The women shaping a new countryside

Throughout history, formidable women such as Cleopatra and Lady Eve Balfour did much to nurture the land. Camilla Akers-Douglas talks to four present-day matriarchs who are helping to boost the rural economy in very different ways

- Camilla Akers-Douglas

THIS is a story about creativity in the countryside. It is a women’s tale because, crucially, they are playing a significant role in improving understanding of the countryside and reinvigorating its rural economy. It seems that the age-old idea that Mother Nature personifies the Earth, as the source from which all life springs, is echoed by the feminine way of seeing the land and understanding it—this is often Nature-based and grounded in long-term regeneration.

Many notable women have thought this way throughout history. The Egyptian queen Cleopatra issued several edicts decreeing that anyone found killing earthworms should be imprisoned—or even killed—because she understood the importance of the soil in the Nile valley delta. Lady Eve Balfour, the organic farming pioneer who co-founded the Soil Association in 1946 (‘All about Eve’, September 8, 2021), believed the long-term health of the soil should be prioritized above highly mechanized, intensive farming systems. Yet it wasn’t until January 17, 1990—shortly after her death—that the Government, under Margaret Thatcher, offered grants to encourage British farmers to change to organic methods.

‘As I became involved with the organic movement, I was pleasantly surprised by how many more women were participating,’ states Helen Browning, the current chief executive of the Soil Association and a pig farmer. ‘At our conferences, nearly half the delegates are female, compared with perhaps 10% at “conventional” farming gatherings. With sustainability, women are often leading the way.’