When Andie Kate talks about farming, it’s evident that this is someone who passionately believes in helping people and improving lives through fresh food. With well-defined farming goals, she is part of a growing number of females in a once predominantly male profession.
According to the 2017 agriculture census, the number of female producers increased 27 percent. Female-operated farms were 56 percent of the 1.1 million total farms identified. These farms have one or more female producers responsible for making decisions about the farm’s operation.
Born and raised in Little Rock, Andie Kate White entered farming with no previous experience. Nearing graduation with a BA in French, she took an internship at the Botanical Gardens of the Ozarks in Fayetteville. That experience was “life-changing.” Her mentors imparted an understanding of the land and teaching others the value of growing and nurturing plants.
Her interest in farming didn’t come suddenly though, Andie Kate describes it as a slow burn. She was thinking about her future and outlining the values and goals that were important to her. Working with the community and the land was a priority. It was essential to determine if her passions could endure in a working environment, “with boots on the ground, doing it every day,” as she puts it. The position with the botanical garden was the test she needed for confirmation.
There was a profound sense of fulfillment while feeding the chickens and tending the plants in the garden. “It filled my cup,” Andie Kate says, “I had found something I wanted to do with my life. Farming is a lot of hard work and deeply rewarding.” She describes it with evident reverence saying, “You are planting seeds on a blustery day in February, and then watching them grow into seedlings. Next, you transplant this tiny little rooted plant in the field and watch it grow under your care. It’s beautiful.”
Her farming goals are equally beautiful. She’d like to work with low-income communities, fighting food insecurity and food apartheid. Her dream would be to have a small farm on a few acres and work with the community. Andie Kate believes in empowering people by ensuring they have access to nutritious food to make healthy food choices for themselves.
While contemplating her next step after completing her undergraduate degree, she was considering teaching. That’s when she heard about the CAFF Farm School and thought that it might be a perfect fit for someone interested in farming with minimal experience. Conversations with the CAFF team confirmed this. Suddenly her next step became a sharp turn onto a new path of farming.
For now, Andie Kate is trying to gain as much farming experience as possible, starting with the CAFF Farm School. She says she can’t praise the program enough and recommends it to anyone interested in learning to farm.
Her next step will take her to a new working position on a mid-scale organic farm starting in 2022. It will be exciting to see what this inspiring young Arkansan accomplishes in communities through her passion for farming and helping others.
Find out more about the CAFF Farm School at UAFarmSchool.org
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