Who gets to belong in agriculture?
It’s a fair question. Agriculture carries deep traditions, and those traditions have shaped not only how we work but also who is seen as belonging.
Matthew Winterholler-Throckmorton said it best: “If there’s no room at the table for us, we need to pull up a chair ourselves.” That hits me every time I think about it. Belonging doesn’t always come with an invitation. Sometimes it comes from deciding to make space, even when no one else does.
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I keep thinking about the power of early “yeses” that Matthew described in the story he shared with me.
For Matthew, it was teachers and mentors who told him, without hesitation, You belong here. I’ve had similar experiences with mentors who were there for me when my career and identity came to a crossroads. Those early affirmations can change everything.
I’ve seen people stay in agriculture because someone believed in them at the right moment. And I’ve seen others quietly walk away when they didn’t get that same support.
Those “yeses” don’t have to be grand gestures. Sometimes it’s a teacher who keeps a student engaged in ag class. A boss who backs you up in front of a customer. A friend who uses the right words when introducing your partner.
A single yes can be the difference between staying and leaving. Between someone showing up fully or hiding a part of who they are.
Belonging can’t stop at the first yes. Saying the right words is one thing. Living them out is equity in action.
Equity is active, not passive
Inclusion is easy to talk about. Putting it into practice is harder.
Agriculture has gotten better at saying the right things, but words on paper aren’t enough. Equity means doing the work and doing it consistently.
It looks like paying attention to who’s missing at the table when decisions are made. It looks like questioning assumptions that slip into everyday conversations. It looks like rewriting policies so they reflect the families and identities that actually exist in our communities (I’m still looking at you, Farm Bureau), not just who’s in the room when those decisions happen.
None of this happens by accident. Equity isn’t a slogan to hang on a wall like a Live. Laugh. Love. sign from Hobby Lobby. It’s uncomfortable sometimes, because it means admitting that the way things have always been done hasn’t worked for everyone. But that’s where real change begins.
Making room
So, who gets to belong in agriculture? Everyone who wants to be part of this community.
Sometimes it takes courage to pull up your own chair. Other times, it takes humility to slide over and make room. Either way, we all shape the table.
While you’re here, go check out this profile of Matthew and his husband that was posted by @queergrown yesterday.
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