07/24/2026
You don’t need generations of family farming experience or a youth spent in agriculture to build a successful farm. Cathy Bardsley from Silk Tree Farm proves that it’s never too late to cultivate a brand-new passion!
Originally a stay-at-home mother with various side hustles, Cathy became enamored with the idea of farming when she took a cheesemaking class. She realized then that she wanted to start a farm of her own and bought her first goat. Today, Cathy is the owner of Silk Tree Farm, where she raises heritage-breed livestock, produces high-quality meats, and crafts handcrafted goat milk soaps and candles, all while championing sustainable agriculture.
Cathy describes her work as an empowering experience that gets her up every day. She is proud of the connection of investing in the process as well as the lives she has impacted through mentoring other women. Learning to farm and take care of herself has led her out of her comfort zone, and she feels “like the luckiest girl in the world.”
Her advice to aspiring women farmers? Find the balance to be diversified yet focused by gaining experience in different parts of agriculture to discover your niche.
Want to experience the farm for yourself? Book a farm tour and shop her high-quality meats in-person or purchase her homemade goat milk soaps and candles at https://silktreefarm.com/
Keep following us as we continue celebrating Rhode Island’s incredible women farmers through our Year of the Woman Farmer campaign!
