By Cyndie Shearing
Women Farm Bureau leaders recently provided insights on challenges facing women in agriculture, their vision for the future and advice for those entering the field. Their responses to questions are shared below in a roundtable-style format.
Participant Snapshot
- Angela Bailey, President, Oregon Farm Bureau
- Joyce Brady, President, New Hampshire Farm Bureau
- Isabella Chism, Chair, America Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee, Indiana
- Cyndi Johnson, President, Montana Farm Bureau
- Val Wagner, President, North Dakota Farm Bureau
- Mary White, President, Vermont Farm Bureau
- Katie Wiese, Secretary, American Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee, Minnesota
Reflecting on your life, can you point to a woman (or group of women) you know personally who influenced your farming or ranching journey?
Angela Bailey – For me, our family’s farm legacy, especially my mom’s, was a significant influence. Today, Oregon is one of the leading states in the nation for female farmer representation, outpacing the national average. When my mom was farming, she was breaking ground for the rest of us. I’m certain she never saw herself that way; she simply loved growing trees and helping her customers.
Before starting her tree nursery in 1967, she worked at a neighboring nursery. Unlike many of her generation, she was the primary farmer in our family while my dad worked as a schoolteacher.
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