Shining a Light on 'Women's Work' With Audra Mulkern

Shining a Light on 'Women's Work' With Audra Mulkern

From FarmHouse by Lancaster Farming

February 26, 2026 · 35 min · Episode 81

About this episode

The episode features Audra Mulkern discussing her documentary 'Women's Work' which highlights the contributions of women in agriculture throughout history.

This week on the FarmHouse, a podcast by Lancaster Farming, we're speaking with Audra Mulkern, the creator of " Women's Work ," a documentary about the history of women in agriculture in the U.S. "Women's Work" chronicles women's roles and contributions to American agriculture starting with Indigenous farming practices and ending in the present day. Along the way, Mulkern explores the stories of women who farmed without recognition. "Women have always farmed, but their contributions and legacies have been buried by history's plow," Mulkern says in the film. The documentary dives into the stories of several female farmers and the challenges they've had to overcome. In one story, homesteader Marge Mullen moved to Alaska with her husband in 1947, chasing the promise of cheap land. After establishing their farm, her husband's health prevented him from working and Mullen took over as the sole farmer on their property. However, due to land ownership laws at the time, Mullen's name was never on the deed despite the fact she was performing all of the physical labor on the farm. "For so many years, women were relegated to 'wife,'" said Mulkern. "They were not honoring women with the title…

People in this episode

Host: Lancaster Farming

Guest: Audra Mulkern

Topics covered

  • women in agriculture
  • history of farming
  • gender equality
  • documentary
  • female farmers

Keywords

  • women in agriculture
  • farming history
  • gender roles
  • female farmers
  • documentary

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Women's Work

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