
Managing for Resilience: North-
west Grazing Conference 2017. 8
a.m.-7 p.m. Pendleton Convention
Center, 1601 Westgate, Pendle-
ton, Ore. Featured speakers are
Kit Pharo and Fred Provenza.
Pharo, cattle breeder and owner of
Pharo Cattle Co., says, “The most
profitable cow-calf producers that
I know of have a low-input, grass-
based program with very efficient,
low-maintenance cows. These are
also the happiest producers I know
of.” Provenza, professor emeritus at
Utah State University, is part of the
BEHAVE team. BEHAVE principles,
based on 30 years of research: If
we understand how animals learn,
we can train the animals to fit the
landscapes instead of changing the
landscape to fit the animals. Cost:
$227 by April 14, $267 after. Web-
site: http://bit.ly/2kpT9yb
Thursday-Saturday
May 11-13
87th Washington FFA State Con-
vention. Washington State University,
Pullman.
www.washingtonffa.org/
calendar/
9 months 4-H, FFA students & teachers .....$25
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Index
Dairy ...................................... 7
Idaho ...................................... 8
Livestock ............................... 7
Markets ............................... 13
Opinion .................................. 6
Oregon .................................11
Washington ......................... 10
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