FEATURE STORY THE POWER OF SAYING YES By Cierra Allen, Program Manager
Jenny Garley with her three children: Olivia (22), Milan (18) and Kitty (15).
In agriculture, experience is often measured in acres, years or harvests. But for Jenny Garley, experience has been measured in moments and opportunities—moments and opportunities full of resilience, risk, mentorship and discovery. As she graduates from the Western Growers Women (WGW) Program, her journey reveals how determination, curiosity and strong influences can shape a career in unexpected ways. Jenny joined the Western Growers Women Program in April 2024 at our Arbinger Leadership Retreat, thanks to the insistence of her friend, fellow WGW program graduate and now coworker, Megan Kavanaugh. I’ve enjoyed getting to know Jenny over the past year-and-a half, but when I sat down to learn more about her life for this article, I was genuinely blown away. She has one of the most unique and encouraging stories I have ever heard. From a young age, Jenny saw firsthand what it looked like for a woman in agriculture to lead. Her mother, Dr. Judith Johnson, is a botanist specializing in berry genetics, and she took Jenny
around the world for work. Jenny watched her mother lecture at universities, lead conferences throughout Europe, and they spent countless hours together doing research in strawberry fields. “My mom is the strongest woman in ag that I know,” Jenny said. Influence has always played a major role in Jenny’s life. Along with her mother, she had another powerful mentor: Gina Bella Coffer, a family friend of more than 38 years. Jenny shared that knowing Gina as a teenager and now as an adult working in the same industry has been incredibly meaningful. Jenny noted that she had very strong women in her corner growing up, and they showed her that women can do "so very much." Surrounded by women who led with intelligence and confidence, Jenny never questioned whether she could do the same. “I didn’t have any other direction in my life than strong women,” she said. “So, I knew I was going to be one, one day, too.”
30 Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com January – March 2026
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