Iowa Veteran, Farmer and Local-Foods Advocate Recognized by White House as a "Champion of Change"

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Bill Menner, USDA Rural Development State Director in Iowa, on April 10, 2014 at 11:45 AM

Sonia Kendrick of Cedar Rapids, IA. Leader. Veteran. Champion of Change.

Sonia Kendrick, who founded Feed Iowa First, a non-profit organization in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was among a small group of local leaders across the nation recognized by the White House recently as “Women Veteran Leader Champions of Change.” The event on March 25 honored women veterans, highlighting their incredible contributions to the country’s business, public and community-service sectors.

Kendrick served in Afghanistan and upon her return was drawn to fighting hunger issues in Iowa through locally-grown food.  By identifying available land around churches and other sites in the Cedar Rapids area and securing access to it, she and other volunteers have grown, harvested and donated thousands of pounds of fresh produce to local food pantries and the Meals on Wheels program.

Working closely with USDA Farm Service Agency Iowa State Executive Director John Whitaker and others, Kendrick has created a platform that not only provides access to fresh, health and locally-grown food but creates an opportunity for returning veterans.  She has found a great interest in farming among her fellow veterans and engagement with Feed Iowa First is providing experiences that may lead them to a relationship with USDA.

“Through Feed Iowa First, Kendrick has offered other veterans and refugees the opportunity to gain valuable farming knowledge which will help them be successful in their future farming operations,” Whitaker said. “Sonia has played an integral role in educating new farmers about the many FSA loan programs designed to assist them to get started on their own.”

Kendrick works tirelessly to build partnerships, find new alliances, and spread her vision for veterans helping to feed the hungry.  She is active in the Iowa Farmer Veteran Coalition and serves as a liaison between that organization and veterans looking at a future in agriculture.

Kendrick estimates it will take 500 acres to provide adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables to the 25,000 people hungry in Linn County in eastern Iowa. Her research indicates 800 acres of underutilized land is owned by churches in Cedar Rapids, Marion and Hiawatha alone.

“What Feed Iowa First is doing in rural and urban areas is really taking off,” Whitaker added. “Just look around at the explosion of farmers markets, the explosion of local and regional food systems and the number of folks who want that type of food.”

Kendrick is the first to admit farming is hard work. She believes that if anyone has farming in their heart, that doors should be open to allow them to farm.

Indeed, new doors are opening thanks to Feed Iowa First.

The Women of Agriculture: Paving the Path for a New Tomorrow

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by USDA Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden, on March 28, 2014 at 4:00 PM

Agriculture Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden looks over olive blooms with Sandy Oaks Olive Orchard owner Sandy Winokur in Elemendorf, TX on Friday, Feb. 28, 2014. USDA photo by Melissa Blair.

During this year’s State of the Union address, President Obama laid out an important call to action for our country:

“This year let’s all come together, Congress, the White House, businesses from Wall Street to Main Street, to give every woman the opportunity she deserves, because I believe when women succeed, America succeeds.”

As Women’s History Month comes to a close, I would like to call attention to the remarkable work of women of agriculture. Not only are women the heart of many family farming operations across the country, women are starting and growing their own agricultural businesses– creating opportunity and economic growth for their families and in their local communities.

I have had the privilege of meeting many of these women.  Just last month, while in Texas, I met Sandy Winokur.  Sandy is a Ph.D., an artist, a farmer and a businesswoman.  Sandy decided to leave a career in the arts to move back to Texas and start an olive orchard, inspired by her time in the Mediterranean.  Today, Sandy’s orchard is home to thousands of olive trees, and her business sells everything from olive almond brittle to lip balm.

Pam Schreiber on her farm. USDA partnered with Pam as she received her organic certification.

I also had the pleasure of meeting Pam Schreiber, owner of Eight Mile Creek Farm, while traveling in New York.  In 2005, Pam set out to build her own diversified agricultural business, all while raising her three children.  She had no previous background in farming, but it was her deep connection to the land that inspired her to get started. She now produces more than 30 different kinds of fruits and vegetables, certified organic grass-fed beef, organic pork, organic heritage chicken, and cage-free organic eggs.

This month, I met with a new farmer from Georgia, Casey Cox.  Casey grew up in my hometown of Camilla, Ga., and returned home after college to work for the Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District.  She’s also working on her family farm – learning the ropes in her family’s vegetable, grain, peanut, and timber operation.  Casey’s passion is not just cultivating crops but also enhancing the process of agriculture by innovating in the field.

USDA continues to partner with these women to help them get started and grow their businesses. Women’s History Month is a great time to shine light on the hard work women in agriculture do each and every day. Agriculture is an incredibly rewarding career path and I hope these stories will inspire more women to enter into the field of agriculture in the future.

Casey Cox on her family farm. USDA partnered with Casey’s farm through the EQIP and AWEP programs, which (among other things) helps farmers optimize water use through emerging technologies.