The United Nations declared 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer. This effort is an important step in highlighting the often-overlooked work of women in food and wellness systems around the world. It is also raising awareness about the unique challenges women face in agriculture. This inspired us to reflect on the incredible women farmers we work with and share how their knowledge and perspective have shaped the herbal industry.
Abianne Falla is a farmer and naturalist doing incredible work to bring recognition to yaupon, North America's only native caffeinated plant. Yaupon (Ilex vomitoria) grows prolifically, sometimes to the frustration of those who live where it thrives. Abianne, however, has helped transform it from a plant seen as a nuisance into a sustainable and flavorful tea worthy of attention. Not only has she built a supply chain around this plant from the ground up, but she has refined the art of roasting it into a rich and flavorful caffeinated tea.
Elise Higley is a folk herbalist and farmer who cultivates many of the vibrant US grown botanicals Mountain Rose Herbs offers. US grown calendula, bee balm, comfrey, and chamomile all come from her Regenerative Organic Certified farm in the Applegate Valley of Oregon. We have worked with Elise for many years, and her commitment to the plants is evident in everything she grows. Not only is she an incredible farmer, but she is also an herbalist at heart. That depth of knowledge brings an added layer of intention and care to the plants she grows to support community health.
Danielle Kruse is the West Farm Manager of one of our farm partners in the state of Washington. She is responsible for growing some of the high-quality herbs that you have come to love from Mountain Rose Herbs, such as peppermint, catnip, echinacea, and more. We have worked with Danielle for over a decade and have long been inspired by her passion for the plants, her understanding of soil biology, and her commitment to sustainability. She manages over 300 acres, while also inspiring and empowering others through the power of plants and sustainable land management practices.
Together, these farm partners remind us that agriculture is not only about what we grow, but how we grow it: with care, knowledge, and a deep relationship to the land. We are grateful for all these women do to ensure the botanicals we call on for health and wellness are potent, pure, and accessible.
Inspiring Community Farmers
The spirit of women-led agriculture also lives far beyond our own farm partnerships. In communities across the country, farmers are creating spaces for cultural knowledge, ecological restoration, and food sovereignty. These three women deeply inspire us and are worthy of recognition.
Rose Highbear is the founder of Elderberry Wisdom Farm, a non-profit organization located in Salem, Oregon. In addition to her work as a farmer, she is helping keep Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and Indigenous knowledge at the heart of her work, and in the ways that she is training others to be stewards of the land. Through her educational programs, she also supports land restoration and helps Native entrepreneurs build sustainable businesses, including elderberry farming.
Leanne Hatfield is a farmer, forager, and a holistic family physician dedicated to natural healing modalities, nutritional medicine, and herbalism. She grows and crafts remedies for her farm, Seeds and Spores Family Farm in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Her farm is a registered United Plant Savers Botanical Sanctuary, and she farms with “beyond organic,” and regenerative practices for the health of the planet and to produce nutrient-dense botanicals.
Leah Penniman is a Black Kreyol farmer, soil steward, and food justice activist based in New York. In 2010, she co-founded Soul Fire Farm with a mission to end racism in the food system and help people reclaim their ancestral relationship with the land. Leah helps lead food sovereignty initiatives, including farmer training programs for Black and Brown communities, subsidized farm food distribution, and organizing efforts for greater equity in the food system both locally and globally. She is also the author of two celebrated books, Farming While Black and Black Earth Wisdom, both of which have broadened her impact to communities around the globe.
Women farmers are essential to the health of our communities, our food systems, and our relationship with the land. Their work carries forward plant knowledge, strengthens local resilience, and reminds us that agriculture can be rooted in care, stewardship, and belonging. As we honor the International Year of the Woman Farmer, we are grateful for the many women whose dedication continues to shape the herbal world and inspire a more just, connected, and nourishing future.
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