Throughout the ages and within different cultural contexts, women’s roles in agriculture have been as unique and varied as the women themselves. Women have always farmed, but in today’s changing world, more and more are taking on the mantle for the first time.
An analysis of farmers in RAFI’s database demonstrates this trend: of all farmers, 69% are “beginning farmers,” which by USDA’s definition means “operating a farm for less than 10 years.” But among female farmers, 80% meet the beginning farmer criteria.
In an effort to better understand the motivations, challenges, visions, and joys that are common threads for female farmers, RAFI staff members Jaimie McGirt and Carolina Alzate Gouzy talked with six different farmers. In a country where the advancement of modern agriculture is traditionally dominated by men, a renewed narrative is being woven by women, who are not just farming crops but also cultivating change.
Sekayi Muhammad and her husband Brandon, moved to Jackson, NC from eastern PA and started One Meal A Day Farms. He brought with him experience gained while working at Amish dairy farms, but it didn’t take long for Muhammad to discover that their new dairy farm would need to involve her and the entire family. Hesitant at first, but inspired by her two daughters’ keen interest in animals, Muhammad dove in and found that she, too, felt especially attuned to livestock. “Once I got a Jersey, I couldn’t help but love them … I feel their energy. I pick up on certain things — things my husband would miss,” she noted. Once she recognized this connection, Muhammad jumped into daily chores, managed the farm, and dedicated herself to mastering regenerative grazing. She even traveled to Wisconsin for the World Dairy Expo. “I didn’t see a single other Black dairy farmer there, but I didn’t feel out of place. I know how to navigate these spaces from all of my past experiences,” she shared. On being a woman in agriculture, Muhammad puts it plainly: “There isn’t a job on the farm I can’t do because I’m a woman.”
Xochitl Bervera of Near Futures Farms and Water is Life Oysters in Apalachicola, FL, asserts that burgeoning diversity within the farming sector contributes to a richer, more resilient agricultural landscape. Bervera was inspired by Leah Penniman’s work, which focuses on Black and Indigenous traditions and points to growing food as part of rebuilding broken relationships with the earth. She subsequently trained at Soul Fire Farm and also took inspiration from her brother’s family farm, La Granja Autosustentable Bervera Cruz, located across the Gulf in Tabasco, Mexico. She also learned from the readings of Robin Wall Kimmerer (of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation) and Devon Mihesuah (a Choctaw historian), both of whom write about Indigenous food pathways and rebuilding the right relationship to the land through tending to food.
At first, Bervera and her family grew vegetables and herbs. Then, during the pandemic, they added fruit trees, berry bushes, and chickens for eggs — but something else was piquing Bervera’s curiosity.
Enter oysters. Bervera saw potential in the oyster farming business, even though aquaculture was not common in her neck of the woods at the time. She took a course one year, and the next, she and her partner put their first oyster babies into a water column, launching Water is Life Oysters.
Bervera believes that “we need more women who understand that we are farming as we are today because we are looking seven generations out — to our future generations — and realize we must rebuild our relationship with the water and the earth, learn to grow food for ourselves and our communities, and work in such a way that restores and revives our natural resources and allies.”
Vera Fabian, co-founder of Ten Mothers Farm in Cedar Grove, NC, along with her husband Gordon Jenkins, also set out to restore and revive resources, producing food in a way that is good for people and good for the soil. Fabian started her journey into agriculture inspired by the culinary luminaries she once worked for: Andrea Reusing of Lantern (Chapel Hill, NC) and Alice Waters of Chez Panisse (Berkeley, CA). Equally pivotal to her journey were other recognized leaders who are known for their pioneering work in organic and no-till production. Fabian’s story is a testament to the profound influence of mentorship and the inspiration drawn from those who have expertly navigated the agricultural and food landscape before her.
Starting in 2016 on leased land with seed money from 34 CSA “share” members, Ten Mothers Farm has since developed into a productive first-time operation that grows for 280 families from only one acre of vegetable beds. Operating in a no-tractor, no-till style and laboring only by hand, Fabian, Jenkins, and their team maintain permanent beds amended with lots of compost. “We farm one acre very intensively. Not tilling feels like the simplest and most productive way to farm at this scale.” Vera also attributes their success to collaboration, a unique strength that she believes women bring to the field in abundance: “I think we’re much more willing to admit we can’t do everything on our own and therefore find ways we can collaborate to make farming more livable in the long run.”
Dilora G. González Morales embarked on a journey into agroecology in response to food accessibility challenges on her home island of Puerto Rico. “Coming from Puerto Rico [which imports more than 80% of its food from the mainland U.S.], there was a clear challenge of access to quality ingredients,” González says. She and her partner Javi — inspired by an agroecology course taught by farmers to farmers — transformed his grandfather’s abandoned farm into a beacon of sustainability, called Finca Pueblo Nuevo. González and her family grow greens and vegetables, as well as value-added fermented products such as sauerkraut, kimchi, and hot sauce.
She shares that her biggest inspiration is her children. “When we first knew we were going to be parents, it made everything we were doing make a lot more sense. Giving the children a more meaningful life, raising them with a conscious background, in contact with nature, and away from invasive technology, has been one of the biggest blessings. They give me strength, determination, and reaffirmation of the life we chose. A life that comes with a lot of work and challenges, but in the end, it’s all worth it!”
González also speaks to the ancestral role of women in agriculture, “Our women ancestors were farmers, deeply connected to Mother Earth. We are guardians of the seeds, the water, and the land. We bring sensibility and perseverance to the field, perpetuating life in all its forms.”
Yanna Muriel, an ecological farmer in Utuado, Puerto Rico, brings this perspective of connection as well, having begun her agricultural journey as a child, deeply influenced by her mother and an inspiring school program. She draws strength from pioneering figures in the sustainable farming movement and the resilience of women she observes working the land. “Women have a different perspective than men and their contributions are particularly transformative for local economies, community-centric approaches, health, education, and advocacy. We see that women’s involvement in farming fosters social, economic, and environmental sustainability,” Muriel notes. She also believes involving children in farming provides an opportunity for them to connect with nature and learn valuable lessons.
Muriel calls for improved access to female-friendly farming tools and machinery, more opportunities for women to enter decision-making roles, and better support for women’s multifaceted roles as caregivers and community leaders.
Shaisa Soto’s agricultural roots are also tied to her childhood in Puerto Rico. She recalls observing her grandparents’ cultivation methods and embracing these traditional farming practices. Women in her community, especially those practicing subsistence farming, have been a significant source of inspiration to her, cultivating whatever space is available to them and connecting with their environment and ancestral practices. Soto and her family grow short-cycle vegetables in winter, spring, and early summer, as well as fruit and medicinal, aromatic, and root vegetables year-round on their agroecological farm, Unitaria Común.
“Historically, women have played a central role in agriculture, particularly in subsistence farming across the Americas,” says Soto. Their contributions extend from sowing to harvesting to saving seeds for the next season. For Soto, this holistic approach embodies “the urgency to have healthy food, care, warmth, and perseverance.” Looking forward, she believes the future of women in agriculture hinges on stronger support networks, a societal shift towards shared caregiving responsibilities, and equitable access to resources.
The storytellers here share their experiences upholding traditions and leading innovation in land stewardship, collaboration, and economic impact. Women have always played a key role in agriculture, and more women with diverse personal and professional backgrounds are entering the field.
We know it’s also true that women producers have been marginalized, with fewer access to resources, fewer positions of power, and significant barriers to entry. Despite these roadblocks, RAFI bears witness to female farmers who continue to show up as leading voices in agriculture: educating at conferences, advocating at the U.S. Capitol, and improving female farmers’ access to resources.
These women don’t always receive the credit due to them — or even give themselves the credit they deserve. Each farmer we spoke with — Seyaki, Xochitl, Vera, Dilora, Yanna, and Shaisa — first cited mentors, family members, and educational events as springboards for their farm ventures, before listing their own intelligence, ingenuity, and industriousness. We see how it takes all of the above, and at RAFI, we celebrate women as leaders in farming.