MONTICELLO — Green County area women interested in learning about conservation and meeting other women that share a passion for stewarding the land are invited to join a free educational session, “Learning Circle: Connect on Conservation,” at 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 16 at Gasaway Gardens in Monticello. The event is hosted by Renewing the Countryside (RTC), Soil Sisters and the Women, Food and Agriculture Network (WFAN) with a goal to bring women together with shared conservation interests and goals.
“These Learning Circles bring together women in a safe space to collaboratively connect, share and inspire each other,” said Jan Joannides, Executive Director of Renewing the Countryside, a non-profit dedicated to championing rural revitalization for over twenty years. “We have seen women thrive in such peer-based, informal learning environments, especially when we have the opportunity to gather together on a woman landowner’s property and draw inspiration from her conservation actions, like Alicia Gasaway has done on her farm.”
RTC is the Wisconsin non-profit partner in WFAN’s Stewardship Ambassador program, a seven Midwest state innovative venture supported by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to amplify the voices of women championing conservation practices on their land.
“I’m so excited to host this Learning Circle and share with other women what my family and I have created on our five acres,” said Alicia Gasaway of Gasaway Gardens outside Monticello. “We are just beginning to learn about best practices for intensive grazing, cover cropping, permaculture, and raising animals. Finding an encouraging community that values knowledge sharing has been key for us. We’ve made lots of mistakes in our journey and admit our mistakes to others so they don’t have to make the same ones.”
Gasaway serves as a WFAN Stewardship Ambassador, part of a team of over forty Midwest women farmers sharing their personal conservation journey story at various community events and gatherings like this Learning Circle.
“I have personally found the support of and connections with other women who share my passion for stewarding the land through networks like Soil Sisters and WFAN so helpful, especially to share information and knowing I have others to call on for support and asking questions,” Gasaway said.
The Learning Circle format focuses on personal story sharing and resource connections in a safe, women-identifying only setting that welcomes all from beginners to seasoned conservationists.
“This WFAN Stewardship Ambassador project celebrates and spotlights these inspiring stories of women landowners, voices that historically have not been recognized in conservation,” said Stephanie Enloe, Director of Programming for WFAN. “Alicia exemplifies the incredible cooperative mindset of these women leaders, transparently and authentically sharing their land stewardship story with each other and strengthening opportunities for all by creating a supportive community.”
Part of this local community roots in Soil Sisters, a project of RTC, which started in Green County over fifteen years ago to bring together rural women to share knowledge, resources and expertise to collaboratively advocate for conservation, sustainability, local food and networking. Featured on Around the Farm Table along with Midwest Living, Modern Farmer and a Top Rural Development Initiative Award winner, Soil Sisters brings the spotlight to the inspiring stories of women-owned family farms that produce food and fiber while stewarding the landscape. Today there are over 200 Green County area women in the founding group along with additional networks and resources.
The July 16 Learning Circle is free for all women to attend, but space is limited and registration required. Refreshments will be served.
Attendees are invited to stay for supper at the monthly Soil Sisters potluck starting at 4 p.m., the monthly summer gathering bringing together this network of sustainability focused farmers, gardeners and local food enthusiasts in the Green County area.
Soil Sisters is a project of Renewing the Countryside, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization working to strengthen rural areas by building awareness and support for sustainable endeavors, reinforcing urban-rural connections, and providing practical assistance and networking opportunities for people who are renewing the countryside through sustainable and innovative initiatives, businesses, and projects. Learn more at renewingthecountryside.org.
For more information and registration, see www.soilsistershub.org.
