Audra Mulkern is a 2019 James Beard nominee, writer, photographer, and international speaker who is changing the way we look at farming and the people who grow our food.

She is the founder of “The Female Farmer Project™” – a multi-platform documentary project that chronicles the rise of women working in agriculture around the world.  From in-depth stories, personal essays, photographic portraits, a podcast, and an in-production documentary film -- the project gives a powerful voice to the fastest-growing demographic in agriculture-- the female farmer.

Audra is the Executive Producer, Producer, and Host of the in-production documentary film, Women’s Work: The Untold Story of America’s Female Farmers.

Audra and her storytelling partner, Debbie Weingarten are 2019 James Beard Award nominees for their investigative reporting work on discrimination practices against black farmers.
'It's not fair, not right': how America treats its black farmers

The Female Farmer Project™ has garnered international recognition, and has been featured and published in a number of outlets including The Guardian, The Today Show, Condé Nast, Huffington Post, PBS, The Seattle Times, and has been in exhibition at the United Nations in New York, the IFAD building in Rome, La Maison Rouge Gallery in Paris, FarmAid30, TEDxManhattan 2015 and is in permanent exhibition at the USDA in Washington DC. 

Readers Digest Country Woman Magazine identified 45 "Amazing Women" in honor of their 45th Anniversary. Audra Mulkern was honored alongside Temple Grandin, Krysta Harden, Sandra Day O'Connor, and many others who represent the movement in embracing and celebrating women and the ‘country’ way of life.

 Audra also won the Cascade Harvest Coalition Wendell Berry award for 2015, the PCC Farmland Trust Barn Raiser award in 2018 and the Tilth Alliance ‘Advocate of the Year’ award in 2018 for her work on passing legislation to help fund mental health resources at the state and federal levels.

Audra currently serves on the Refresh Food and Tech Working Group representing women in agriculture. The Refresh Working Group brings together farmers, small business owners, researchers, corporate partners, nonprofit leaders, educators, community organizers, and innovators working across the food system to explore—and hopefully finding consensus around—intersecting policy issues at the nexus of food and technology. The project is initially funded by Google and led by Swell Creative Group.

For event speaker inquiries, contact Audra here.

For video production and hosting services contact Audra here

Pronouns: she, her

Debbie Weingarten

Debbie Weingarten is a writer and editor, who believes that food systems are stronger if the women working within them are connected with and empowered by each other. As a former vegetable farmer, she geeks out to USDA statistics, goat dynamics, and convening with other female farmer-mover-shakers. She is obsessed with storytelling and amplifying the voices in rural America. She is the co-founder of the Farmer Education & Resource Network, and formally served on the City of Tucson's Commission for Food Security, Heritage and Economy, and on the Leadership Council for the Pima County Food Alliance. 

To contact Debbie for speaker or writing services, contact her here.

 Pronouns: she, her

greta hardin

A history buff on the side, and a science geek for life – Greta Hardin has degrees in Biology and Education. She’s taught AP Chemistry, led Elementary School Art-Programs, and written a cookbook for beginners at the Farmers Market. She’s currently delving into her family’s forestry business, and slowly working towards a cookbook on Farmers Market proteins (beef heart Sauce Bolognese?). Such wide-ranging interest and a passion for research and writing mean a chance to dig into the past and present roles of Women in growing, harvesting, and producing our food is about as exciting as it gets.

To contact Greta for speaker engagments or panels on women in forestry, contact her here. 

Pronouns: she, her

Jo arlow

Jo is a professional documentary and action photographer in Olympia, Washington.  In 2011, her husband Greg, a veteran of the US navy special forces, took his own life after struggling for years with "moral injury,"  post traumatic stress and chronic pain. After Greg's death she experienced deep grief, guilt and bewilderment, particularly as she came to realize how little she understood about addressing veterans' health and well-being.  

Shortly after Greg's death she left her career as a lawyer to dedicate herself to telling the stories of community-based organizations, particularly those serving veterans. Since that time she's continued to document and participate in veteran-led programs that work to prevent suicide and improve veterans' quality of life, including the Growing Veterans' farmsteads near Bellingham and a veterans' spiritual wilderness retreat with School of Lost Borders. She is also a community organizer with Forefront Suicide Prevention at the University of Washington School of Social Work.

Jo intends to further document the work of veteran farmers across Washington State, many of whom have joined together recently to establish the Washington State chapter of the Farmer Veteran Coalition.

To contact Jo for speaker or panels on veteran suicide issues, contact her here. 

Pronouns: she, her

meloNy edwards

Melony Edwards is a returning-generation farmer, entrepreneur, advocate, seed steward for culturally significant seeds of the African Diaspora, and founder of Ebony by Nature, a fiber farm that focuses on natural-dyed flowers such as indigo and marigolds for textiles and fiber art. She also grows the beloved Rockwell bean.

Bringing her unique perspective as a young, African American woman working on a small farm, Edwards started her food journey in the culinary and hospitality field. Driven by her personal love for food and insatiable curiosity, Edwards has worked in many different aspects of the culinary world, quickly climbing the industry ladder. Starting out as an intern in a four-star Seattle restaurant, Edwards has also worked on cruise ships, managed the ordering and event details for a division of Boeing’s Eurest catering program, and worked at  Whole Foods Market. She worked at Willowood Farm beginning in 2016. There, Edwards immediately immersed herself in the small farming community and quickly rose through the ranks at Willowood, starting out as a field hand to her a farm management role. Edwards was involved in local efforts to relaunch the Whidbey Island Grown brand, helping to promote Whidbey as a unique culinary and agricultural destination. In addition, Edwards is currently working on a program in collaboration with Finnriver Farm and Cidery and Port Townsend Land Trust to bring more young African American students interested in farming to local Pacific Northwest farms so they can experience farming.

Edwards holds a degree in hospitality and restaurant management from Johnson & Wales University Miami as well as a degree in culinary arts from Le Cordon Bleu.

Melony is featured in "We are Each Other's Harvest, Celebrating African American Farmers, Land, and Legacy" by Natalie Baszile. Chapter 24 - Four Days in Alaskan Farm School with Melony Edwards

She was interviewed on "Food with Mark Bittman: Black Farmers and the Way Forward"

To contact Melony for speaker engagements, interviews or panels on women of color in agriculture, young farmers, and food systems, contact her here. 

Pronouns: she, her