The Year of the Woman Farmer: Stories from Massachusetts Farms
The United Nations has declared 2026 the International Year of the Woman Farmer, recognizing the women whose work helps sustain farms and food systems around the world. At Mass Farmers Markets, that story comes to life each week through women whose passion, perseverance and stewardship nourish communities across Massachusetts. Meet just a few of the remarkable female farmers whose products can be found at one or more of MFM’s five farmers markets in Boston, Cambridge and Somerville.
ELIZABETH FRARY OF COPICUT FARMS is a fourth-generation Massachusetts farmer who, alongside her husband, Vince, raises livestock using rotational grazing. “We built this life because we wanted to work side by side as a family,” she says, raising their son with an appreciation for meaningful work, environmental stewardship and community.
AMANDA WADLEIGH OF KIMBALL FRUIT FARM came to farming after a career in education, when she and her husband purchased one of Massachusetts’ oldest farms. “We said yes,” she says, “even though we could not, and still cannot, predict all possible outcomes.” Today, the farm remains guided by a simple mission: to provide local families the opportunity to enjoy healthy food together.
GENEVIÈVE STILLMAN IS CO-OWNER AND OPERATIONAL BACKBONE OF STILLMAN’S FARM. Alongside managing daily operations and customer relationships, she supports related family ventures including Still Life Farm, Stillman Quality Meats and Stillman Forgotten Harvest. Her dedication to family, good food and thoughtful land stewardship helps keep the farm rooted in community.
When SYD ST. JOHN OF NETTLEPOINT FARM moved to Greenfield to help care for her father in law, she wasn’t planning to start a flower farm. After mowing 2.7 acres of lawn a few times, she decided to create “something more beautiful and productive.” Today, Nettlepoint Farm has become both a flourishing flower farm and a gathering place for neighbors.
Though their paths are different, these women share a common purpose. They grow food and flowers, care for livestock, manage businesses and strengthen their communities every day. Syd puts it simply: “The female farmers I know are the hardest-working… group of people, and if anyone is going to pull through and revitalize agriculture, it’s them.”
The International Year of the Woman Farmer is an opportunity to recognize women whose leadership has long been essential to agriculture. Their stories remind us that farming has always demanded resilience, innovation and determination, and that the future of Massachusetts agriculture will continue to be shaped by farmers who are caring for the land, feeding their communities and redefining what a farmer looks like.
This article is brought to you by Mass Farmers Markets, a nonprofit committed to expanding farmers markets throughout Massachusetts, and appeared in the Fall 2026 issue. Support local food systems and discover seasonal recipes like these by signing up for their newsletter and following @massfarmersmarkets on Instagram.
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