The Farrier
Kira Mollers of Springfield, Oregon is a farrier – a profession in which women make up only 6 percent of full-time workers. She works out of a small trailer pulled by her pickup truck so that she is able to travel to barns in the Lane County and beyond. She began her career by attended the Pacific Coast Horseshoeing School where she received her American Farrier's Education Council certificate and graduated third in her class. On a brisk November morning in Junction City, Oregon, Mollers shapes hooves, hammers hot metal shoes and monitors hoof health – all in a days work.
Backyard beekeeping
Laura and Greg Evans check on the health of their backyard bees on a summer day in Albany, Oregon. The Evans began their journey as backyard beekeepers to help pollinate their garden, but after learning about the challenges in bee survival due to disease, the pair grew more interested in preserving the honeybee species than pollinating their garden.
To access the hives, Greg uses burning woodchips smoke to the hive, which makes the bees less likely to sting. Once they access the hive, they check for a live queen to ensure hive health. They also check for any signs of disease and insert medicated strips into the hive as prevention. After two years of failed attempts at keeping the hives alive through the winter months, Laura joined the Willamette Bee Keepers Association where she was able to learn from many other local bee farmers on maintaining hive health.
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