The farmHer project started as an exhibition in the window gallery of the Maryland Women’s Heritage Center in Baltimore, MD in May/June 2024. Since then it has take on a life of its own in the most wonderful way. With support from the Maryland State Arts Council, Garrett County Arts Council, and the Garrett Branch of the AAUW, we have started a scholarship fund for Garrett County girls and women in Agriculture or Conservation. In order to fund this program we are selling sets of notecards featuring the 8 pieces of artwork in the farmHer series. All proceeds going to the scholarship fund.
FarmHer Notecards
If you are feeling extra generous and are moved to make an additional contribution to the scholarship fund, you may do so through the Garrett Branch of the AAUW.
farmHER
FarmHER
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a farmer as “a person who cultivates land or crops or raises animals”. Research shows that during the Agricultural Revolution, 7-10,000 years ago, prehistoric women were likely involved in tilling, planting, and harvesting crops, as well as grinding grain once harvested[1]. Fast forward to the Middle Ages and women were just as active as men in agricultural activities[2]. In 2017, the United States reported 1.2 million female producers, accounting for 36% of our country’s farmers. More than half of all farms (56%) had a female producer[3].
This collection of art is a tribute to women farmers, or farmHERs. Each of these artworks features a farmHER whose farm is within 20 miles of my home in Garrett County, MD. This list is far from comprehensive, even within that 20-mile radius. One notable omission is my close friend and mentor all things plants, Kathy Evans of Evan’s Knob Farm in West Virginia. However, she is part of each of these artworks as the papers are made from heirloom Bloody Butcher corn grown on her farm. As with every woman run farm I know, each of these is diverse, creative, innovative, and implements the most progressive techniques to overcome the many challenges of farming. Learn more about each of these farms at http://www.abphart.com/farmHER.
Yougiogheny River Band of the Shawnee Land AcknowledgementI acknowledge that the Youghiogheny River Band of Shawnee continues to maintain relationships with the lands of Garrett County. The Youghiogheny River Band of Shawnee has stewarded these lands and waters for generations. Shawnee peoples maintained a nomadic tradition prior to the start of European settlement, regularly renewing relationships with lands across the Eastern Seaboard. The Youghiogheny River Band of Shawnee are still here and share this land with all visitors to it. With them, we uninvited visitors honor these lands, which carry the memory of joys and tears and loss. To make this statement more meaningful, I/we invite you to learn more about the Shawnee and about land acknowledgement statements via resources available at msac.org and elsewhere, to consider donating and making institutional resources available to tribal peoples, and to reconsider in what ways you can improve your relationship with the lands you steward.
Julie Friend – Wildom Farm, McHenry, MD
At Wildom Farm, Julie prioritizes animal welfare, ecology, and human health. She raises multiple species of livestock in a forest and pasture-based system. Her cattle, sheep, and chickens graze on holistically managed pastures and the turkeys and pigs forage through forest. The animals are rotated to new areas constantly allowing for fresh forage while giving the soil an opportunity to rest, recover, and regenerate.
Allison Boyd – Honey Moon Farm, Oakland, MD
At Honey Moon Farm, Allison uses no-till practices to grow a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, herbs and cut flowers, while maintaining a focus on soil health and ecological systems. Honeymoon Farm has a large CSA Program that provides food for over seventy families. Allision also manages several local farmers markets and teaches yoga on farms around the county.
Alea Donohue – Herbal Earth Apothecary at Yorkie Acres Farm, Friendsville, MD
Growing Medicine
Alea, a doctor of nursing practice (DNP), has turned Yorkie Acres Farm into a diversified, small family farm dedicated to sustainably raising medicinal and pollinator friendly plants which she uses to forward her mission to make their farm a space to share the medicinal and healing power of plants.
Haeli Gustafson – Meadow Mountain Hemp, Accident, MD
At Meadow Mountain Hemp Haeli, and her partner in business and life Darryl, are dedicated to producing organically grown premium CBD and hemp products on their 100-year-old family farm. By producing and marketing their products directly to consumers, they provide a worry-free experience backed up with third-party lab testing certifying product potency. Recently Haeli was named Garrett County Black Business Owner of the year by the Garrett County NAACP chapter.
Grace Dubansky – Backbone Food Farm, Oakland, MD
A Family Tradition
Backbone Food Farm owned by Katharine and Max Dubansky is a diversified farm that uses strictly sustainable and organic methods to raise fresh, healthy, and safe-to-eat food. They also raise organic medicinal CBD hemp. In the last few years, their oldest daughter Grace has announced her decision to stay on the farm and continue the efforts for future generations.
Carla and Charles DeBerry – DeBerry Farm Fresh Produce, Oakland, MD
The Next Generation
Charles and Chery DeBerry started DeBerry Farm Fresh Produce in 1998. They take pride in being “low input” farmers, meaning they use as many organic and all-natural methods of controlling weeds, insects and disease as they can. While Cheryl also works off the farm, their kids have always been in the field with one or both of them every day. Today their youngest, Carla (14), raises veggie and flower starts to sell at market, helps in the greenhouse and fields, and drives the tractor on potato planting day.
Sara, Emma, and Kyla Three Sisters Farm, Accident, MD
Staci and Rodney Carr did not grow up in a farming family. But when their three daughters got involved with 4H and showed avid interest in agriculture, they bought a farm. All three girls have been involved from day one with raising and showing livestock, and working the vegetable and flower gardens. One of their goals as a farm is to produce high quality food that their neighbors can afford. The sisters are growing up and beginning to start their own families now. Staci and Rodney plant to continue the farm until one or all of the girls, or their kids are ready to take it over.
