Careers in Agriculture

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areers

com

2017

because they are the best person for the job. I believe

strongly that women need to help other women. We

need to be fair to all candidates but certainly should be

encouraging women to apply for key positions and help

mentor them for growth at the highest levels.

The opportunities are endless. There’s no cap

anymore. We’re going to see more women in the board

rooms, government, leading companies, organizations,

and NGOs. Women have always been involved in

agriculture yet our roles haven’t been valued as much as

they should. My mother has always been involved in our

family farm, and she had as much financial risk as my

father. Many women keep the books, purchase the inputs

and crop insurance and make marketing decisions. In

most businesses that person would be considered the

Chief Financial Officer but in many instances in a

farming operation the person is called “the farm wife.”

Of course, many others are in the field or on the ranch

doing manual labor. Just like the men, roles vary

operation to operation, and all roles are equally

important to the success of the business.

The good news is the awareness of women’s

contributions is changing. While they have traditionally

been more advisors and counselors, they are now leading

on the farm and ranch, in the Halls of Congress, in board

rooms, anywhere decisions are being made. Women

entering the work force today know they have more

opportunities in agriculture, from field to fork. And, they

I have encountered

discrimination as a woman in

agriculture, but I have never

let that stop me from reaching

my goals. When possible, I

used the challenges to my

advantage. There are times

still when I am the only

decision-maker at the table

have strong female role models who welcome them to the

industry and who will help them find the right job or role.

Our voices are needed. We bring a different perspective.

We connect well with consumers. Most of the food shopping

is still done by women, and even if they’re not doing the

shopping they’re making the list. Women network. It is

valuable to have women as spokespersons and leaders,

talking to other women about how they feed their families

– women relate to each other. Women have the credibility to

influence the conversation and the decisions.

I am so excited about the future of agriculture in the

U.S. and much of that excitement comes from knowing that

the changes and expansion will come from different folks

getting involved in the industry. They will bring new ideas,

innovations and technologies. Many of these new folks will

be women: wives, daughters, granddaughters, nieces and

passionate young women who want to shape the future of

feeding people. Not everyone will be on a farm or ranch and

they will contribute to the industry in other ways. We need

researchers, communicators, policy makers, teachers,

nutritionists, marketers, economists, conservationists; the

list is long and jobs are available!

Look at your opportunities, not your limitations. You can

do it. And there are other women and men here to help. We

need and want your voice, your energy, your ideas and your

passion!

who is female and that is changing. In the past, I didn’t

have the automatic acceptance that some of my male

peers had; I always had to earned it. There have been

times I felt that my ideas or concerns were dismissed or

even ignored because I was a female. I found I had to work

harder and to always make sure my facts were correct and

I had every detail just right. There was no room for even a

minor mistake. I was raised to have confidence to be that

different voice and to contribute, even though it may not

always be comfortable or easy.

There is a tendency sometimes to pay women less.

It happened to me earlier in my career. It’s not always

comfortable for women to ask for raises or promotions. It

can be hard to recognize your own worth when others are

making you feel less. If you are working hard, making the

same contributions, you deserve the same level of pay. The

judgment must be based on the same criteria for both men

and women. As a manager I certainly try to practice just

what I preach. I recruit, hire and promote many women

WOMEN

IN AGRICULTURE

Excerpts from an interview with Krysta Harden, former Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture

& current Vice President Public Policy & Chief Sustainability Officer with DuPont

“Women relate to each other. Women have the credibility to influence the conversation and the decisions.”