At Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture, we’ve been reflecting on the past twenty years of this organization, and on the trailblazing women whose commitment to this community allows us to flourish today.
Over twenty years ago, a group of High Country women began gathering at one another's farms, in fields, and in classrooms. They shared meals, knowledge and resources to create a network of support as they grew their small farm businesses. We refer to this group as BRWIA’s Founding Mothers.
Their vision and perseverance laid the groundwork for BRWIA’s future as a hub for community, education, connection and greater access to local food. We’ll be highlighting these women throughout 2023!
Tathel Miller is awriter, journalist, blogger, grandmother, gardener, and what we like to call our "Keeper of Stories." Carol Coulter introduced us to Tathel in early 2023 as we were starting to think about how to tell the story of our 20th anniversary.
She began documenting "Farm Women" 20 years ago while studying Journalism as a 40 year old, nontraditional undergraduate student at Salem College. At that time, she connected to Sue Counts, Carol Coulter, and other Founding Mothers. She connected deeply to the mission of the organization and got involved.
Her thesis“With Fullness of Heart and an Aching Back, the Changing Roles of Women in Agriculture” highlighted the history of farm women and included several profiles of women who ran farms at the time. Twenty years later, Tathel has helped us interview some key figures in BRWIA's history (herstory) and lift up the stories of BRWIA's Founding Mothers.
We are deeply grateful to Tathel for helping us reflect on our past and dream of our future.
