International Women’s Day A Reflection

International Women’s Day

 A Reflection

Today I celebrate the journey of being a woman who has chosen to live with her hands in the soil, her voice in the conversation, and her heart rooted in community.

My name is Melanie M. Blankenship, and my work has always been about reconnecting people to what truly sustains us our food, our land, and each other.

Through Nature’s Touch Nursery & Harvest and the Nature’s Neighbor Show – Growing from Our Roots, I’ve dedicated my life to asking deeper questions about how we live, how we grow, and how we nourish ourselves and our communities. Whether it’s planting seeds, baking bread, hosting conversations, or building spaces where people can learn and share knowledge, my mission has always been simple: help people remember that real growth starts from the ground up.

Being a woman in agriculture, business, and media has not always been easy, but it has been meaningful. The path requires resilience, curiosity, and the courage to speak truth even when it challenges the systems we’ve been taught not to question.

On this International Women’s Day, I honor the women who work quietly and tirelessly growing food, raising families, building businesses, teaching, healing, and holding communities together. So much of the real work of the world has always been carried on the shoulders of women who simply refused to stop showing up.

My hope is that we continue to reclaim knowledge, support one another, and remember that our strength like a healthy garden comes from deep roots, patience, and care.

Here’s to the women who plant seeds today knowing the harvest may feed generations.

— Melanie M. Blankenship