At High Plains Journal’s first-ever Farmer U & Trade Show event, which took place Aug. 18 to 19 in Mulvane, Kansas, women were in the spotlight for an agricultural panel. The discussion was moderated by Michelle Miller, also known as the Farm Babe.
The panel consisted of Blayne Arthur, Oklahoma’s first female secretary of agriculture; Sarah Greer, a fifth-generation farmer who is in the process of taking over her family’s farm in Nebraska; Roxi McCormick, a farmer and agricultural business owner from Colorado and Whitney Larson, a city girl turned agricultural advocate, social media influencer and Kansas farm wife.
The discussion started off with the panelists sharing their greatest influencers in agriculture and how those examples have shaped their lives. McCormick said her father has always been a strong role model that she looks up to.
“He is the strong, silent type, so there were not a lot of words spoken, but plenty of action,” she said. “I learned by watching him and he showed me how to have a strong work ethic and be successful.”
Since Larson did not grow up on a farm and was introduced to agriculture by husband, he has been her inspiration.
“I wasn’t even aware of where our food comes from before I met him,” Larson said. “When he brought me to the farm it was an eye-opening experience to see the hard work and hours put in. He’s been my biggest cheerleader and my biggest influence.”
Agriculture is often a fulfilling occupation for those passionate about the work they put in. Arthur finds her job with the state government rewarding because she gets to see the effect on farms and ranches.
“The work that we do–especially if it’s policy related—directly impacts the ability of our farmers and ranchers to be successful in Oklahoma, so we don’t take that responsibility lightly,” she said. “We want to make sure that the decisions that we’re making every day are good decisions for producers now but are also good decisions for five or 10 years up the road.”
Greer garners a great deal of fulfillment from the time she has working alongside her father and children on the farm.
“It’s just time that you never get back with your family,” she said. “I also get to work with my teenage sons and I don’t know where their lives will take them or what career paths they are going to choose, but it’s great just being able to work with them.”
The elephant in the room: Gender
As far as sexism in such a male-dominated industry, the panelists had some unique perspectives. Greer said she has experienced some sexism in the production sector with companies that only wanted to deal with her retired father, rather than her, even though she was paying the bills. She dealt with the issue by seeking out partners who wanted to work with her and did not care about gender, only helping her to succeed. Greer said she does not want her gender to be a factor and hopes others will not see it as an anomaly in the production sector.
“Consider if we were your daughter or sister, how would you want us to be treated,” she said. “It’s just about general respect and treating people with kindness.”
McCormick said she has not experienced sexism in her experiences with agriculture, but she feels her father prepared her to be able to deal with any issues that came her way and possibly combat sexism in her future.
“When I was 14, my aunt got divorced and she had always been a homemaker and never held a job,” McCormick said. “My dad saw that and said ‘you’re never going to deal with that,’ so he made sure that I could be self-sufficient and be able to handle everything on my own if I was ever in a similar situation as my aunt.”
She feels that preparation and confidence building, while working alongside her brother on the farm made her “one of the boys” in a sense and earned her respect among the men and with herself.
Larson said she has felt discriminated against in agricultural circles from other farmers criticizing her husband for letting her drive a combine or while attending agricultural conferences.
“For anyone who sees a woman come to a conference and she’s brave enough to do that and be the only woman in the room, just be welcoming,” she said. “And that goes for other women in the industry too.”
Arthur said in 2009, when she first began her political career, an individual at a farm commodity group told her she would have a difficult time in politics because she is a woman. She said the comment made her want to work harder toward her goals.
“There’s no doubt we’re seeing generational improvement in women having opportunities,” Arthur said. “There’s no question that the way my grandmother saw the world is really different than the way I see it. But I always tell folks all the opportunities I have had in my career, the doors were opened for me by a gentlemen, not by a woman. So I always want to be appreciative of those men who gave me opportunities that women had not.”
No better time for women in agriculture
Next, each panelist offered advice to young women interested in careers in agriculture. McCormick said women should never be afraid to ask for help.
“There are always going to people out there that are willing to help you,” she said. “You will find a plethora of information at events like Farmer U and when you talk to people you will pick up a lot of what to do and not to do.”
Larson agreed and added that asking questions could prevent costly mistakes.
“No question is stupid, there’s always an answer,” she said. “Even if it’s something small, it could prevent an accident if you ask someone for help. You’re never too old to learn.”
Arthur, who has been working in government for years, said politics and agriculture can be challenging for women who do not develop tough skin.
“For young ladies, there are some nuances to being a female in the ag world, even in 2021, so I encourage all young ladies that I talk to that you’ve got to do your homework, show up early, stay late and most importantly you can’t get discouraged,” Arthur said. “Being in ag is challenging with the commodity markets and weather, but if it’s what you really want to do and you show up every day, work hard and stick with it, I do feel like doors will open for you.”
Lacey Vilhauer can be reached at 620-227-1871 or [email protected].
