FarmHER + RanchHER is sponsored by:

Erica Sawatzke – FarmHER Season 6, Episode 3

FarmHER Erica Sawatzke stands strong, navigating a natural disaster and her husband’s cancer battle while raising turkeys and a family.

Meet Erica Sawatzke, a passionate sixth-generation turkey, corn, and soy FarmHER dedicated to preserving her family’s agricultural legacy at Oakdale Farms in Kensington, Minnesota.

Erica Sawatzke is a sixth-generation turkey farmer located in west-central Minnesota. Oakdale Farms started as a homestead in 1866 with Erica’s great-great-grandfather at the helm. Amid the challenges of a tornado and her husband’s battle with leukemia, Erica and her family stand strong, carrying on the farm’s legacy. This powerful narrative highlights the determination and commitment of FarmHER to raising turkeys for Thanksgiving tables nationwide.

Read Erica’s FarmHER Story:

Turkey FarmHER Tackles Tough Times with Tenacity

Watch FarmHER Season 6, Episode 3 featuring Erica Sawatzke when it premieres on Tuesday, April 2 at 8 pm ET only on RFD-TV and RFD-TV Now!

You can also catch encore airings of the episode on Fridays at 9:30 pm ET and Saturdays at 11:30 am ET, or stream any episode of FarmHER and RanchHER any time with your RFD-TV Now subscription.

Related Stories
Jan and Erin Johnson also join FarmHER + RanchHER host Kirbe Schnoor on this week’s Dirt Diaries podcast to dig in on entrepreneurship, legacy, and letting go.
Tara Vander Dussen, fifth-generation dairy farmer, environmental scientist, and co-host of Discover Ag, joined RFD-TV to talk about her work in agriculture and her passion for sharing the story of dairy.
FarmHER Erin Cumings shares how Nationwide’s “Every STEP Counts” helps farm and agribusiness owners prioritize safety.

Marion is a digital content manager for RFD-TV and The Cowboy Channel. She started working for Rural Media Group in May 2022, adding a decade of experience in the digital side of broadcast media and some cooking experience to the team.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Rising federal debt is increasing pressure on Washington to limit spending, which could tighten future funding and delivery for agricultural programs.
Tim and Sharyn Abbott of the Music City Celebration Sale preview the weekend’s premier auction, drawing breeders to Nashville again this year.
Western Caucus member Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR) details the SPEED Act on Champions of Rural America. The legislation aims to reform NEPA, streamline permitting, and expand domestic energy development.
“I’m not sure where this bridge goes,” trader Brady Huck with Advanced Trading told RFD-TV News earlier this week.
CoBank’s 2026 Year Ahead Report cites global grain oversupply, easing inflation, rate cuts, and major data center growth that could reshape rural America.
Plan for sharp, short-term volatility after unexpected outages; permanent closures rarely trigger major price spread disruptions.