Breaking into farming as a woman isn't always easy, Luckily, there are things we can do to make the transition easier.

More women are getting into farming than ever before, according to recent statistics, which is partially why I was so taken aback by some of the circumstances I faced when I transitioned from gardening to farming. At first, I reminded myself that the world was full of bad eggs. Surely this was not the norm. Maybe it was me, or something I was doing wrong. Unsettled and discouraged, I started to ask my other female farming friends about their experiences.

As it turns out, gender actually does play a huge role in the farming sphere, which is not surprising considering the demographics of American farmers.

Farming Is Still A Predominately Male Industry

A little research revealed that the crux of the issue is that farming is still a male-oriented profession. The number of farms operated by women may have risen from 5 percent in 1978 to 14 percent in 2007 (before dropping down again in 2012), but that is still a shockingly small percentage of the farming population. Women have a long way to go before they are an equal percentage of the workforce and an even longer way to go before we can expect equal treatment in the field.

The Majority of Farmers Are Over 58 Years Old

Not only are farmers mostly men, but they are older men. The average age of the American farmer is 58.3, a number that has risen steadily over the years. This is actually good news for women farmers. There is a growing need for younger farmers in the field, and in my experience, many older farmers are so thrilled to meet younger people interested in agriculture that they often overlook any preconceived notions about gender. The age and gender gap is there, though, and could account for some of the difficulties faced by women in agriculture.

Geography Matters

New England and the West Coast have statistically larger percentages of women in farming than the rest of the country. These areas also have programs aimed at assisting women farmers, which gives us a better chance at establishing ourselves in a male dominated field. These programs, however, are not universal, and there are many parts of the U.S. where sexism is very much alive and kicking.

Sexism Faced by Women Farmers

Every woman farmer I know has faced some obstacle as a result of these facts. I have been overcharged for services, denied services, and questioned about my skills, qualifications, and knowledge on a regular basis. These negative experiences often overshadowed the more numerous positive experiences I had, and so the general impression I received as a beginning farmer was that women were welcome in the gardening community, but not entirely welcome in the farming community. This is especially true in commercial agriculture, where there are very few women running large operations.

Luckily, there are a few things we can do to break through the glass ceiling.

The Art of the Farm Deal

If you’ve never been to a farm auction, then you’re missing out on one of the great experiences in life. Farm auctions, to me, represent one of the other realities of farming – bargaining. Farmers haggle. They negotiate with money, land, leases, and services. Unfortunately, many women are not comfortable with negotiation. It took me a long time to realize that an asking price was just that – an asking price, with room for debate.

I went through an emotional roller coaster the first few times I haggled for goods. I really wanted that sheep or load of hay or implement, and I didn’t want to risk losing it by lowballing. I found that the opposite was usually true. I didn’t always get what I wanted, but most of the time I did save money, and I found that the person on the other end of the deal walked away with more respect for me. A good way to practice farm negotiations is to go to farm estate sales, where you can usually haggle your way into some great deals and the seller already expects that the buyer will try and negotiate the price.

Walk The Walk and Talk the Talk

Learning to negotiate helped me build my confidence. Confidence is everything. Sure, you might not always feel confident, but learning to fake it is important, so pull on your Carhartts and get out your swagger. If you know your stuff, be proud of it. There are lots of men and women out there who are just looking for somebody to steam roll over, but it doesn’t have to be you.

There is nothing wrong with asking for advice from an older, experienced (and probably male) farmer. Passing down knowledge is one of the best ways to learn about agriculture, but we also need to make sure we assert ourselves when it comes to the things we do know about. Appearing confident will help dispel any notions that women are somehow less competent than men and will pave the way for constructive relationships between farmers of both genders.

Ask For What You Want

I apprenticed on several farms. One of them was owned by a woman, and I remember feeling very hurt when she taught the two male apprentices how to drive the tractor while the other female apprentice and I were not offered the opportunity. When I finally confronted my boss about it, she looked very surprised. "They asked to learn," she told me. "You didn't ask, so I assumed you weren't interested."

It is easy to blame society for conditioning women to wait, instead of speaking up for their needs, but that won't accomplish anything. Instead, start asking for what you need. If you are ignored, ask louder. This is especially important for beginning farmers. Attend workshops, ask questions, and put yourself out there. Nobody is going to speak up for you.

Dress For Success

Appearance matters too. In an ideal world, I would receive the same treatment in a hardware store regardless of whether or not I was wearing a sundress and flats or work pants and dirty boots. In the real world, I try and dress the part when I go to pick up a load of feed. If dressing for success sometimes means dressing down to my dirtiest farm jeans, that is fine by me.

Bad Apples

Some of the most supportive farm mentors I’ve had were men, and I like to think that the majority of male farmers out there don’t care one way for the other about my gender. When I encounter the ones that do, I try to handle it with professionalism. At the end of the day, there is a difference between people and apples - I refuse to let one bad apple spoil the bunch.