2026 is the International Year of the Woman Farmer!

Name: Katie Troy, Owner/Operator
Farm: North Acres Farm featuring livestock and poultry
Location: Parkton, Baltimore County
What inspired you to pursue a career in agriculture? I wanted to support my growing family in a meaningful way. I began selling whole and half hogs when my first son was born to help support our family. I quickly expanded to selling retail cuts of pork and beef. When my second was born, I left my full time off farm job to pursue NAF full time. I began raising and selling lamb and chicken cuts and thanksgiving turkeys. What keeps me passionate today is knowing exactly where our food comes from, raising my animals with care, and providing high quality local meats to my surrounding community. All while building a life to be present with my family and being able to watch my farm and kids grow side by side.

Name: Haley Wilson, Owner/Operator
Farm: Wilson Dairy Farm MD featuring dairy
Location: Freeland, Baltimore County
What is the most rewarding part of your day to day? Spending quality time with the cows and feeling the peace in my head and heart, knowing that I’m succesfully caring for 50 cows and 50 acres.
What is one piece of advice you would give to the next generation of young women entering the agricultural field? Never let someone tell you that you can’t achieve something. If you feel passionately about something, there is no one and nothing who can stand in your way.

Name: Lisa Lucabaugh, Owner/Operator
Farm: Ripple Creek Farm featuring livestock and poultry
Location: Hampstead, Carroll County
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a woman in farming, and how did you overcome it? When I was building my new barn in 2025, I found a lot of people who wanted to deal with the man of the farm. I am the farmer of the sheep farm. I eventually found builders that worked with me and were very helpful. Many times, suppliers and others in the industry want the male farmer.

Name: Kelsey Stabler, Family Partner
Farm: Pleasant Valley Farm, featuring Grain, Cattle, and Produce
Location: Brookeville, Montgomery County
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a woman in farming, and how did you overcome it? The household- working responsibilities are my biggest challenge to balance. Often as a woman, you are expected to keep the house, cook, clean, be a taxi driver to children and more all while maintaining a career. But when the career is farming, it’s even more stressful because it’s a 24/7 job as well. It’s important for me to be the best farmer and mom that I can. I am one of two women, and only women, coming on as the next generation of leaders in our farm operation. We have been able to overcome the stressful balance of schedules by sitting down and clearly communicating with all on a weekly basis our time commitments that need to be met in order to be effective on the farm and present as moms.

Name: Kristin Hayman, Family Partner
Farm: Makin Memories Farm featuring Grains and Poultry
Location: Greensboro, Caroline County
What inspired you to pursue a career in agriculture, and what keeps you passionate about it today? My kids inspire me to keep growing, and educating consumers & fellow farmers keeps me passionate.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a woman in farming, and how did you overcome it? Learning the ropes and juggling family and farm life.

Name: Rachel Ross, Owner/Operator
Farm: Sunkissed Flower Farm featuring Horticulture
Location: Stevensville in Queen Anne’s County
What inspired you to pursue a career in agriculture, and what keeps you passionate about it today? Rachel started her farm to honor her late grandmother whose initials were SK hence the name. Rachel studied horticulture in college and has a true passion for the industry. She uses only eco friendly sustainable farm practices to protect wildlife and the environment. And she does a lot of work for the community as well.

Name: Sheila Hancock, Family Partner
Farm: Hancock Ag, LLC featuring Grains
Location: La Plata, Charles County
What is the most rewarding part of your day-to-day life on the farm? Sheila would definitely say when she is with her grandkids. These days, she supports her 5 children by helping any way she can with their childcare needs. Three of her children have seen success in farming and it’s largely due to her support. We are able to work and know our children are being lovingly taken care of. I, as her daughter in law, would not have been able to pursue becoming a young woman farmer without her support and expertise. She’s inspired me to try new things on the farm, and not be so afraid of failure. 

Name: Jarmonay P Nelson, Owner/Operator
Farm: Enjoui Farm featuring Horticulture
Location:Howard County
What is one piece of advice you would give to the next generation of young women entering the agricultural field? Start small and observe, learn deeply, and don’t wait for permission. Skills are power. If you know how to grow food, you will always have a way to care for yourself and your community. Listen or take chances because you never know what can happen, build relationships, and remember that farming is both science and heart.
What is the most rewarding part of your day-to-day life on the farm? The most rewarding moments are simple ones harvesting at sunrise, watching kids pull carrots or holding a watermelon for the first time, or cooking a meal entirely from food we grew. Those moments remind me that this work matters. It’s healing, it’s practical, and it brings people together.

Name: Tiara “FarmerTee” Matthews, Owner/Operator
Farm: Plantation Park Heights Urban Farm featuring Urban Agriculture
Location: Baltimore City
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a woman in farming, and how did you overcome it? The biggest challenge I’ve faced isn’t the physical labor or the climate; it’s the perception gap. In the traditional agricultural narrative, women—especially women of color in urban spaces—are often categorized as “community gardeners.” There is a soft, almost patronizing assumption that we are just “playing in the dirt” or managing a “neighborhood hobby.” When I walk into a room to discuss 10,000-gallon rainwater harvesting arrays, Internet of Things (IoT) mini weather station, or the legislative reclassification of urban grow areas to “Agriculture Production Zones,” I often encounter a wall of skepticism. People expect a “feel-good” story about a community garden, but they aren’t always prepared for a High-Science CEO who is building critical municipal infrastructure. Being underestimated is a constant hurdle, but it is also my greatest competitive advantage. I didn’t overcome this challenge by asking for permission; I overcame it through Technical Mastery and Data Fidelity. I shifted the conversation from “planting seeds” to “engineering resilience.” By mastering the Digital Heartbeat —from the labs that test our soil to the sensors that track our rainfall, wind direction, temperature and current overall conditions—I made our results undeniable. It’s hard to patronize a farmer when she’s presenting real-time data that proves her “Cleaner Greener Foods” are more nutrient-dense than anything in the commercial supply chain. I focused on the Agrihood Academy. By training a fleet of young women to manage our Gothic high tunnels and modular systems, we created an “Engine of Scale” that can’t be ignored. When people see a team of young women from Park Heights operating a technology driven urban farm with six (6) ongoing IRB Approved Studies onsite, the “hobbyist” label disappears. I stopped trying to fit into the “traditional” black urban farmer mold. I leaned into the “Reality-Based” approach of Agrihood Baltimore. I recognized that my role is as much about Land-Use Strategy and Preventative Medicine as it is about biology. Today, I don’t just farm; I manage a global innovation node. I overcame the challenge by proving that a woman’s place in agriculture isn’t just in the field—it’s in the lab, in the boardroom, and at the helm of the global 410-to-868 corridor. From the streets of Baltimore to the islands of Trinidad & Tobago , we are showing the world that the most dangerous thing you can do is underestimate a woman with a plan, a high tunnel, and a burning desire to lift up women across the globe.

Name: Gale Livingstone, Owner/Operator
Farm: Deep Roots Farm featuring Produce
Location: Upper Marlboro, Prince George’s County
What is one piece of advice you would give to the next generation of young women entering the agricultural field? Start small, be persistent and patient. Do not be discouraged or afraid to make mistakes each is an opportunity to learn.
What is the most rewarding part of your day-to-day life on the farm? Waking up on this land and giving thanks to those who came before me.

Name: Darlene Goehringer, Owner/Operator
Farm: Pop’s Old Place featuring Livestock & Poultry
Location: Hurlock, Dorchester County
What is the most rewarding part of your day-to-day life on the farm? Knowing I can provide nutrient-dense food for my family and our community. I also love being able to share what I’ve learned with others who want to incorporate agriculture into their lives—whether that’s backyard chickens, gardening, or building a direct-to-consumer farm business like ours.

Name: Emily O’Hara, Family Partner
Farm: Hara-Vale Farm featuring Livestock & Poultry
Location: Frederick, Frederick County
What inspired you to pursue a career in agriculture, and what keeps you passionate about it today? Emily has been involved with farming from birth – she was a little farmerette and then was the MD State Farm queen and state dairy princess.
What is the most rewarding part of your day-to-day life on the farm? Being able to provide for her daughter and give her the agricultural background is rewarding!