While farming has long been considered a "man's job," the reality is that more and more women are becoming active members of the industry. The trend has long been observed but nowadays the numbers are so substantial that it simply cannot be ignored anymore.
Kansas City featured the Chinn family. Chris Chinn, a fifth-generation hog farmer, graduated from a journalism course but quickly hopped in the farming business of her husband Kevin when they married in 1995.
She is just one of thousands of female farmers now working the fields of Missouri. In this state, a good one-third of the entire farming work force is comprised of women. The Chinn's farm has a sprawling 320-acre area and they raise, breed, and care for 1,600 sows and 75 cows. In addition to that, they also grow crops like soybeans and corn.
Kevin and Chris, together with their two children, manage all the day to day activities of the farm. According to Chris, there is no real routine to the work they do. "You might start out with a plan to go weaning, but you might walk into the barn and you find that the water line is broken," Chris said.
Going national, the role of women in agriculture is also expanding. Ann Veneman holds the distinction of being the first and only female agriculture secretary in the US. She shared to Agriview that, "It is encouraging that there are more women leading food-related trade associations and food and agriculture related businesses including Campbell Soup Company, Pepsi, DuPont and Mondelez, among others."
She added, "They are increasingly on food-related corporate boards and in top roles in companies. A woman is now heading 4-H and there are several women Deans of Agriculture in universities."
Across the Atlantic, a conference also hailed the contributions of women in the agriculture industry. Farmers Journal quoted Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney saying, "It's not acceptable that we think farmers should be men." He also added that 30% of the work is carried out by women but only make 10% of the decisions.
The farming industry is moving so fast that changes seem to happen left and right. Share this article if you think that even more agricultural innovation can be implemented with more women on board!
