Chicago Tribune Speaks to RSS Hoffelmeyer About Queer Farmers
In a recent feature on queer farmers in Illinois, the Chicago Tribune explored how LGBTQ+ individuals are reshaping rural landscapes—not just through sustainable practices, but through inclusive community-building. The work of RSS Member Michaela Hoffelmeyer, who is quoted in the story, has drawn attention to the lived experiences of queer farmers. She recalls “interviewing early-career queer farmers who worried that valuable internships and apprenticeships would place them in hostile work environments or unsafe communities.”
“Queer farmers may also be forgoing good farmland because they want to avoid harassment.” Michaela Hoffelmeyer, University of Wisconsin
Like other RSS Members, Hoffelmeyer’s work challenges stereotypes to foster a sense of belonging in agricultural communities across the Midwest.