Local Women Gather for Women in Agriculture Dinner

By:  Stephanie Karhoff

Women’s involvement on the farm is ever expanding and evolving, encompassing a wide range of roles, from recordkeeping to making day-to-day decisions. According to the 2017 USDA Census of Agriculture, 36% of the country’s producers are female, and more than half of all farms had a female producer.

Recently, a total of 41 area women joined Ohio State University Extension and Purdue University Extension at Stoy Farms for an evening of learning, networking, and a dinner sponsored by Huntington University, Grower’s Advantage, and Farmers State Bank.

During the event, Elysia Rodgers of Purdue University Extension shared strategies for managing stress on the farm with attendees. When faced with volatile markets, tense family dynamics, or less than ideal weather, Rodgers challenged the group to first take a deep, calming breath and then employ a coping strategy such as reading, praying, taking a walk, positive self-talk, or speaking with a mental health provider. Though there are many factors in agriculture that farmers cannot control, we can control our mindset. Rodgers cited that the human mind has an estimated 70,000 thoughts per day. How many of these thoughts are negative? How many are positive? Maintaining a positive mindset is key to limiting negative impacts of stress.

The evening concluded with door prizes and an introduction to Annie’s Project – Education for Farm Women (APEFW), a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing educational programs designed to empower women in agriculture. Annie’s Project is a six-week educational program covering financial risk, human resource risk, legal risk, market risk, production risk, and local needs. It also provides a support network consisting of women involved in all facets of agriculture. An Annie’s Project series will be offered at Stoy Farms starting in February 2021. Those interested in participating should contact Williams County OSU Extension at 419-636-5608.