bytes
Women in Ag Survey Underscores Need for
Leadership Skills
Communicating effectively, establishing and
achieving goals, and strategic planning ranked highest
on a list of important leadership skills for women in
agriculture to master, according to a new Farm Bureau
survey. Nearly 2,000 women completed the informal
online survey, which was conducted to determine the
goals, aspirations, achievements and needs of women in
American agriculture today.
“The survey results point to a need for a deeper dive
into what leadership traits women in agriculture are
interested in learning about in order to achieve their
goals,” said Sherry Saylor, an Arizona row crop farmer
and chair of the AFB Women’s Leadership Committee.
Another topline finding of the survey is that most of
the women surveyed are comfortable advocating about
agriculture, and most believe they have the necessary
skills and knowledge to be successful. Social media is
the preferred avenue of advocating about agriculture
among the women surveyed.
“Farm and ranch women continue to be seen as
credible sources of information on the production
of food, fiber and renewable fuels,” Saylor said.
“Working to develop connections with consumers
and being transparent when responding to questions
about how food is produced benefits all of us in
agriculture,” she said.
Nearly three-quarters of those surveyed own or share
ownership of a farm or ranch. One-third of women
surveyed have not yet started a business but indicated
they would like to do so in the future. Respondents cited
obtaining financial support, business plan development,
and prioritizing/finding time to accomplish tasks as their
most common business challenges.
The AFB Women’s Leadership Committee sponsored
the survey. All women who are farmers, ranchers, farm/
ranch employees, employed in agricultural businesses,
pursuing ag-related higher education or supportive of
agriculture in other ways were invited to participate;
Farm Bureau membership was not a requirement.
Responses were received from women in all 50 states
and Puerto Rico.
The American Farm Bureau Women’s
Leadership Program
The American Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership
Program provides women with the training and
education they need to become powerful advocates for
today’s agriculture. Two key programs spearheaded by
the program are the annual Women’s Communications
Boot Camp and the year-round Our Food Link program.
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