What is a key ingredient to connecting and empowering women across the globe?
The Estonian Women’s Studies and Resource Centre (ENUT) was honored to explore this question, bringing together inspiring women from the United States, Estonia and Latvia for exchange of ideas and experiences, cultivating women’s leadership for positive change.
Thanks to the support from the Baltic American Freedom Foundation, Dr. Rose Hayden-Smith along with her colleague, Pam Kan-Rice, both from the University of California, spent time in Estonia in May, 2026, engaging in dialogue on these issues and sharing their expertise with Estonian and Latvia women.
“The women I had the privilege to meet during my time in Estonia — from researchers and educators at the Estonian University of Life Sciences to businesswomen representing chapters of the Business and Professional Women organization across Estonia and Latvia to women leading NGOs to female entrepreneurs — reaffirmed my academic work and mission that women in both the Baltics and the United States are leading positive food-system change,” shared Dr. Rose Hayden-Smith, a preeminent researcher in women’s history and leader in digital storytelling and author of Sowing the Seeds of Victory: American Gardening Programs of World War I.
Hayden-Smith and her colleague, Pam Kan-Rice, Assistant Director of News and Information outreach at the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, exchanged ideas and shared experiences through a variety of events and meetings during their time in Estonia, including:
* Opening Reception hosted by the American Council of International Education and Renewing the Countryside in Tallinn
* Keynote and social media workshop at ENUT’s Spring Conference in Tallinn (see conference website for various PowerPoint presentations from the week).
* Seminar with women involved with local food system work at the Estonian University of Life Sciences in Tartu
* Cultural food exchange in Setomaa
* Media interviews
“The goal of this BAFF program, which so well aligns with ENUT’s mission, is to encourage idea exchange and partnerships between the Baltic and the United States,” explained Reet Laja, ENUT Board Chair. “Bringing women together for such open and honest dialogue is so valuable, and the connections and friendships this project started will last way beyond this project.”
Both the Estonian and Latvian women and the Americans took away various fresh ideas and insights, as well as new connections over the globe. A big take-away of the time together was that things are often more similar than not, even if they are approached from a different country, culture, history and language.
“I found the commonalities women shared with supporting agritourism and local foods in both Estonia and the United States very inspiring,” said Kan-Rice in reflecting on the project. “At the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) where I am based, scientists also help small farmers find ways to make their farm businesses sustainable with agritourism. At our visit to Andre Farm near Tartu, it was fascinating to meet cheesemaker Erika Koroleva as she explained how she and her husband are making award-winning cheeses and using agritourism to help support their Estonian dairy.”
“In today’s rapidly changing modern world, globally we are losing our connections to our historic food cultures through things like the growth of processed foods and industrialized agriculture and food security is at risk,” summed up Hayden-Smith. “I left Estonia inspired by the amazing work and community women have created here, cultivating and preserving connections to this country’s agriculture and food heritage.”
Project Media: Security Begins in the Vegetable Garden: Seto Women Have Become Creators of Food Security (Setomaa Vald)
Project Partner Organizations:
Estonia:
Business and Professional Women, Estonia
Business and Professional Women, Riga, Latvia
The Centre of Estonian Rural Research and Knowledge (METK)
Estonian University of Life Sciences
Tallinn University
The Lydia: A Sisterhood of Estonian Women Around the Globe
South-Estonia women food produces
United States:
University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources
Renewing the Countryside
Soil Sisters
Wisconsin Women in Conservation (WiWiC)
Women, Food & Agriculture Network (WFAN)
American Farmland Trust, Women for the Land
This program is made possible by funding from the Baltic-American Freedom Foundation (BAFF).
