Some promising news has come from Arizona’s agriculture business when it comes to just who exactly is growing our crops. The amount of women in primary operating roles within agriculture have been increasing significantly in Arizona, and that’s not all either.
Arizona is home to Apache and Navajo counties, which are now credited as being the 1st and 2nd in the nation in farms run by women.
According to the most recent statistics from the US Department of Agriculture’s census (2012), Arizona leads the nation in proportion of women farmers with 45 percent of farmers in the state being women. Women are also now considered the fastest growing farming demographic according to the USDA.
While the agricultural business is often antiquated in how farms pass ownership (comprised mostly of family run farms passing down to sons,) this isn’t stopping the presence of women in the farming world from nearly tripling in just 30 years. While this may not directly affect new farmers coming into the business, the land claimed in this cycle does mean that getting your foot in the door isn’t as easy as it seems. The answer to this problem?
For new local farmers, starting on small plots of land around cities or working in community gardens has been a strong working solution. As the market for locally grown produce expands, so does the community for it.
Not only is this a great sign for the country when it comes to equal gender representation, this is also an amazing sign for the local markets of Arizona. A booming economy of fresh food and jobs growing it means a very healthy market ecosystem for both consumers and prospective workers alike.
While we’ll have to wait for a more recent census from the USDA, these positive milestones are a great sign of progress for the state as Arizona stands on the forefront of equality in agriculture, and likely will for a long time to come.
