Women in farming: School project

Hi everyone! I am a third-year journalism student at Loyalist College. Currently, I am working on a documentary about women on the family farm.

I want to explore how these days, women are taking on more active roles than ever before, while at the same time, running homes, raising children, and in some cases, even working outside of the home. I want to know what they think of this shift, and what it means in terms of lifestyle. How do they do it all? How are their husbands/partners supportive? Why is this change significant? Etc.

If anyone lives around the Belleville area and is interested in doing an interview, or knows anyone in the Belleville area, I would really appreciate your help.

Also, if anyone has any other suggestions on how to approach the story, that would be appreciated as well.

Thank you so much!

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by rosemarie haegens on November 8, 2011 at 4:26pm

I do not live in the Belleville area but I have raised four children as we started our farm, the need for the second income could not be denied as my husband has worked off farm for 25 years. As a result full responsibility for the day to day decisions and planning have become my responsibility. I am 51 and looking back now I wonder how I managed, I guess all I can say is that there were allot of long hours trying to keep house and keep a normal life for my children. I do know that there we times throughout the year that you just had to pick the things that you can live with, maybe a little more clutter and dirt in the house then you would like. I do know that I made the time to go to my children's class trips and let the fields wait. I always knew when I put in too many hours, as I could count on every spring planting season and every harvest my youngest would always crawl into my bed at 3:00 am. I am a grandmother now and when my first grandchild was born my heart ached because I really felt that at this point in my life I should be able to spend more time with them. I have considered a combine with a jump seat. I have been really lucky that I was able to employ my daughter who brings my grandchildren to work, she now keeps my house in shape while I run the employees and the fields.

Hope this helps you.

Permalink Reply by Katrina Geenevasen on November 9, 2011 at 4:36am

Hi there Rosemarie,

Whereabouts are you from? Even though you might live far away, I could still interview you for a print story, if you'd be interested?

Thanks for your reply..it sounds like you have lived a very busy life on the farm!

Permalink Reply by rosemarie haegens on November 9, 2011 at 7:23am

Fenwick Ontario close to the St.Catharines Niagara Falls area

Permalink Reply by Katrina Geenevasen on November 14, 2011 at 7:41am

That would be okay! We could do a phone interview sometime..it will give the story a broader voice than just local farmers. I'll give you my email so we can arrange a date for an interview, etc.

katrinageenevasen@gmail.com

RSS

Welcome to
Ontario Agriculture

Sign Up
or Sign In

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Amanda Ellis, flax crop committee

Amanda Ellis farms near Wawanesa, MB, with her husband Simon and his family at Ellis Seeds. The Ellis family has farmed the homestead where Amanda and Simon now live since 1919, and the operation continues to run with support from both sides of the family and close friends. They grow wheat, oats, soybeans, peas, flax and canola. What motivated you to get into farming? I fell into farming with my husband’s family to fill a need. I came from a business and finance background and started by taking on some casual bookkeeping for the farm. I enjoyed being part of the farming work and, over time, became more involved in the day-to-day operations. I’ve always enjoyed working with numbers, being outdoors and being part of something that contributes to our communities. This role allows me to do all those things. One of my favourite parts of farming is the constant learning. What motivated you to get involved with Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA)? I wanted to better understand the research, mar

CCGA Statement on Bill C-273 Supporting Innovation

Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA) welcomes the introduction of Private Member’s Bill C-273, the Facilitating Agricultural Regulatory Modernization Act (FARM Act), by MP David Bexte. The bill represents an important step toward modernizing Canada’s regulatory system and reducing unnecessary red tape that has impeded the timely adoption of innovative agricultural products. Farmers have consistently called for more timely access to new tools and technologies that improve productivity and competitiveness. By enabling a 90-day provisional approval process for products already vetted in trusted jurisdictions, this bill supports innovation while maintaining regulatory integrity. CCGA also recognizes the foundational work of MP Kody Blois, whose earlier bill helped shape this approach. Bill C-273 builds on that effort and reflects a growing, cross-party understanding of the need for a more efficient and responsive regulatory system that supports faster access to new products for far

EMILI collaborates with 24 innovators on 33 unique projects in 2026

As EMILI celebrates 10 years of driving agriculture innovation, we are proud to announce 33 unique projects taking place on Innovation Farms powered by AgExpert in 2026. This includes commercial and pre-commercial solutions that EMILI is testing and demonstrating in crops and storage bins across 10,000 acres on its two Innovation Farms sites in Grosse Isle and MacGregor, Manitoba. As an industry-led non-profit, EMILI is in a unique position to provide innovators with access to leading-edge equipment, technology, and production practices along with unbiased feedback on how their innovation works on a full-scale farm. This is more important than ever, as Canada’s agriculture sector navigates climate volatility, global tensions that cause transportation and storage constraints, price instability, and shifting consumer expectations. “Technology is evolving and reshaping the industry at a rapid pace, allowing producers to do more, and in a more productive and sustainable way. But produc

Census of Agriculture opens next month

Canadian farmers will have from May 4 to July 31 to complete the census

The Rural Ontario Institute announces the Community Well-being Dashboard in Canada’s two official languages

The Rural Ontario Institute (ROI) is pleased to announce the Rural Community Well-Being Dashboard and supporting factsheets are now available in Canada’s two official languages.

More…

Badges | Report an Issue | Terms of Service