Cooperative Living July 2019 - 12

ForTheFuture | Story and photos by Pam Wiley, Virginia Farm Bureau
Number of women
farmers has jumped
in Virginia, nation
R
decision-maker.
The census was conducted in early 2018 and focused on production
in 2017.
In Virginia, it found that the number of female agricultural producers
increased 18% to 25,509 between 2012 and 2017. Among those women,
17,126 identified themselves as their farms' principal producers, and
17,545 cited 11 or more years of experience operating a farm.
Counties with the highest numbers of female producers were
Rockingham, 1,215; Augusta, 1,036; Loudoun, 961; Fauquier, 856;
and Washington, 772.
Counties with the most farms where a woman was the principal
producer were Loudoun, 725; Rockingham, 674; Augusta, 648;
Fauquier, 615; and Bedford, 487.
Women " have always been involved in farming operations, and now
these census findings validate their importance on Virginia farms, " notes
Whitney Perkins, a commodity specialist for Virginia Farm Bureau
Federation. She also helps with her family's beef and hay operation
in Louisa County.
Eighty-one percent of Virginia's female farmers said they were involved
in their farms' day-to-day decisions; 61% were involved in land use
and crop decisions and livestock decisions; and 74% were involved
in recordkeeping and financial management.
Faye Hundley of Essex County, who chairs Virginia Farm Bureau's
Women's Committee, calls the census findings on women producers
exciting. Hundley and her husband are third-generation grain farmers
in Essex County.
" Frequently women in farm families are assumed not to be very
involved in operating the farm business, " she explains. " And I know
many, many women who are truly hands-on in their farming careers.
They are educated, motivated people, and they are doing great things
throughout the industry. "
The Census of Agriculture is conducted every five years. For the 2017
census, the U.S. Department of Agriculture added new questions to
Three women honored for accomplishments in agriculture
Virginia Farm Bureau Federation (VFBF) recognized three women
earlier this year for their service to agriculture and their communities.
Dr. Megan Seibel of Botetourt County was named inaugural recipient
ecently released findings from the 2017 U.S. Census of Agriculture
revealed that 36% of American farmers and ranchers are women,
and 56% of all U.S. farming operations have at least one female
of the VFBF Outstanding Woman in Agriculture award. Gayle Barts of
Pittsylvania County was named inaugural recipient
of the VFBF Distinguished Farm Bureau Woman
award. Chelsea Bickley of Louisa County was
named 2019 Virginia Farm Bureau Ambassador.
Seibel is a Virginia Cooperative Extension
specialist in Virginia Tech's College of Agriculture
and Life Sciences and inaugural director of the
Virginia Agriculture Leaders Obtaining Results
Program. She is in her third term as president of
Roanoke County Farm Bureau and raises beef
cattle and commercial wine grapes on her
family's farm.
Barts has maintained the 40 years of
bookkeeping, tax records and payroll for her
family's farm. She also has been employed as an
administrator for the Danville Science Center
Foundation and as legislative aide to former Rep.
Robert Hurt when he was a state legislator, and
to former Del. Donald Merricks and Del. Les
Adams. In 2010 and 2015 she received
gubernatorial appointments to the Virginia
Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission.
She serves on the Virginia Natural History
Museum advisory committee and is an
active member of the Pittsylvania County
Farm Bureau Women's Committee.
The Farm Bureau Ambassador program will
afford Bickley an opportunity to serve as
spokesperson for agriculture and the Farm Bureau.
She is pursuing an undergraduate degree in
animal science at Virginia Tech and hopes to earn
a master's degree in agricultural education and
become an agriculture teacher. She has helped
care for cattle, operated equipment and assisted
with maintenance work on her family's farm.
Dr. Megan Seibel
Botetourt County
Gayle Barts
Pittsylvania County
Chelsea Bickley
Louisa County
collect additional details about U.S. farm operations and farmer
demographics. " One particular benefit of that, " Hundley says, " is a
more focused picture of women farmers. "
Farm Bureau is the state's largest agricultural organization, and its
Women's Program offers opportunities for participants to build
leadership skills and boost awareness of agriculture. Farm Bureau
Women maintain contact with lawmakers regarding agriculturerelevant
legislation, and they organize and take part in community
outreach activities. In March, they were among volunteers who read
to 63,000 children during Virginia Agriculture Literacy Week. That
same month, many county Farm Bureau women's committees
marked National Ag Week with donations to local food banks and
Ronald McDonald House Charities.
This spring, about 300 Farm Bureau Women gathered for a
L to R: Cynthia Gregg, a Virginia Cooperative Extension agriculture and
natural resources agent in Brunswick County, took part in the Virginia
Farm Bureau Federation Spring Women's Conference. Susan Harrell,
whose family farms in Greensville County, was among volunteers who
read in local schools during Virginia's Agriculture Literacy Week.
10 | Cooperative Living | July 2019
conference that featured workshops on communication strategies, farm
transition planning, wetlands regulations, and mental health trends and
concerns in farm communities. Awards for their county-level activities
recognized events such as a grow light project that showed Franklin
County third-graders the life cycle of food plants; a farm-themed trunkor-treat
Halloween event in Pittsylvania County; and a Campbell County
music-and-agriculture festival called Bluegrass, Crops & Critters. 
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Cooperative Living July 2019

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