The Future (of Farming) is Female Panel
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Let’s listen to women who are farming in Indiana. Join us on Weds, Feb 9, to hear from women who are farming in Indiana. This panel builds off the Hoosier Young Farmers Podcast episode “Women in Farming.” Women farmers from around the state of Indiana will share what it’s like to be a farmer in a world where everyone expects farmers to be male. We’ll dive into the different roles women carry on their farm from the fields to the spreadsheets, and learn how these women face - and break - gender stereotypes of the agricultural world. Listen to the full podcast series here on the HYFC Meet the Farmers page.
Vivian Muhammad and Joyce Randolph, The Elephant Gardens
In 2013, Vivian Muhammad, and her mother, Joyce Randolph purchased a 1/4 acre lot at 3348 N. Sherman Dr. wherein they established an organic vegetable and herb garden, known as The Elephant Gardens. One year later another 1/4 acre lot was purchased very near the the first. Since that time, Vivian, Joyce, and family, have worked to expand and transform the Elephant Gardens urban farms into a full farmer’s market/health food oasis in the middle of one of Indianapolis’ designated “food deserts” within the Forest Manor/Brightwood community. They have built a ‘Mobile Farmacy” farm stand, a health and beauty bodega, and a greenhouse in order to provide nutrient dense produce, organic starter plants and medical herbs and spices to their community and to encourage the adoption of healthier lifestyles. Vivian and Joyce have also partnered with Harvest House/St. Peter’s Episcopal Church to farm an additional 1/8 of an acre, enabling them to grow even more fresh vegetables and herbs for their community. In 2019, Vivian and Joyce also established a 4H club known as Tomorrowland’s Children to teach, train, and promote the Junior Master Gardeners’ curriculum. Vivian and her Mother Joyce are Vice-President and President of the Forest Manor Neighborhood Association respectively, Neighborhood Food Champions, and steering committee members of the Equitable Food Access Initiative. egardens4us@gmail.com
Danielle Guerin, Soul Food Project
Danielle is an Indy native who grew up in the 46218 zip code and went on to study Entrepreneurship at Bradley University and Public Affairs at Indiana University. Interested in how food affects the whole body, mental and physical, she became involved in the local food movement and urban agriculture. To increase her knowledge, she completed a summer farming program and spent two years in West Africa working with farmers. She is passionate about ending food apartheid in our black communities and raising up our young leaders. danielle.guerin@soulfoodprojectindy.org
Megan Ayers, Unvarnished Farms
Megan is a first-generation farmer and the founder and chicken and goose wrangler at Unvarnished Farm in Deputy, Indiana. With a focus on soil health and integrated ecosystems, her aim in farming is to use regenerative and biodiverse practices to bring life back to the small 11 acres she lives on with her husband, daughter, dogs, cats, and a plethora of poultry. Unvarnished Farm produces fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, maple syrup, chicken and goose eggs, honey, herbs, and plant starts for farmers' markets and restaurants in the Southeastern Indiana area. Established in 2020, the farm's biodiversity of life and production grows yearly as the soil improves with rest, pastured poultry, cover-cropping, no-tilling, no-spraying, and crop rotation. unvarnishedfarm@gmail.com
Alex Chambers, WFIU Inner States
Alex worked on small farms through his 20s, but went into writing and radio instead. He produced the Hoosier Young Farmer Podcast, and he's the producer and host of Inner States, an arts and culture podcast from WFIU, Bloomington. He also teaches audio storytelling at the IU Media School.
Vivian Muhammad and Joyce Randolph, The Elephant Gardens
In 2013, Vivian Muhammad, and her mother, Joyce Randolph purchased a 1/4 acre lot at 3348 N. Sherman Dr. wherein they established an organic vegetable and herb garden, known as The Elephant Gardens. One year later another 1/4 acre lot was purchased very near the the first. Since that time, Vivian, Joyce, and family, have worked to expand and transform the Elephant Gardens urban farms into a full farmer’s market/health food oasis in the middle of one of Indianapolis’ designated “food deserts” within the Forest Manor/Brightwood community. They have built a ‘Mobile Farmacy” farm stand, a health and beauty bodega, and a greenhouse in order to provide nutrient dense produce, organic starter plants and medical herbs and spices to their community and to encourage the adoption of healthier lifestyles. Vivian and Joyce have also partnered with Harvest House/St. Peter’s Episcopal Church to farm an additional 1/8 of an acre, enabling them to grow even more fresh vegetables and herbs for their community. In 2019, Vivian and Joyce also established a 4H club known as Tomorrowland’s Children to teach, train, and promote the Junior Master Gardeners’ curriculum. Vivian and her Mother Joyce are Vice-President and President of the Forest Manor Neighborhood Association respectively, Neighborhood Food Champions, and steering committee members of the Equitable Food Access Initiative. egardens4us@gmail.com
Danielle Guerin, Soul Food Project
Danielle is an Indy native who grew up in the 46218 zip code and went on to study Entrepreneurship at Bradley University and Public Affairs at Indiana University. Interested in how food affects the whole body, mental and physical, she became involved in the local food movement and urban agriculture. To increase her knowledge, she completed a summer farming program and spent two years in West Africa working with farmers. She is passionate about ending food apartheid in our black communities and raising up our young leaders. danielle.guerin@soulfoodprojectindy.org
Megan Ayers, Unvarnished Farms
Megan is a first-generation farmer and the founder and chicken and goose wrangler at Unvarnished Farm in Deputy, Indiana. With a focus on soil health and integrated ecosystems, her aim in farming is to use regenerative and biodiverse practices to bring life back to the small 11 acres she lives on with her husband, daughter, dogs, cats, and a plethora of poultry. Unvarnished Farm produces fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, maple syrup, chicken and goose eggs, honey, herbs, and plant starts for farmers' markets and restaurants in the Southeastern Indiana area. Established in 2020, the farm's biodiversity of life and production grows yearly as the soil improves with rest, pastured poultry, cover-cropping, no-tilling, no-spraying, and crop rotation. unvarnishedfarm@gmail.com
Alex Chambers, WFIU Inner States
Alex worked on small farms through his 20s, but went into writing and radio instead. He produced the Hoosier Young Farmer Podcast, and he's the producer and host of Inner States, an arts and culture podcast from WFIU, Bloomington. He also teaches audio storytelling at the IU Media School.
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