The Other Side of Agriculture

Women in agriculture aren't a new thing.

There are many wonderful, strong, farm women sharing their stories on social media and out in public through organizations such as CommonGround. These women are mothers, sisters, partners, owner/operators and they do a magnificent job sharing their lives with the general public-the good, the bad, and the ugly.

No life is perfect, and as much as we all want to envision farm life through rose-colored glasses, with a big red barn and babies running all over the yard, the rural life isn't always that pretty.

But what we don't hear an awful lot about are the women who don't farm on their own land but work for large agricultural companies. And there's a reason we don't hear a lot about them...and that's because there aren't very many of us out in the field of these large companies. There are oodles of women in administrative positions...for good reason, women absolutely rule in those spots. 99% of the workers in the main office for our company are women.

In fact, in all of Nebraska, there were only 2 women working for our company as Field Reps. And now it's down to one...Me.

Why is that?

Because when it comes down to brass tacks, main-stream agriculture will always be a good ol' boys club.

I can't help but be jealous of all the amazing women who run (or co-run) their own family farms. I want to be them. I wanted the experience that this job would give me first though. I just never dreamed the experience would be such a roller coaster ride.

I've learned a lot in the last 9 months. And I mean a lot. But what has impacted me the most are the problems that have arisen because of my gender.

My generation is full of empowered women. We are told the sky is the limit and that if we just stay strong, we can have and do anything we want to. But we aren't told how strong we might actually have to be just to get up each and every day and go to work.

I watched my mom fight the good ol' boys club my whole life. And I thank God for having her as a role model of how to survive in a man's world and for passing on her backbone because otherwise I wouldn't even be writing this right now.

What possible problems could have arisen from being a woman? I think the better question is what problems haven't arisen from being a woman? Especially a young woman.

And the problems haven't come from the contract growers (who are largely men...although it's always nice when we deal with the wives), but from co-workers and bosses. Apparently women care too much.

We care too much about our jobs, we worry too much, we try to do a great job. 

We get upset when the men we work with don't have to work as hard yet get rewarded when they don't have to work as hard...by being promoted, while we wait around and are given the impression we will never be worthy of promotion.

We tell it like we see it, but women exaggerate and lie. When men come in and see the exact same things though, it's as if the world will end if things don't change.

My co-worker left because she got tired of working her life away and being told that it was her own fault for working her life away. Except she was just doing her job. And trying to do it well, which as a woman means caring and worrying. She had to constantly ask for help because she was given too much for one person to manage, but help never came from anybody but me. As soon as her male replacement took over though, help came out of the woodwork.

Until this point, I had never truly understood the disadvantage that being a young woman would bring me in this job. Animal Science programs are overrun by females...women are the future of agriculture. I was expected to do the same work as everyone else in my last 2 farm jobs, even if it meant I needed to learn how to do them. There is an insane number of amazing women sharing their stories out there. Women are the backbone of agricultural communities...and every community, Never once was I was given anything but hope in my future.

There have been times in the last few months where I have almost wished I had been born a guy.

How tragic is that?

I'm not sure where my story will go from here. I'm not sure that it really matters where it goes from here (not in a depressed sort of way, just that I know God has a plan).

I do know that women are a force to be reckoned with in agriculture, but we still have a long way to go to smash that glass ceiling. Because even family-based, Christian, agricultural companies still don't truly encourage equal-opportunity.

Day 15: I Am Not The Usual...

Every day is an adventure. I'm not just saying that. I truly mean it. Every day brings something new. Whether it is some pig crisis, family crisis, new and surprising event, or broadening my horizons in all ways.

I find myself bombarded everyday with people telling me that my pigs stink. My response is always Wah wah wah wah (especially since all the complaints come from fellow Animal Science individuals).

I clean too much. I don't clean enough. I move the pigs and make the smell increase. I leave the pigs and the smell is unbearable. The list goes on and on. Yea, pigs have a distinct odor but what animal doesn't? I never comment on the smell of cattle or sheep or the horse poop slurries that overtake the lab my office is in (well except for now) so why does everybody rag on the pigs? If somebody could explain this to me, I would greatly appreciate it. Seriously.

It's a good thing I have a good sense of humor, am extremely pig-headed (hah!), and I have strong faith that things will work out the way they are supposed to. But it doesn't stop the doubts...which is where the rest of this blog post comes into play.

I have read many great posts today about being a female Farmer. They were fantastic pieces combating the stereotypes that farmers are plagued with. Yes, there are many women in Agriculture and we are increasing everyday.

Which led me to this:

I am not the usual. None of us are the usual. Every person in Agriculture has a different story, a different background, and slightly different interests, but one common goal: doing what we love every day...and feeding the world in the process.

I don't have a family farm to go back to. Cody and I will have to start from scratch somewhere. Someday. Waiting is hard. Limbo is NOT where I like to be.

I read the stories from all the amazing men and women in agriculture and I find myself so overwhelmed. Overwhelmed with respect, admiration, pride that they are living the life they love and sharing their stories, and every now and then I find myself jealous.

Jealous because I want to be where they are.

But I am doing the best I can by finishing grad school. It may be years before we finally settle down and start a farm. Everything will come when it should, I just need to learn some more patience I think. Oh yea and limbo SUCKS.

I am dating a wonderful guy who would do anything for me. Even though most of the time choking him sounds like a viable option. But he's a guy, so that's a common reaction right? *If you say No then I am definitely in trouble here ;) ....*

I am so thankful for the opportunities I have been given thus far but I just can't stop myself from wanting MORE. Wanting more has shown me new worlds so far...I just need to reaffirm that everything will be OK. So in the meantime...I am not the usual. But there is no usual. And I can only be who I am and feel what I feel. Even if the emotions are a little bit ugly...BUT if you want to read some amazing stories by fantastic Women In Agriculture, check out the following links. I promise it will be worth it!

Minnesota Farm Living 
The Pinke Post (she is doing a 30 day series on Women in Agriculture)
Hewitt Farms
The Farmer's Wife
FarmHer
The Truth About True Love

Women In Agriculture Are Nonexistent

I was all set to put a fluffy carefree post up today but then a good friend of mine sent me an article that had both of us fuming.

I'm famous among friends for a very quick temper (which I've gotten a lot better at controlling over the years) and a tendency to rant and rave when something gets me going. Well this got me going, so bear with me while I dissect this article.

Basically the article is about "factory farming" and how the world would be so much better if there were more women in agriculture.

It's true that Ag is a largely male dominated sector. And I sometimes ask myself if I can compete with the guys that may be vying for the same jobs I am, but mostly because I don't have some of the skills and aptitudes that are absolutely necessary to farm and ranch. I can care for animals, drive a tractor, drive a stick shift, use my brain and find solutions that don't involve physical strength but there are some things I just can't do. I can physically not exert enough force onto a wrench sometimes or even remotely think of handling a tractor tire by myself. I'm 5'1"! Cody (my 6'5" homegrown Wisconsin farm boy works as a mechanic at a John Deere dealership and he tells me it is a struggle sometimes to do the things he has to do!!)

I definitely agree that men and women look at things differently and that women may be more emotional. But I wouldn't say that male farmers are not compassionate when it comes to their animals. They are just absolutely 100 times better at hiding the pain and agony that comes with raising animals than women are. It can also be difficult for women to accept that not every animal is a pet and cannot be treated as one.

"The women I met in agriculture showed a clear preference for working on organic and small farms..."

Here are some fun statistics for you from the USDA ERS (Department of Ag Economic Research Service):

As of 2011, there were 2,172,843 farms in the US. Of those, 2,114,668 were FAMILY farms (which comes to 97.3% of farms being family owned). 76% of those earned less than $50,000 a year. And only 2% earned $1 million or more. You can see the whole graph here.

Another report by the ERS shows that 88% of farms earn under $250,000 per year and are considered small family farms!!!. They also own 64% of the land assets. The simple fact is that larger farms are more economically viable. And most family farms continue to grow in order to support multiple generations. Let's face it, in an industry where the average farmer and rancher makes $40,000 a year....in order to support multiple generations on one farm, you have to expand and diversify! And in a lot of cases work jobs off the farm in order to survive and continue to farm.

So my point is that farming is still family held and small. No, all of our farms are not "organic". But really the definition of organic is carbon containing (um that means all animals, people, life forms, etc and a lot of other compounds). So isn't everything we raise organic? I'm not so sure about the meat substitutes and food being produced in laboratories...but I feel better being able to see and touch where so many of our products come from!

The article's entire point was that agriculture would be better if there were more women. I thought I was surrounded by women in agriculture!! All those farm families are only comprised of men?? We can reproduce without females now!! Granted, some farm moms don't work on the farm, but a lot do, and they work with their men to make many choices. There are strong farm women raising the next generation of farmers...so there really aren't women in agriculture?

I will agree that men still dominate agriculture. And the article scoffed at the argument that it's because agriculture is back-breaking manual labor. But really, do you expect millions of women in developed countries to give up their fancy manicures, expensive shoes and outfits, and all the glamour that goes with it to be completely covered in manure, placenta, feed and lots of other lovely substances day in and day out? We may have technology that helps make a lot of labor easier...but some things are still back breaking no matter what you do about it.

Animal Science programs in the country are almost 70-80% females and 20-30% male. But you know what the majority of the degrees are in? Pre-Vet. Horse Management. I've been in labs with pre-vet students who were so dressed up they physically could not participate (and these were labs we were going to work with pigs in!!). Do we expect people to give up well paying day jobs to make minimum wage mucking stalls and feeding pigs in an environmentally friendly, economically viable way?

Let me just point out that in 2011 there were 306, 200 female operated farms. If we count women as secondary operators that number increases to 1 million! WOMEN ARE PARTNERS TO THEIR MEN ON FARMS!

I'm not sure I even want to get started on the cage free issue the article mentions. Sure, I like cage free hens, they seem to be happier. But saying that by getting more women in agriculture (and ultimately having only smaller, more "organic" farms) that outbreaks of Salmonella and E.coli (and all the other pathogens) would automatically decrease is not a very informed outlook. There have been more deadly outbreaks found in organic produce lately than in conventionally raised foods.

Big does not always mean bad. And small does not always mean good.

I truly believe that we are blessed here in the US. As a sector, Ag is constantly trying to improve environmental impact, economic viability, and efficiency. We are trying to produce more using less resources (the WWF wants to help us continue this...), and allow people a choice in what they buy. Some people cannot afford to buy moral food. It is a FANTASTIC thing that we have so many choices.

Farm size, operator type, what does it really matter if our products are healthy and safe? And anybody in agriculture knows that happy animals are healthier and more productive. And we want healthier and more productive.

I'm sure I have upset somebody with this post but as a WOMAN IN AGRICULTURE, I am proud of the diversity there is. I am thrilled that we are seeing more and more women in management positions in Ag and more female operated farms. But the truth is that women are a vital part of agriculture (and always have been). They take care of their families. They help their farmers. They farm as well!

Every farm is different. Every situation is different. There are so many women in agriculture, but not all of them like to be out in the spotlight.

And farming is not for everyone. It's just a fact. Farming isn't a job, it's a lifestyle.

To see some of the fantastic WOMEN IN AG, check out some of the blogs I have listed. Or any number of the organizations geared towards women in agriculture (like American Agri-Women, National Women In Agriculture Association, and countless others).

This is something I could rant about for days and use reams of paper, but I will halt the rant here. And leave you with a picture of a pig that was raised inside, in what I'm sure people would consider a "factory farm". He looks miserable doesn't he?