Careers in farming are no longer looked upon as just for men.
Nowadays women are pursuing occupations in the agriculture field like never before.
This is especially true in the Gem State where a recent study by the University of Idaho found that roughly 40 percent of Idaho farmers and ranchers are women.
Glass ceilings are being shattered as Idaho women are opening doors to the farming industry and shutting doors to past gender stereotypes.
Soda Springs area resident Noel Cole is one of many women who've chosen farming as a career.
She gives all the credit to another woman, her mother-in-law Tami (Cellan) Cole, who she describes as the person responsible for keeping their farm alive through the years.
Their ag operation, Double C Acres, is a growing generational dry farm north of Soda Springs.
Tami and her husband Morris Cole began helping Tami’s father Merle Cellan run the family farm shortly after they got married in 1985.
Tami has been a steady helping hand over the years for her husband and father, all while keeping son Cody close by.
Cody chose to keep working on the farm after graduating high school and soon after married Noel.
Just after Noel and Cody were married, she remembers riding around on the buddy seat to be with Cody while he worked on the farm.
It didn’t take long before riding buddy seats turned into driving 10-wheelers during harvest, which led to harrowing in the spring. Noel quickly became a fixture on the farm wearing multiple hats to help keep the operation going.
Fast forward and two boys later, it’s a rare moment you find Noel working anywhere on the farm without her sons in tow.
Showing their boys the power in the growth from seed to profit has been a strong teaching element in their parenting.
Noel said, “We are all involved in the day to day operations working alongside one another. The boys have been able to observe and learn from a very young age. The work isn’t always fun, but I think we all find joy in growing things.”
As if the farmland wasn’t enough to handle, Noel shares how keeping the farm's greenhouse full of flowers and vegetables has been a great way to create knowledge and work for the boys, ages 9 and 4.
The boys are responsible for the daily upkeep and care of the greenhouse and also prepare floral arrangements and other greenhouse products for sale to the community.
This has been a successful way for the boys to see first-hand the economics of sustaining a family farm.
As a wife and mother, being so involved in the daily operation of the farm is a lot for Noel to juggle at times.
Noel is the first to admit she never plans too far in advance.
With farming comes many variables and unpredictability. Learning to be flexible and keeping priorities fluid mean constantly adapting to what each day brings.
Like most farmers in today’s age, having a college education that applies to farming is a key element that helps with the success of the family farm.
Noel said her bachelor’s degree in biology from Idaho State University and what she calls her "nerdy ways" to use Excel spreadsheets to keep track of the business of farming at Double C Acres have helped in that success.
But she also knows that farming any crop is the ultimate gambling game each year.
Farms rely heavily on nature cooperating. For dry farms, everything is subject to receiving adequate rainfall and the future is never guaranteed.
However, Noel is optimistic about the future of her family farm and strives to keep the torch burning strong in hopes of passing it along to the next generation.
One can see nothing but pride and love for the land as Noel shares her thoughts on farming.
She said, “It’s crazy to think about the technology we currently have in agriculture and how much further it will advance. Ultimately, I hope that our heritage, values and way of life are preserved.”
One thing is for sure and that is the future of farming will depend on strong women like Noel to keep it going.
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