#WomenInAgSpotlight: Jamie Tiralla

#WomenInAg recognizes the contributions of women involved in agriculture during Women’s History Month (March). AFBF is proud to salute Jamie Tiralla, a Maryland farmer and Farm Bureau leader!

Tiralla sits on the Maryland Farm Bureau board of directors, is a former chair of the Maryland Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee and past vice president of Calvert County Farm Bureau. She also serves on the board of the Chesapeake Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture—Future Harvest, and is a member of the Maryland Department of Agriculture Young Farmers Advisory Board and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Rural Legacy Advisory Board. She’s a fellow of the LEAD Maryland Class IX, a recent graduate of AFBF’s Partners in Advocacy Leadership Class 9, and active on AFBF's Grassroots Outreach (GO) Team.

With her husband, Benson, Tiralla started Monnett Farms in Prince Frederick, Maryland, on his family’s property, which has been in the family for four generations. They initially raised cattle and goats, later adding sheep and hogs. They sell their meats at local farmers’ markets and to a personal chef.

In addition to working on the farm, Tiralla owns an agricultural marketing company and is a freelance writer for the Delmarva Farmer. She earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Maryland University College.

Agriculture was new to Tiralla when she married her farmer husband in 2007. Since then, “I’ve learned how important women have always been in agriculture,” she said. “It’s nice to be here in a time when there’s recognition for that and women being put in the spotlight for their leadership and contributions.” Before jumping headfirst into life on the farm, Tiralla worked as a certified jewelry appraiser for nearly a decade.

Connect with Tiralla on social media – Instagram: @jamietiralla and @monnettfarms; Facebook: Monnett Farms; and Twitter: @jamietiralla. You can also visit her websites: jamietiralla.com and monnettfarms.com.