{"id":2918,"date":"2025-08-09T01:52:23","date_gmt":"2025-08-09T01:52:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ruralsociology.org\/news\/how-rural-americans-are-keeping-local-economies-alive-informally-copy\/"},"modified":"2025-09-09T18:10:12","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T18:10:12","slug":"about-queer-farmers","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/ruralsociology.org\/news\/about-queer-farmers\/","title":{"rendered":"Chicago Tribune Speaks to RSS Hoffelmeyer About Queer Farmers"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--themify_builder_content-->\n<div id=\"themify_builder_content-2918\" data-postid=\"2918\" class=\"themify_builder_content themify_builder_content-2918 themify_builder tf_clear\">\n                    <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_row themify_builder_row tb_6wks904 tb_first tf_w\">\n                        <div class=\"row_inner col_align_top tb_col_count_1 tf_box tf_rel\">\n                        <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col-full tb_xxon779 first\">\n                    <!-- module fancy heading -->\n<div  class=\"module module-fancy-heading tb_wgu8399 \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <h1 class=\"fancy-heading\">\n    <span class=\"main-head tf_block\">\n                    Chicago Tribune Speaks to RSS Hoffelmeyer About Queer Farmers             <\/span>\n\n    \n    <span class=\"sub-head tf_block tf_rel\">\n                                <\/span>\n    <\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module fancy heading -->\n<!-- Breadcrumbs module -->\n<div  class=\"module module-breadcrumbs tb_a0xe933 \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n\t<nav role=\"navigation\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\" class=\"tbp_breadcrumb_trail\"><ul class=\"tbp_trail_items\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/BreadcrumbList\"><meta name=\"numberOfItems\" content=\"1\" \/><meta name=\"itemListOrder\" content=\"Ascending\" \/><li itemprop=\"itemListElement\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ListItem\" class=\"tbp_trail_item tbp_trail_end\"><a itemprop=\"item\" href=\"https:\/\/ruralsociology.org\/\" rel=\"home\"><span itemprop=\"name\">Home<\/span><\/a><meta itemprop=\"position\" content=\"1\" \/><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div><!-- \/Breadcrumbs module -->\n<!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_wen9600   \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n        <p data-start=\"228\" data-end=\"667\"><span class=\"TextRun SCXW58368713 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW58368713 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"Normal (Web)\">In a recent feature on queer farmers in Illinois, the<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW58368713 BCX0\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"apple-converted-space\" data-ccp-charstyle-defn=\"{&quot;ObjectId&quot;:&quot;2fd183b4-ad5c-5199-9fc7-89a6d0356079|1&quot;,&quot;ClassId&quot;:1073872969,&quot;Properties&quot;:[201342446,&quot;1&quot;,201342447,&quot;5&quot;,201342448,&quot;1&quot;,201342449,&quot;1&quot;,469777841,&quot;Aptos&quot;,469777842,&quot;&quot;,469777843,&quot;Aptos&quot;,469777844,&quot;Aptos&quot;,201341986,&quot;1&quot;,469769226,&quot;Aptos&quot;,268442635,&quot;24&quot;,469775450,&quot;apple-converted-space&quot;,201340122,&quot;1&quot;,134233614,&quot;true&quot;,469778129,&quot;apple-converted-space&quot;,335572020,&quot;1&quot;,469778324,&quot;Default Paragraph Font&quot;]}\">\u202f<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW58368713 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW58368713 BCX0\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"Emphasis\">Chicago Tribune<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW58368713 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW58368713 BCX0\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"apple-converted-space\">\u202f<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW58368713 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"Normal (Web)\">explored how LGBTQ+ individuals are reshaping rural landscapes\u2014not just through sustainable practices, but through inclusive community-building. The work of RSS Member <strong>Michaela Hoffelmeyer<\/strong>, who is quoted in the story, has drawn attention to the lived experiences of queer farmers<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW58368713 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"Normal (Web)\">.\u00a0 <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW58368713 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"Normal (Web)\">She recalls \u201c<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW58368713 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW58368713 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"Normal (Web)\">interviewing early-career queer farmers who worried that valuable internships and apprenticeships would place them in hostile work environments or unsafe communities.<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW58368713 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"Normal (Web)\">\u201d<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW58368713 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote data-start=\"669\" data-end=\"993\">\n<p><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW180501799 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"Normal (Web)\">\u201c<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW180501799 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"Normal (Web)\">Queer farmers may also be forgoing good farmland because they want to avoid harassment<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW180501799 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"Normal (Web)\">.\u201d\u00a0 <strong>Michaela <\/strong><\/span><strong><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW180501799 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"Normal (Web)\">Hoffelmeyer<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW180501799 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"Normal (Web)\">, University of Wisconsin<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW229585405 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW229585405 BCX0\">Like other RSS Members, <strong>Hoffelmeyer\u2019s<\/strong> work challenges stereotypes to foster a sense of belonging in agricultural communities across the Midwest.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW229585405 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"671\" data-end=\"993\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/2025\/08\/04\/illinois-queer-farmers-lgbtq\/?clearUserState=true\">\ud83d\udd17 Read the full article<\/a><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->        <\/div>\n                        <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n<!--\/themify_builder_content-->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the Chicago Tribune, RSS Member <strong> Michaela Hoffelmeyer <\/strong> noted that many early-career queer farmers fear internships could place them in unsafe or hostile environments. <br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/2025\/08\/04\/illinois-queer-farmers-lgbtq\/?clearUserState=true\">\ud83d\udd17 Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","news_announcements":[25,39],"class_list":["post-2918","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry","news_announcements-member-in-the-news","news_announcements-sociology-of-agriculture-food-safrig","has-post-title","has-post-date","has-post-category","has-post-tag","has-post-comment","has-post-author",""],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"ptb_metabox":[],"ptb_taxonomy":{"news_announcements":[{"term_id":25,"name":"Member in the News","slug":"member-in-the-news","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":25,"taxonomy":"news_announcements","description":"","parent":0,"count":45,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":39,"name":"Sociology of Agriculture &amp; Food (SAFRIG)","slug":"sociology-of-agriculture-food-safrig","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":39,"taxonomy":"news_announcements","description":"","parent":26,"count":8,"filter":"raw"}]},"ptb_featured_image":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ruralsociology.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/2918","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ruralsociology.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ruralsociology.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ruralsociology.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2918"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news_announcements","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ruralsociology.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news_announcements?post=2918"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}