Leadership Series: Challenging the narrative around women in farming

In this episode, we bring you another instalment in the occasional series where leaders at Scotiabank interview experts on an issue that resonates with them. You'll hear a conversation between Janice Holzscherer, Managing Director and Head of Agriculture at Scotiabank and Cherilyn Jolly-Nagel, farmer, speaker, advocate and Scotiabank Women Initiative participant. Recorded on location at Cherilyn’s farm in Saskatchewan, the two discuss the misconceptions around the role of women in agriculture, the need for all modern farmers to get their stories out to the public and more. 

Other episodes of the Leadership Series:  

A conversation with the woman behind Orange Shirt Day, Phyllis Webstad 

The power of allyship in the workplace

Key moments this episode:  

2:21 — Cherilyn tells us a bit about the history behind her farm 

3:03 — Why Cherilyn didn’t always want to be a farmer and what changed her mind 

5:18 — How Cherilyn came to be an advocate for farmers 

6:11 — What unique perspective does Cherilyn bring to the table as an advocate? 

9:05 — Why bringing diverse perspectives and voices to the table is important and how far agriculture has come 

10:59 — Why Cherilyn hates getting asked about ‘women in agriculture’  

14:34 — The lesson Janice got from her daughter about hearing other women’s experiences 

17:12 — A story about a media appearance that surprised Cherilyn, inspired a unique gift from her mom and taught her a lesson about women in farming 

21:00 — Why Cherilyn now focuses her energy on talking to non-farmers 

22:54 — Why there is a disconnect between how the public perceives farmers and what farmers really do, and how to potentially bridge that gap 

25:38 — Why farmers suddenly have a new job: PR 

27:02 — What is the one thing Cherylin is the most proud of?