Search launched for women legacies

NORMAL, Ill. — For generations, the women of the agricultural industry have shared their knowledge and commitment to their family farms, their rural communities and to their legacies, both prior generations and subsequent generations that will carry on their remarkable family legacy.

Illinois Agri-Women is seeking these unique families of women, who find joy in the work they do and have committed their lives to agriculture for three or more generations.

The organization has established the Generations of Women in Agriculture Across America event and awards.

This nationwide initiative will honor three families involved in production agriculture and the agriculture industry for three or more generations.

Monetary awards of $5,000, $2,500 and $1,000 have been established to recognize the remarkable family legacy of the best three families, respectively, based on their application scores.

Empowering Women

Family member applicants will be guests of IAW at GoAg3, the Generations of Women in Agriculture Across America educational and professional development event and celebration luncheon, in 2026.

IAW is seeking your help to find these women who have persevered and exhibited in their everyday lives their strength and willingness to encourage the next generation of young women to find joy in their agricultural careers.

Penny Lauritzen had witnessed her own mother’s commitment to the family farm and strong business acumen when she saw a need for a catering business in their home community in the 1970s.

She initiated the farm-to-fork concept as a reality in the Bureau County area before the term had even been coined.

Across Generations

Now a retired farm manager, she finds joy in the legacy that the women in her family have established with her daughter, Jenny, now active on their family farm and her granddaughter, Libby, having received her FFA American Degree and now a student in the agriculture program at Western Illinois University.

This legacy has encouraged Lauritzen to support the IAW’s search for these exceptional multi-generational families, whose women have encouraged their daughters, nieces, sisters, sisters-in-law and granddaughters to find their joy in production agriculture and the agriculture industry.

The specifics for the project can be found at https://illinoisagri-women.org.

The celebration of those receiving the awards will be held Aug. 21 at the luncheon at Destihl Brewery in Normal during the GoAg3 seminar.