Earlier this week, I hosted a White House Rural Council discussion with farmers, business owners, board members, commodity groups, youth leaders and academics to discuss opportunities for women in agriculture. The group included women and men, conventional farmers and organic producers and organizations like Food Corps, the Future Farmers of America Foundation and the American Farm Bureau. There were major corporations including Coca Cola and Land O’ Lakes as well as smaller operations like Sandy Oaks Olive Orchards from Texas.
In preparation for the meeting, I asked the participants to use #womeninag to identify inspiring women in agriculture. The overwhelming response on Twitter stimulated our discussion and motivated the group to identify what we can do to continue supporting women in agriculture.
One answer is to keep the doors open.
As I looked around the room, I was struck by a thought. The challenges faced by women in agriculture today are not all the same as the ones faced by women in the past. As a young woman starting my career a few decades ago, it was difficult to find women mentors, or to aspire to leaders who looked "just like me." Now, young women are signing up for programs like Food Corps and FFA in higher numbers than ever. There are women writing the Farm Bill, leading scientific research, and steering the course for a wide range of other agricultural enterprises. We know that when we open doors, women will walk through them in droves.
Here at USDA, I routinely open my office doors to women from around the Department. They are all ages and backgrounds, and in all stages of their careers and each have a unique and important perspective to share. When I travel, I regularly meet with women leaders in agriculture across the country, including new farmers and students as well as women fully established in their lives. They are emblematic of the importance of varying perspectives to a strong productive discussion. Together, these women are leading American agriculture into a strong future.
We have come a long way, but our work is not done. Looking forward the discussion should be, not only how do we keep pushing the boundaries of what women can do, but also how do we make these opportunities accessible widely.
I asked the men and women at the dialogue how we could be more accountable to bringing women’s leadership in agriculture to the next level. And now I’m asking you.
How are you opening the doors to women in agriculture? Use #womeninag to keep the discussion going.
