BUILDING SUSTAINABILITY FOR NEW AND BEGINNING WOMEN FARMERS THROUGH PEER LEARNING, FARMINARS, MENTORING, AND NETWORKING

The face of farming in American agriculture is changing, most notably through the steady increase of women farm operators. Women farmers comprise a diverse and often overlooked component of food and agricultural systems, and represent a significant proportion of new and beginning farmers. In Pennsylvania, the number of women principal operators increased significantly by 71% -- between 1997 and 2007. In 2007, women comprised nearly 14% of all principal operators. When multiple operators on farms were counted, there were 26,405 women farm operators in Pennsylvania, accounting for nearly one-third of all farm operators in the commonwealth (2007 Census of Agriculture). We propose to use a farmer-to-farmer network model that operates at multiple levels including the local, Pennsylvania regional, state, northeast and mid-Atlantic regions, and online to develop educational events and materials, networks, mentoring capacity, and partnerships. We will provide on-farm education, create farminars and on-line education, build mentoring networks, and build relationships with other partners.