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
Kirbe Schnoor and Janie Johnson are BACK!
The cider farm run by FarmHER Deirdre Birmingham and her husband, John, is a Wisconsin treasure. We learned something intriguing during our visit: Bad Apples = Great Cider.
From a girl raised in a Russian orphanage with no dreams of the future, to a transplant flourishing a half a world away from her native home, Anya Irons exemplifies the FarmHER life!

Marion is a digital content manager for RFD News and FarmHER + RanchHER. She started working for Rural Media Group in May 2022, bringing a decade of digital experience in broadcast media and some cooking experience to the team.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Shaun Haney, Host of RealAg Radio on Rural Radio SiriusXM Channel 147, joined us with his 2026 cattle market outlook and insights on beef prices.
Farmer Bridge Assistance payments provide immediate balance-sheet support heading into 2026, but remain a short-term bridge rather than a substitute for long-term market recovery.
The New Year is here, but in Oregon, some ranchers and livestock producers are still trying to recover from record wildfires back in 2024.
The U.S. Forest Service takes us on the same journey from a tree farm in Nevada across America to experience the magic of Christmas in the U.S. Capitol.
Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-IA, details how the “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” Act (OBBBA) supports farmers, biofuels, and rural communities with tax breaks, crop insurance relief, and ag infrastructure.
Jake Charleston of Specialty Risk Insurance shares risk-reduction strategies to help cattle producers prepare for a successful year ahead.