Mentorship Program Supports the Next Generation of Women Farmers in New York

By Stephanie Castle

Earlier this year, AFT’s New York Women for the Land team launched a two-year women’s farm mentorship program in western New York, a pioneering approach to overcome gendered barriers for beginning farmers. Starting out in farming is hard these days, but it can be less daunting with the support of an experienced farmer, especially one who has confronted similar obstacles.

Establishing any kind of business is a risk, but women face steeper barriers to entry in agriculture, often struggling to be seen as serious farmers. Frequently, women are balancing family caretaking responsibilities and holding off-farm jobs while they work to establish their own operation. It’s no surprise that women have worse outcomes, facing lower profitability, higher exit rates, and exclusion from resources. Yet, they persevere. 37% of New York farms are owned or co-owned by women, and women stand out as drivers of local food system economies, often growing the crops that directly feed our communities.

AFT brought on two established women farmers to serve as mentors for this project, supporting two women mentees in their region over the next two years.