People always ask how I got started in farming but really, they are wondering what makes a woman want to do this kind of work? I started out growing on a small scale 20 years ago. Rather than having a family farm to grow up with, and access to all that equipment and knowledge, learning and earning as I go has always been a unique challenge for me as a first generation farmette. Mentors along the way have helped me learn non-traditional women's tasks like changing oil, maintaining the equipment, driving tractors, trailers and trucks. A lot of problem solving skills have been necessary when a task was needing someone bigger or stronger than myself.  Leverage is key to being a  farm operator and so is a fantastic grease gun, but my favorite tool is my grinder with a cut off wheel!  

Lucky for me, every day holds a new learning experience and I am truly blessed to be able to live the dream and watch the crops come to fruition year after year. 

AZ in particular has more women owned farms than any other state, and it shows that a little ingenuity and a willingness to get dirty means we can do pretty much anything!