In the business of agriculture, food becomes part of networking among professionals, says Civil Eats, describing how new women farmers in Wisconsin created a grassroots network through informal potluck meals. An early organizer, Michelle Cannon, from Burlington, Wisconsin, describes the potlucks as a route “to survival,” writes Lori Rotenberk, adding “the potlucks have become a forum for women to share information: where to buy tractors and hay, who might have a farm for sale, the name of a good plumber.” The number of farms operated by women tripled in two decades, and women are the principal operators of 14 percent of all U.S. farms. “Networking among female farmers is expanding nationally, and it’s taking a number of creative forms,” says Civil Eats. There are pub nights, bocce ball games and a website, based in Iowa, to share information, connections and encouragement among women farmers.