Many have long associated food production as a masculine endeavour. I have a milking stool that puts a monkey wrench in that reality. My milking stool belonged to my great-grandmother. It was well used as the number of coats of paint I stripped off can attest.
How do I know that it was not my great-grandfather’s (GGF) milking stool? At well over six feet tall, for GGF to sit down on a 10-inch-high stool twice a day, every day seems unlikely. A stool of that stature is considerate of a petite woman like my great-grandmother. But he may have had to use it the odd time while GGM cooked and cared for her family of six, as well as the hired men that helped at their 350-acre potato farm, or when caring for children, teaching piano, or playing the organ at their community church, or when tending chickens and weeding the garden.
Women have played key roles in rural economies, community development, and family health and wellness – the historical perspective and changes in roles and recognition continue to impact society profoundly. What can we learn from history, data, research, stories, and experiences of rural women? I am excited to find out at the Rural Women’s Studies Association (RWSA) 14th Triennial Conference themed Kitchen Table Talk to Global Forum being hosted virtually by the University of Guelph, Tuesday, May 11 until Friday, May 14. It is a multidisciplinary conference with academia and others discussing the roles rural women have played historically to present day.
It seems kitchen table talk opportunities and the benefits that come from them are hard to come by in days of virtual focus. We have been told ‘live in the present it is better for you’ but ‘do it in lockdown’ with a constant stream of email, voicemail, notifications, FaceTime, Zoom, and other apps that are ‘almost as good as being there’. What are we missing in this scenario?
The RWSA Conference theme represents the kitchen table as a stable centre of home, farm, work, and leisure. It is a personal place of belonging, sharing, and sustenance, where secrets unfold, and wisdom is gained. So much more than a place to eat, but a place to be aware, gain information, understanding and confidence in how things are changing for rural women in terms of opportunities and experiences. Stay tuned for more from Small Farm Canada on the Kitchen Table Talk to Global Forum, Rural Women’s Studies Virtual Conference hosted by the University of Guelph, May 11-14.
Small Farm Canada’s parent company Farms.com is proud to sponsor Rural Women’s Studies Association (RWSA) 14th Triennial Conference themed Kitchen Table Talk to Global Forum.