Home Grown: Females who farm

Inspiring young girls to pursue a career in agriculture

YUMA, Ariz (KSWT/KYMA/KECY)

When you think of a down-home country farm, often you may think of a man wearing overalls with sweat on his brow and dirt on his hands. 

In today’s Home Grown, I’ll tell you how the women in agriculture are changing the way society views females who farm. 

Female power was strong in the hallway of Arizona Western College during the Females in Agriculture panel. 

This presentation was open to female students looking to seek encouragement from their agriculture expert female peers. 

Several questions were asked including how they stay encouraged in a career that has long been known as male-dominated. 

The experts were also asked to explain what their next steps were in their careers. 

For many of these women, getting a master's and a doctorate degree were first on the list. 

After achieving that, many of them wanted to continue to promote community clubs and organizations that reach out to young girls who want to do the same thing.

Overall, each of them was able to speak from different experiences and expertise.

“Never downplay the importance of networking like being here today,” said Kristine Duke, an Accounting professor at AWC.

“We tend to battle ourselves a lot more in terms of, ‘Are we capable, are we able to do that?’ Especially in a very male-dominated field,” said Dr. Joann Chang, a biology professor at AWC.

“Women in science is not going to be easy, colored women in science are not going to be easy, colored immigrant women in science, it’s definitely not going to be easy,” said Dr. Bindu Poudel, a plant pathologist at the University of Arizona.

“The biggest challenge is dealing with my own personal self my esteem and thinking, ‘OK wait I can’t do this because I’m a girl,’ no I can do it,” said Vicki Scott, food safety coordinator for Amigo Farms.

There will be another Women in Ag panel coming up next semester at AWC.