Women’s role in agriculture

“I’m every woman, it’s all in me.” Whether you remember the Chaka Khan or the Whitney Houston version, chances are you’ve heard these divas express that “anything you want done, I‘ll do it naturally.” I don’t know about you, but I beg to differ. I can’t do it all myself, and I don’t want to imagine life without other women with whom and from whom I can learn.

Women’s roles in agriculture vary greatly throughout Ohio. Of the 32,237 women farmers in the state, 8,702 identify themselves as the principal operator. They are the primary decision makers for the business. The other 23,535 women, though not the principal operator, still identify themselves as farmers in an operation. Often times women find themselves with finance and record keeping responsibilities, marketing strategy, as well as planting, harvesting, hauling, and running here there and everywhere to get this part or another.

According to data from the 2012 Census of Agriculture, Coshocton County ranks number 12 in Ohio for total women farm operators at 558. Five of our six neighboring counties rank in the top 10. Holmes ranks 2 at 782 women operators, Licking 3 at 717, Knox 4 at 701, Guernsey 5 at 633, and Muskingum 8 at 621. The county with the most women operators is Wayne with 810.

When you divide the number of women farmers by the county population, then on a percentage basis Coshocton County jumps to 5 in the state. About 1.5 percent of our total county population identify themselves as women farmers. Though Monroe County has only 389 women operators, it has the highest percentage of women farmers in the state with almost 2.7 percent of the population.

If you are a women involved in a farming operation or any agriculturally-related business, then you are encouraged to consider participation in Annie’s Project. It is a six-part workshop that meets once a week for six weeks and focuses on different areas of risk management. There are five key risk areas that cover various aspects of the agriculture industry including production, marketing, legal, financial and human resources risk.

Annie’s Project is a national program that is offered through university Extension services in 33 states across the country. In the past 15 years, more than 5,000 women have completed the workshop, and since 2009, 40 Coshocton County women have completed the Annie’s Project program.

In addition to gaining confidence about managing and organizing critical information, the participants also form networks with other women of similar interests. The next Annie’s Project will run Monday evenings, Oct. 12-Nov. 16. A meal will be served each evening and the total cost for the program is $70. This year’s program is sponsored by Farm Credit Mid-America and PNC Bank. You can find a more detailed schedule and registration brochure by visiting www.coshocton.osu.edu. Deadline for registration is Sept. 30.

Emily Adams is the Ohio State University Extension educator for Coshocton County. She can be reached at 740-622-2265 or adams.661@osu.edu.