CFANS alumna named MN Farmfest Woman Farmer of the Year

Meg Moynihan Stuedemann (MS ’95 agronomy) spends her days milking cows, cutting and baling hay, repairing fences, fixing broken water lines, driving tractors, spreading manure and handling paperwork for Derrydale Farm, which she runs with husband in Le Sueur County. Now she’s been named the 2026 Minnesota Farmfest Woman Farmer of the Year. 

It’s a life she never would have imagined for herself growing up in Wisconsin and Tennessee. Her love of agriculture came later in life - during two years serving in the Peace Corps after college. While working in Thailand she witnessed firsthand how agriculture could be both productive and deeply intertwined with the community. There she worked on projects like establishing a village pig bank and helping a school raise ducks. It was such a moving experience for her, when she returned to the United States, she enrolled in the University of Minnesota and earned a master’s degree in Agronomy. Agriculture and community has been a focal point of her life ever since. 

Beyond managing a 60-head dairy herd, Meg also gives back to the agricultural community through her work with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. As a farmer, she’s experienced the fear, stress, and isolation that can come with farming. Back in 2016, the cooperative that picked up the farm’s organic milk changed its route, leaving them without a buyer. For nine months, the farm struggled, with her husband having to leave the state to drive a truck to supplement their income while Meg managed the farm alone. The financial and mental stress is all too common all across farm country, with many facing hardships quietly and alone.

It’s a problem Meg’s determined to shine a light on and change. Through her work at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, she’s conducted surveys and pushed for programs, including the MN Farm and Rural Helpline, a 24/7 confidential resource connecting farmers to mental health, financial, and legal support. She also works with other organizations in leadership roles, including the University of Minnesota’s Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center, Organic Farming Research Foundation, the Organic Farming Stewardship Council, and Lakewinds Food Cooperative. 

Meg wears many hats - as a farmer, a scientist, a policy leader, and a lifeline for others in the farm community. She has turned her own hardest season and passion for agriculture into lasting change for farmers across Minnesota. She plans to keep farming, keep moving, and keep supporting other farmers.