Women in Agriculture

Heart of the FarmProgram Statistics / Trends

Jenny Vanderlin, Information Processing Consultant

Joy Kirkpatrick, Outreach Specialist

Center for Dairy Profitability (CDP)

University of Wisconsin - Madison

Women in Agriculture

Heart of the Farm Project

• Overall MissionFarm Management and Production Education for Women

Improving Farm Business Decision-Making

• Long-Term Goal“…address the needs of farm women by providing education on pertinent topics, connecting them with agricultural resources, and creating support networks.”

• Funding SourceNorth Central Regional Risk Management Education CenterRisk Management Agency (2008)and the Center for Dairy Profitability

Women in Agriculture

Trends*• Most farm women are responsible

for farm bookkeeping and bill paying

• Farm errands and vegetable gardening are common tasks

• Women are more likely to work with livestock than do field work

• Women’s age influences the tasks that women do; in particular, almost two-thirds of the women interviewed (63%) contributed 40 or more hours of on-farm work per week.

Women's Involvement Selected Farm Tasks

0 20 40 60 80 100

Chem Apps

Spread Manure

Other Field Work

Rock Picking

Haying

Breeding Cows

Feeding Cows

Clean Stalls/Barn

Calf Care

Cleaning Equip

Milking Cows

Repair Machinery

Gardening

Errands

Bookkeeping

Ta

sk

Percentage

Regularly Sometimes

* The Roles of Women on Wisconsin Dairy Farms at the Turn of the 21st Century. PATS Research Report No. 10. Nov, 2001.

• Farm women are involved in all of the major decisions on farming operation

• Majority of women are responsible for household decisions

• Women likely to work with financial decisions rather than crop management

• More than ½ (57%) said they were “very involved” in farm decisions

* Heart of the Farm Women in Agriculture, PATS Research Report No. 20. September, 2003.

Women in Agriculture

Other Trends*…

Heart of the Farm

Programs2002-2007

Spin-off Workshops: Financial, Health Care, Direct Marketing

2002

2 Pilot

2006

6 Conferences

2003

4 Conferences

2007

4 Conferences

2004

6 Conferences (8 Scheduled)

2008

5 full day conferences; 2 half day

2005

2 Conferences (6 Scheduled)

Conferences were offered at various sites throughout the State Over 500 women attended these conferences

Demographics

• Most Attendees Were From Dairy Farms– Followed by beef, then

grain, no hog farmers

• 42% Worked Off The Farm– Averaged 30 hours per

week

• Wide Distribution of Ages– Largest participation age

45-54, followed by 35-44

• Average Size of Farm was 600 Acres

Reason for Attending…

TOP 3 REASONS

1. Content Relevant 2. Other Women 3. Distance

Chart 1: How Important to Attend Program

0 1 2 3 4 5

Women Speakers

Speakers Well Known

Content Relevant to Business

Content Includes NonFarm

Free Child Care

Child Care for a Fee

Distance

Known Location

Location is Place Want to Visit

Know Other Women are Attending

Know Other Person Attending

Rating

2003

2006

Logistics…

Willing to travel 30-60 miles to attend

2006 Respondents indicated they were willing to drive fewer miles than 2003 respondents.

Chart 4: How Far Are You Willing to Travel to Attend a Farm Program or Training?

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

≤ 15 miles 16-30 miles 31-60 miles ≥ 60 miles

Distance

Per

cent

age

2003

2006

Marketing…

BEST WAY: Direct Mail, Extension Newsletters and Local/Ag NewspapersHEARD ABOUT: Direct Mail, Extension Newsletters and Personal Contact

Chart 6: Marketing Programs to Farm Women

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Other

Personal Contact

Extension Newsletter

Radio

Farm Magazine

Ag Newspaper

Local Newspaper

Direct Mail

Percent

Best Way

Hear About Program

What We Learned…

• “Liked Best” • Discussion

• Lots of information

• Network with women

• “Change”• More In-Depth Information

• More Discussion/Networking Time

• “Add”• More In-Depth Information

• More Information (on all topics)

• Plan early – “Save the date” postcards/flyer

• Planning committees – topics and promotion

• Newsletters

• HCE groups

• Google groups

• 2008 – longer super-sessions – hands on

What We Learned…

• Balancing Act or Is it a 3 Ring Circus

• Divide participants into groups

• Have them answer questions in their groups

• Report back to the full group

• Questions: how do they balance work, farm, family, technologies that help them, finding time away, etc.

Networking Activity

Supporting Women Advantageousto Wisconsin Agriculture

• Empowerment and Confidence of Women in Agriculture

• Opportunities and Support for Networking, Mentoring and Sharing

• Development of Positive Attitude

Questions/Discussion ?

Joy KirkpatrickOutreach Specialist

joy.kirkpatrick@ces.uwex.edu

Center for Dairy Profitability608.263.3485

http://www.uwex.edu/ces/heartofthefarm/

Heart of the Farm

Women in Agriculture

http://www.uwex.edu/ces/heartofthefarm/