Aisha Ali pressed through a tall field of maize. Her turban, bright flowing dress, soft shawl and careful makeup looked a little out of place on this farm.

Her farm.

“It’s time to go back to the land.”— Muhammadu Buhari, Nigerian president

In northern Nigeria, most farmers are uneducated men who plant and harvest to survive and get little respect from urban folk. Ali grew up in Kano, the country’s second-largest city, and graduated from college with a degree in microbiology.

“When I tell people I’m farming, they say, ‘Really? After graduating?’” she said.