Diane McKenzie is a farmer from Warner Alberta and a graduate student at the University of Lethbridge studying cultural, social, and pollical thought. McKenzie is combining her rural background as well as her education to research the intergenerational transfer of the family farm from rural women’s perspective.
“I was inspired by a friend who works as a facilitator for farm families in transition,” said McKenzie. “He suggested I consider doing facilitation work after graduation. About the same time, through history courses, I became more cognizant of the neglected history of women and girls and recognized myself as a participant in a system that is disadvantageous for women and girls.”
McKenzie is bringing her research project to life by interviewing women from multiple generational cohorts across Western Canada. She seeks to gain multiple different perspectives of different women’s experiences on a family farm, their experiences with the transition of family farms, and how they participated in the transfer of these farms.
McKenzie became aware through her education of how women are disadvantaged in agriculture, particularly in property ownership. Her goal is to raise awareness of the flaws in the system within the agriculture community. She hopes that by raising awareness, the community can envision a better system in the future that supports rural women’s participation and ensures fair transfers of family businesses.
“It’s difficult to change ourselves or change much of anything unless we’re aware of the system we’re working in,” Diane says. “If we’re aware of how we participate contemporarily we can imagine a different way of participating in the future.”
It is hoped that McKenzie’s work can be used as a learning tool to raise awareness, as well as bring systemic change to the industry.
To see the full spotlight on Diane McKenzie, please follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKr8ztdJ_bQ&t=144s