Farming used to have a male-oriented stigma attached to it.  I grew up on a farm in rural Nebraska where my dad and grandpa raised corn, wheat, milo, cows, pigs, and chickens.  And there were many male farmers in that section of the world that did the same thing.  Sometimes women helped around the farm, but never did they run a farm of their own, in my experience.  Now that's changing.

Do you know any female farmers in East Texas?  

There was an article that ran in USA Today over the weekend that said more women are becoming farmers because of local grow programs, and their desires to be more organic and healthy in the approach to food.  Women don't need big barns and silos.  Instead they're harvesting small crops from small fields and gardens, and taking the results of their efforts to farmers' markets.  When you put enough of the smaller farms together, supplies are ample.

States like Michigan saw a 17.6% increase from 2002 to 2007 in the number of female farmers, according to the 2007 U.S. Department of Agriculture five-year census.  That percentage is expected to increase dramatically with the release of the next census report in February.

In Angelina County, you can find local produce at the Farmers Market at 2107 S. Medford.  Hours are Monday-Thursday 8am-6-m. Saturday 8am-5pm. Sunday 10am-4pm, and the market runs through October 31. 936-634-6655 for more information.

And in Nacogdoches, the Farmers Market can be found at 107 W. Pearl Street, and it runs through December on Saturdays from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM. (903) 560-5533 for more.

More From Classic Rock Q107