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.”

Jenny describes herself as someone “riding a rocket ship to the moon.” Anyone is welcome to jump on, she explained, but she never felt like she could jump off as there are no stops on the way to the moon. That philosophy shaped her approach to opportunity. She kept saying yes, even when she didn’t know where it would lead.

“Say yes,” Jenny often tells young people. “If it’s going to help you for a month, a few months, a year, or a decade, just say yes, because you never know where it will lead.”

In fourth grade, Jenny was diagnosed with dyslexia. She was then removed from mainstream classes because educators assumed she would require too much support. At that time, dyslexia was poorly understood, and support was limited, but Jenny refused to be left behind.

Her mother, her fiercest advocate, immediately petitioned to put Jenny back in the regular classroom, knowing her daughter was more than capable with the right tools. She knew that Jenny was simply a different kind of thinker.

Jenny describes herself during those years as “the little engine that could,” believing firmly that you can crumble or rise above. And rise above she did.

Jenny not only earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Pacific University, but also a master’s degree in food science and technology from Oregon State University. After two years into her undergraduate degree and at only 20 years old, she received an Industrial Sea Grant Fellowship that provided a full ride for her master’s degree. The fellowship followed her work in Alaska, where she studied food safety microbiology, set up labs for salmon caviar processing and partnered with the University of Alaska to research ozone injected into fish processing water. And when time permitted, Jenny helped with elephant seal research in the remote islands near Kodiak. She even ran a fly-fishing guide service there. Jenny told me she had no idea those early experiences would continue opening doors throughout her career, but they most certainly did.

I’ve known Jenny for almost two years now, and I can confidently say that she is not someone who boasts about her accomplishments. But listening to her describe her academic journey, from being removed from the classroom due to dyslexia to earning a fully funded graduate fellowship, I couldn’t help but feel proud of her—proud that she proved everyone wrong.

After leaving Alaska, Jenny applied her microbiology degree in the workforce. She was recruited directly out of college by the National Food Laboratory, where she conducted microbial testing for major food manufacturers and worked internationally with processors to certify ready-to-eat and shelf-stable food equipment.

For the next decade of her life, Jenny focused on one of her most fulfilling roles: raising her three children. Olivia, Milan and Kitty, now 22, 18 and 15, are the light of her life, and her face truly lights up when she speaks about them. Her son, Milan, has taken an interest in agriculture, and Jenny has begun taking him to conferences and meetings, excited to introduce him to the industry she loves.

When her children were older, Jenny returned to agriculture professionally. Over the last 12 years, she has become highly respected in plant sap analysis and data interpretation industries. She developed international shipping programs for sap data collection, updated sampling protocols and introduced Nitrogen Conversion Efficiency metrics to sap reporting, significantly shaping the industry along the way.

In recent years, Jenny has also become a public speaker and educator. She recently spoke at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for
Dr. Matthew Grieshop’s Current Issues in Organic Agriculture seminar.

“Jenny’s seminar demonstrated to our students how saying yes to opportunities and staying open to new experiences can build a dynamic and fulfilling career. She’s truly an inspiring individual,” said Grieshop.

At the 2025 WGW Leadership Retreat, Jenny shared her desire to expand her career but admitted she wasn’t sure what direction to take. In a pivotal conversation with Karen Timmins, Senior Vice President at Western Growers, Jenny was reminded of her value, her strength and her ability to take charge of her goals. Fast forward to November 2025, and both Megan Kavanaugh and Jenny are now colleagues at Bio S.I. Technology and proud graduates of the WGW Program. The most recent graduating class was recognized at the 99th Western Growers Annual Meeting.

Looking back, Jenny’s path is anything but traditional, but that is exactly what she wanted. Every chapter built on the previous one, even if she didn’t see it at the time. Jenny emphasized to me that her career and life path was never intended to be a perfect line. By embracing every opportunity that arose, she realized her journey wouldn’t be straight or simple—but it would be exactly the path she was meant to follow.

I’ve been at Western Growers for almost three years now, and the WGW Program is truly my passion. Hearing how the program has helped shape Jenny’s career feels like coming full circle. As Jenny explained, “It’s inspiring to see how collaboration turns knowledge into action. That is exactly what happened with me and the Western Growers Women Program.”

Today, now a graduate of the WGW Program, Jenny’s career reflects something bigger than job titles or milestones. It reflects growth, perseverance and a sense of purpose, and the belief that leadership is built choice by choice. Her story is not just about overcoming obstacles, it’s also about embracing possibility in every season of life.