The face of agriculture is changing in Canada. More women are taking lead roles managing farms, becoming decision-makers and forming business partnerships.
March 8 is International Women’s Day, a day to honour women’s achievements and to advocate for gender equality, across all aspects of life and in all industries, including agriculture. Across the Credit River Watershed, women—including Lee Anne Downey, Gillian Northgrave and Della Campbell—are furthering sustainable agriculture.
Lee Anne Downey: Restoring our Natural and Cultural Heritage
Lee Anne Downey runs Stonewell Lavender with her husband, where they host private on-farm experiences and events. Keeping the farm as natural as possible is important to Lee Anne, who tenaciously worked to remove common buckthorn from the property. To discourage the return of the invasive shrub, Lee Anne planted hundreds of native trees and shrubs, and a pollinator meadow with CVC.
Gillian Northgrave: Protecting Herd Health Creates New Opportunities for Stewardship
Gillian Northgrave’s herd of beef cattle had a tendency to spend time in and around a small pond on the farm. Knowing this habit could negatively affect the water quality in the watershed and the health of her cattle and her family, she took action. She fenced the pond off and created a natural buffer to help filter contaminants from entering the water. With the help of CVC, she planted hundreds of native trees, shrubs and wildflowers within the area to help restore its health.
Della Campbell: Co-founder of a Community Farm that
Keeps Giving Back
Food security is important to Della Campbell, who runs Everdale Farm with her husband. Since co-founding it in 1996, Della has worked to ensure the community farm is an integral part of the local food system—training young regenerative farmers, educating children on food and ecosystems, sharing harvests with food banks and partners. For several years, she has partnered with CVC to restore the farm’s natural areas, most recently working with CVC and Ducks Unlimited on a wetland restoration project. For her actions, Della received the 2023 Most Influential Women in Canadian Agriculture Award.
The work these women did is inspiring, especially as the demographics of agriculture change, and as more farmers turn to sustainable practices to adapt to a changing climate. It’s why we choose to honour them this International Women’s Day.
Connect with us to start your own stewardship project: cvc.ca/GetStarted.