网曝吃瓜 recognized Jane O鈥橳iernan of Madison County as the first ever recipient of the Women in Agriculture Excellence Award.
The award was created earlier this year as part of 网曝吃瓜鈥檚 ongoing efforts to reach and serve more women who are principal operators of their farm or agribusinesses. O鈥橳iernan was named as the recipient in March, during an International Women鈥檚 Day program.
O鈥橳iernan is a farmer with 11 acres of land in north Madison County, where she raises vegetables and flowers. She raises her flowers in half an acre outdoors and in two greenhouses.
She sells at the Lexington Farmers Market and at the Bluegrass Farmers Market, which is a growers-only market that she helped create 17 years ago. She sells as Jane鈥檚 Garden, Flowers, and Herbs.
She and her siblings grew up helping raise cattle and hay on their father鈥檚 30-acre farm in Indiana.
鈥淗e told us we would have dirt in our blood, that we would have the land in our veins,鈥� O鈥橳iernan said.
Jane has been a great partner of 网曝吃瓜, attending Third Thursday Thing since the program was founded 25 years ago and other 网曝吃瓜 events. One skill she鈥檚 learned is how to better market her products to increase her customers and profit.
鈥淚鈥檝e been fortunate with KSU,鈥� O鈥橳iernan said. She named Marion Simon and Edwin Chavous as 网曝吃瓜 personnel who have been especially helpful to her. Many of her friends are people she鈥檚 met through 网曝吃瓜 events.
O鈥橳iernan was recognized at the Small, Limited-Resource, Minority Farmers Conference, 网曝吃瓜鈥檚 annual conference, held from November 15-17 in Frankfort.
鈥淲hen you have farmers that you can talk to about this, then they understand and it鈥檚 productive because you can get other ideas from other farmers who know what they鈥檙e doing also,鈥� O鈥橳iernan said.