Female Farmers in Politics
Women - especially women of color and rural women are historically underrepresented in leadership roles. An unprecedented number of women are running for political office in 2018, counted among them are many women farmers. These women, if elected, will bring diversity and provide a much-needed voice for these marginalized communities.
YOUR HOST
Audra Mulkern, Host and Executive Producer
GUESTS
Audrey Denney, Candidate for the United States House of Representatives serving California’s First District
Emily Best, Candidate for Pennsylvania’s State Senate serving District 30
PLAY EPISODE
Audrey has never found a place she loves more than the North State. She is running for Congress because she believes that the people of the North State deserve better. They deserve a representative who will respect and listen to them and who will fight for their needs and concerns in Washington D.C. She believes that the job is not about partisan politics, but about bringing people together, and finding a way forward as a community, a region, and a nation. Audrey has proven time and again that she has the passion, the skills, the energy, and the strength of character to do just that.
Audrey spent her childhood on her family’s farm and ranch in Central California, growing grapes and hay while raising cattle and horses. Her father was a Vietnam veteran and her mother was a leader in their church parish. Audrey learned to work hard and efficiently before and after school to accomplish all that needed to be done to keep the family business running smoothly through both prosperous and hard times. She developed a strong respect for land and natural resources, which she has carried with her throughout her education and career endeavors.
I'm Emily Best. I am a 35-year-old working mom living in McConnellsburg, in beautiful Fulton County. I was born and raised in Western PA. Six years ago, I moved here to work an organic farm. For nearly 3 years after that, I managed a farmers' cooperative, where I helped sell fruits and vegetables to keep farmers on their land. It's becoming harder and harder to be a farmer in a central PA.
I am running for State Senate (District 30) because I believe our communities deserve better than politicians who make promises they can't keep, who don't understand what it's like to raise a family with two working parents, who tell us that they are looking out for us but are only looking out for themselves, and who are ignoring how hard we must work to survive in this economy.
I am running as a Democrat, but I believe our two-party system is broken. We need a new generation of leaders to change our political system. Our system leaves too many people disengaged, because too many politicians are only in it for themselves.
I can't accept the status quo any longer. Our lawmakers should be improving our communities -- not taking our votes for granted. I will always put the citizens of District 30 first before party politics. I believe in listening, identifying solutions, and compromising to get things done, just like we do at home.
I believe we all deserve a choice in our representation, and I intend to offer the voters of District 30 a better choice.
SHOW NOTES
Audrey for Congress
Elect Emily Best
Hadwiger, Don F. “Farmers in Politics.” Agricultural History, vol. 50, no. 1, 1976, pp. 156–170. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/3741913.
How Agriculture Came to Be a Political Weapon—And What That Means for Farmers
Farming as a political act
Thanks to Modern Farmer for running our list of the races of female farmers we are tracking!
Thanks to Politico for featuring our tracking of female farmer candidates!
Episode with Kriss Marion - now candidate for Wisconsin State Senate
PRODUCTION NOTES
Producer: Joe Mulkern
FFP Theme Song: Written and Performed by Joe Mulkern
Episode Music: Copley Beat by Blue Dot Sessions - thank you for providing free music for educational projects like the Female Farmer Project Podcast
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