Being the voice Paige Hepp was raised on her family’s multi-generational farm in Treynor. From there, she was sharing stories from her family’s farm, admiring the outreach efforts of Sara Ross, a farmer, wife and mother in Minden. CommonGround became an opportunity for Hepp to take an active role in ag advocacy. “I got involved because I wanted to be that voice of agriculture, especially for women. It’s a very male-dominated industry, so it’s nice to have that women’s perspective because it’s a lot different,” Hepp says. She married James, a firstgeneration farmer sharecropping with another farmer near Rockwell City. James and Hepp are working with the farmer to someday make that farm their own. She says CommonGround is expanding opportunities to tell their farm story beyond their local community. “I’m not just speaking to the farming community, but to consumers as well. I want them to understand where their food comes from and how we’re taking care of the ground we’re raising our crops on,” Hepp says.
Pivoting through a pandemic Though COVID-19 has hindered efforts to host events in person, CommonGround has pivoted by reaching out through social media platforms. CommonGround Iowa’s Ladies Linked Week on Facebook brought together more than 1,000 women to share everything from farm tours, favorite holiday recipes and howtos in home décor. It’s one example of CommonGround’s work in connecting women and consumers through shared interests. “As an individual, I’m not just the farm,” Plagge says. “It’s a huge part of my life and at certain times of the year it probably really is what I am, but there are other parts of me. CommonGround helps weave it all together.”
Building community Hepp says she’s found a community of supportive women by being involved in CommonGround. “I recently got married and moved 2.5 hours north away from family and friends, so I’ve been missing a community per se. The CommonGround group has been a community of gals I can lean on, even if it’s virtually because of COVID-19.”
TIPS Want to share your farm story but don’t know how? Here are a few tips:
1. Start by posting a video or photo of your morning chores. “There’s a lot of people who think they know what’s going on on your farm, but you’re the only one who really knows,” Plagge says. “Sharing on your own social platforms, even if it’s your Facebook page to your own family and friends, is a starting point.”
2. Just start. “We need to share everyone’s farm story, no matter how small they think it might be,” Hepp says. “It could be really liberating, even for others to hear your story.”
3. Diversify your content. “Farming isn’t the only thing we do, so make sure you’re sharing all of your passions,” Plagge says. “Anytime you can share pictures of kids or dogs or yourself, those go over really well.”
Contact Bethany Baratta at bbaratta@iasoybeans.com.
Val Plagge has amplified her advocacy voice by participating in CommonGround and engaging in conversations about agriculture.
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