W.E. Heart Local: International Year of the Woman Farmer
The United Nations declared 2026 the International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF 2026). The Year will spotlight the essential roles women play across agrifood systems, from production to trade, while often going unrecognized. Women farmers are central to food security, nutrition and economic resilience. IYWF 2026 will raise awareness and promote actions to close the gender gaps and improve women’s livelihoods worldwide.
These global priorities are reflected locally through the women farmers participating in the W.E. Heart Local program, whose leadership, innovation, and stewardship strengthen regional food systems and community well-being. By supporting and elevating these women, W.E. Heart Local advances the spirit of IYWF 2026—transforming awareness into action and creating pathways for women farmers to thrive.
Leslie Huffman – The Fruit Wagon
Leslie’s love for agriculture started on her family’s farm near Harrow, where she learned to drive tractor, pull weeds, grade potatoes, pack and sell peaches and the many jobs that need to be done on a mixed farm. At her grade 8 graduation, she declared her future “I want to be a farmer” (to her grandmother’s horror). But her dad always chuckled that “Leslie has dirt under her finger nails”. She studied Horticultural Science and Business at the University of Guelph, graduating in 1978.
Guelph was also where she met her life partner, Doug Balsillie, who also shares her passion for agriculture. They worked in various segments of the Ontario ag industry, and purchased their first farm in 1984 on the shores of Lake Erie, now known as The Fruit Wagon or “Canada’s Most Southerly Fruit Farm”. Leslie worked as a horticultural specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, learning and adapting new technologies to benefit Ontario horticultural farmers. They raised their 4 daughters on the farm, who all have worked in agriculture. The Carolinia Cider Co. was established on the farm by their daughters, Janelle and Megan Balsillie in 2022.
Leslie’s first love is plants, so she grows many culinary herbs and vegetable transplants each spring. She works with The Fruit Wagon team as they are completing a 12 year plan of orchard renovation into modern, intensive orchards. She loves weekly orchard scouting to implement their Integrated Pest Management program. Leslie has no problem finding things to be done to keep up with the busy growing and retail business at The Fruit Wagon on County Road 50 East, south of Harrow.
What do I love about farming? The smell of soil in the spring, the changing seasons and emerging crops, the challenge of managing pests, and adapting new technologies, the joy of harvesting quality produce, the appreciation of customers who appreciate and support “local”, and who enjoy good taste and good health from our farm.
Meaghan McLean – Denver’s Homestead
Meaghan McLean is the 3rd generation to farm alongside her family on the farm that has belonged to the McLean’s since 1946. Meaghan owns and operates Denver’s Homestead Farm Store and Healing Ranch. Meaghan opened the farm store in February 2025, and has been working toward building the other side of the business, the Healing Ranch. Meaghan is involved in not only providing healthy farm fresh products but also becoming a mental health advocate among the agricultural community.
Jennifer Gould – Eh Oh Farm
Jennifer Gould runs Eh Oh Farm in Kingsville Ontario on seven acres. She began the farm in 2020 as a place for people to go where they could relax and experience the peacefulness of the outdoors. She was always into gardening, but the farm has given her a place to expand her knowledge and use her love of gardening for the benefit of the community. In addition to flowers, a part of the farm is a garden for the local food bank, with volunteers tending it and donating produce weekly.
Flowers are not her original passion as far as farming is concerned; she is currently taking courses to become a Master Herbalist. She grows many different herbs and edible flowers, and can tell you all about the uses and energetics of what is grown on her farm.
Jennifer’s favorite herb: Thyme, a plant that smells divine, and contains compounds that help us when we’re sick, not to mention it is delicious in foods.
Sydney Trimble – Trimble Farms Cattle Company
Raised on a farm and now proudly married to a beef farmer, Sydney lives and breathes agriculture every day. In 2021, alongside her husband, she opened an on-farm store with a simple goal: bringing awareness to just how much better food can be when it comes straight from the source. What she didn’t expect was the overwhelming support from the community — it turned out to be exactly what people wanted and needed. Within just six months, the farm store expanded, renovating the space to double in size to keep up with demand.
Through dedication, long days, and plenty of grit, Sydney now brings over 100,000 lbs per year of natural beef, pork, lamb, and chicken directly from farm to table, building trust one family at a time. She also uses the farm store’s social media platforms to educate the public on real farming practices — the good, the bad, and everything in between — creating honest conversations about agriculture.
Sydney is also proud to host the Kingsville Pro Rodeo on their home farm and is a vital member of the planning committee — using the event as another opportunity to welcome the community onto the land and showcase just how important responsible farming practices are. As a mom, she’s especially excited to teach her two daughters how to be confident, capable, and stand out in a traditionally male-dominated industry.
“Being a farmer isn’t for the faint of heart… it’s hard work. It’s a lifestyle. I’m proud to be a role model for young women in agriculture — we need more women leading the way.”
Elisa Quaggiotto – The Farm House Market
For Elisa Quaggiotto, The Farm House Market started with a simple question: where can people in our community find truly local food, all in one place?
