Get Inspired: Future Female Farmers of NWO
- Chelsea Cameron-Fikis
- Sep 1, 2018
- 5 min read
22-year-old female farmer from Thunder Bay encourages girls to get their hands dirty and embrace the world of farming.
In my efforts to network and share ideas with other smart, savvy, inspiring women, I decided to start something different on my blog called the "Get Inspired" series. "Get Inspired" will feature different women in Ontario who are doing great things to help the planet and build community. For my first post I decided to sit down with local farmer, Angela Iuvancigh from Tarrymore Farms, about her experience as a young female farmer in Northwestern Ontario. I was inspired by her farming endeavours as a 22-year-old, and wanted to know more about her journey. You can find the shortened version of this interview published in the September 2018 issue of The Walleye.
Photos by Karly Huitsing.
Q: When did you first start farming and why? Angela: “I worked at the Thunder Bay Farmer’s Market for years, helping different vendors, but then decided I wanted to try something new. So, I asked the owners of Tarrymore Farms, Bill and Jenny, if they knew anybody who needed help on their farm during the summertime. I live in the country, but agriculture was something foreign and new to me and something I wanted to try. Surprisingly, they actually needed help in their garden that summer, so I got to work right away. By the end of the summer, I actually started dating their youngest son and now I’ve been around ever since. That was four summers ago, and it was weird how it all fell into place so quickly. I didn’t initially think that farming was something I’d be doing, but I fell in love with it and hope to continue doing it for a long time.”
Q: What is it like being a young woman in an industry that is typically perceived as male-dominated?
Angela: “I got business cards made this year and my face is on the front of the card. Then the other day at the market a little girl came up to me, picked up my business card and said, “There’s a girl on this card. Is that you?” And I said “Yeah that’s me, I’m a farmer.” And she goes, “You’re a farmer? Girls farm?” And I thought this was really cute but also interesting. A lot of the food that we eat is grown by women, but people don’t think that because women tend to be “behind the scenes” or aren’t always seen as the “face of the farm”. I’m kind of struggling with that too, even having my face on a business card I thought to myself, “should I do that?” Having the confidence to enter the world of farming and feeling that you’ll be taken seriously can be a challenge for sure, but the NWO community is so supportive, and I have a family that is so inclusive and encouraging.”
Q: What does a typical day look like out on the farm for you right now?
Angela: Well, right now my days are filled with hand weeding. I’m not an organic farm, meaning I don’t grow anything organically under the certification, but I grow everything as organically as possible I like to say, so I don’t spray with anything and I don’t use any fertilizers. It’s peek time right now for the growing season, so I’d say I’m the busiest with maintenance. Each day I get to the garden as early as I possibly can, usually by dawn, then I work all day into the evening, weeding, watering in the greenhouse, transplanting different vegetables. It can be a lot of work.
Q: What is the most satisfying part of your job working on a farm? Angela:“All of it? I don’t think there’s anything more valuable than growing your own food: to start something from a seed that is so small you can barely see it, and then have it eventually grow into something that can feed your whole family and that you can give to your community. To me that’s really rewarding. I love when people enjoy the food I grow. I also love being able to tell the story of my food, like how it was grown and where it comes from, which is why I love selling at the local market - I get to make relationships with so many people in my community.”
Q: What is the most difficult part of your job working on a farm? Angela: "The weather. I think this is one of the biggest challenges that any farmer will tell you, because that’s one thing you can’t control. You’re always going to have hard years when it’s cold and rainy and hard to grow things, but it’s about being able to move forward and learn from those experiences. In Thunder Bay specifically, it’s also about fighting the timeline because we have such a short growing season here. You have to be able to adapt and be creative."
Q: Why is the local food movement important to you, and why should people support it?
Angela: “I think it’s important to support local so that you know exactly where your food is coming from. Food doesn’t just show up magically on your plate: people had to put in the time and effort to grow it and harvest it. Also, keeping your money within the local community is beneficial too because it helps to build up local businesses and families. I’ve seen it more and more with restaurants wanting to source local, and young families who are frequent visitors at the market. And it’s great because they get to know who grew their food and what farm it came from, and I get to know that I’m providing people with quality food that they can really enjoy and that is good for them.”
Q: What is your advice for young girls who might be interested in farming?
Angela: “I like to think back to that little girl at the market because I’ve thought about her a lot, and I want her to know that just because you’re a girl doesn’t mean you can’t farm; it doesn’t mean you can’t put overalls on as your work uniform, which is honestly what I wear every day. Growing food is something anybody can do, either on a local farm or in your own backyard. Don’t get discouraged, because we can never have too many people growing healthy, local food. I can promise that the hard work has huge rewards, and you’ll feel so proud, just don’t be afraid to try it and get your hands dirty.”
Tarrymore Farms is a family-run farm in the heart of South Gillies. You can follow Angela's farming journey on Instagram at @tarrymoregarden.
If you need some encouragement and inspiration in starting your own backyard garden, check out these resources: Vegetable Gardening for Beginners
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