Telling Women's Lives

Farmer Jane Reader Response- Gorzeman

Farmer Jane included a wide variety of very impressive women, but one that stood out to me was Glenda Humiston. Humiston stood out to me not only for her impressive career path, California’s State Director of USDA’s Rural Development Programs and Former Deputy Under Secretary for Natural Resources and the Environment as the Department of Agriculture but by the way Humiston is able to lead and compromise under her employees and constituents. Humiston was able to get local, federal, public and private sectors, as well as interest groups to buy into the legislation. She often focuses on preserving farmland, managing water distribution, and managing natural resources. The most impressive thing that Humiston does is her ability to lead and create compromise, often among groups with clashing interests. Her interest in sustainability, water quality preservation, and being able to create legislation through the people and for the people is extremely admirable. Besides focusing on sustainability and longevity of our natural resources (water included), Humiston sought to have transparency and negotiations into the complex, and often convoluted legislative process. She did this all under the Californian and Federal government working eighty plus hours a week and meeting constantly with politicians and different interest groups.

Humiston’s story particularly resonates with me, since I am from California, we often here a lot concerning water and farmland bills that get made into law. Since much of California is dedicated farmland, there is often intense debate over water usage during the drought, a debate on land ownership and usage, and the use of farmland. Humiston also grew up on a ranch, so she understands the hardships and obstacles many farmers have to overcome.