Tathel 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.
Tathel's 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.
