Role of women evolving in farming sector

Nov 22, 2023

By Sara Wood, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Traditionally, agriculture has been a male-dominated industry, but women have always played very pivotal roles in farm businesses – just mostly behind the scenes or in a supportive capacity.

That is definitely changing, however. As a female farmer myself, it’s something that I can confirm first-hand, but it’s also backed up by data from the most recent Canadian Census of Agriculture.

In 2021, Canada had just under 80,000 female farm operators, making up 30.4% of the farm population compared to 28.7% during the previous census in 2016. In fact, this was the first time the number of female farmers in Canada has increased since 1991.

Statistics Canada attributes this increase to a rise in what they call “one-operator farmers” or women who farm on their own. The data also shows that more women are now running large farm businesses than ever before, and that Ontario is home to just over one quarter of our country’s female farmers.

Our family farm is located near the Perth County town of Mitchell, west of Stratford, where we raise broiler chickens and grow crops. For me, being an active female farmer has always been a given. That’s because our family farm is somewhat unique in our industry in that it has always had a woman as the main farm decision-maker – first my grandmother, then my mother and now me.

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Video: Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Can winter canola open new opportunities for growers in the Mid-South? In this agronomy update from Noxubee County, Mississippi, Pioneer agronomist Gus Eifling shares an early look at a first-year winter canola trial and what farmers are learning from the field.

Planted in late October on 30-inch rows, the crop is now entering the bloom stage and progressing quickly. In this video, we walk through current field conditions, fertility management, and how timing could make this crop a valuable option for double-cropping soybeans or cotton.

If harvest timing lines up with early May, growers may be able to transition directly into another crop during ideal planting windows. Ongoing field trials will help determine whether canola could become a viable rotational option for the region.

Watch for:

How winter canola is performing in its first season in this Mississippi field

Why growers chose 30-inch rows for this trial

What the crop looks like as it moves from bolting into bloom

Fertility strategy, including nitrogen and sulfur applications

How canola harvest timing could enable double-cropping with soybeans or cotton

Upcoming trials comparing soybeans after canola vs. traditional planting

As more growers look for ways to maximize acres and diversify rotations, experiments like this help determine what new crops might fit into existing systems.