Women Farmers Take Center Stage in New TV Season

Women who left earlier careers to build farms and ranches are the focus of the eighth season of FarmHER + RanchHER. The series begins Thursday, October 29, at 8:30 PM ET on RFD-TV and streams on RFDTV+.

The new season runs to seven episodes. Host Kirbe Schnoor said the episodes center on first-generation farmers and ranchers who changed careers to work the land. Some women said they wanted their children raised on the land and close to rural communities. Schnoor said the show also looks at how neighbors and other producers help one another, and how some operations add new revenue lines.

Schnoor, who has hosted four seasons across FarmHER, RanchHER, and two seasons of the combined series, spoke about the new episodes on Market Day Report. She said she does not take the work lightly. "It's not an easy way of life; it's not lucrative most of the time, as we know you don't get rich ranching or farming, but it's very rewarding," Schnoor said. She also said, "Everyone has a story. Everyone has a voice."

The episodes show neighbors delivering calves, caring for sick animals, and sharing equipment during busy stretches. Schnoor said women entering agriculture without family history in the field rely on those relationships. She also said producers are responding to drought and other pressures by adding work beyond cattle, including branded beef programs, tallow production, and other revenue. Social media helps some producers reach buyers and add income. "You can't just be a cattle rancher anymore," Schnoor said.

The season premiere follows Dayla Ulrich and her team in Utah. The group tends the land together and hosts Saturday breakfast and brunch for people from the area and visitors from Salt Lake City. They source beef from a nearby rancher. Schnoor said the gathering connects people to the work behind the food on the plate.

Schnoor said the show's production team spends time with each woman to learn why she does the work. She has said the people who run agricultural operations matter as much as what happens in the fields and pastures. The eighth season starts October 29.