Arkansas’ Women in Agriculture: Changing
Challenges and Growing Opportunities
Jennie Popp
Center for Agricultural and Rural Sustainability
Division of Agriculture
University of Arkansas
National Women in Agriculture Conference
April 1-2, 2008
Oklahoma City, OK
Background
Characteristics of Arkansas’
Women in Agriculture

Women’s roles on the farm are increasing in numbers and in
responsibilities



Women are 28.6% of Arkansas farm operators
25% of these women are principal operators
Their numbers are increasing every year
Source: USDA 2002 Census of Agriculture

Farm women are also increasingly working off of the farm

Nationally, 30% of farm women worked off farm in 1969; by 2002, 47% of
them nationally worked off farm
By 2002 that number in Arkansas was 46%

Sources: The Invisible Farmers: Women in Agricultural Production by Carolyn Sachs, USDA 2002 Census of Agriculture

Women hold many roles in agriculture off farm

Working in agricultural support industries
Working in rural and community development organizations

Sources: The Entrepreneurial Characteristics of Farm Women by B. Tanner, Women and Farming: Changing Roles,
Changing Structures by W. Haney and J. Knowles
Why the Changes?

Similar to reasons why women all around the nation are
becoming more involved in agriculture, by:





Inheritance
Divorce
Illness
CHOICE
Nationally, agriculture-related degrees given to females - more than doubled
from 1993 to 2000,
Source: USDA REEIS Total FAEIS Degrees Awarded by Classification of Instructional Program and Gender

Between 1997 and 2005, the agriculturally related degrees (ignoring HESC)
earned by women increased 52%
Sources University of Arkansas Institutional Research
In Arkansas and elsewhere, agriculturally related education
programs are acknowledging this fast growing clientele.
Education Programs for
Women in Agriculture

Prerequisites to effective education programs –
understandings of



the knowledge
the needs and
the experience of the education program participants.

In Arkansas, educational program development included
taking assessments of participants of the 2005-2007 Arkansas
Women in Agriculture conferences

Surveys were used to identify




recent changes in their roles on and off the farm,
the challenges they face in their businesses
and factors important to achieving success, as they define it
This is the first such data set on agricultural women in Arkansas
Objectives

Provide selected summary results from
these surveys

Test for differences in survey responses
between types of agricultural women and
across years.

Identify educational needs and opportunities
for a growing clientele of agricultural women
Methods
Methods

The 752 female participants of the 2005-2007 Arkansas Women in
Agriculture Conferences were asked to complete a survey*

The response rates were




55% (147 of 269) in 2005
36% (108 of 300) in 2006, and
49% (89 of 183) in 2007
Respondents placed into two groups


Agriculture business owners (ABOs) – women who owned or jointly operated
a farm, ranch or agriculturally-related business (ag banks, input suppliers, vet
medicine, ag organizations, etc)
Agriculture business employees (ABEs) – women who were employees of
farms/ranch and agriculturally-related businesses
*2008 conference participants recently surveyed but data not yet analyzed
Methods

Survey questions related to





their type of business,
their role in the business and
how changes in that role impacted various aspects of their home and
business
how important certain factors are to their career success,
the challenges they face

Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests were used to test for significant
differences (p=0.10) in responses across years and between ABO and
ABE groups

Follow up focus groups used to explain responses (13 conducted over
three year period, each group averaged 10 people, 6 of whom had
completed surveys)

Selected results follow
Results
Characteristics of Survey
Respondents 2005-2007

Of the 344 survey respondents, 210 were
ABOs.



16% considered themselves principal operators.
33% believed they had a greater role in the
business today than they did three years ago.
72% would probably or definitely continue to run the
business if something happen to their business or
domestic partner.
Characteristics of Survey
Respondents 2005-2007

The remaining 134 women were ABEs
working for:




Lending institutions
Input suppliers
Farm organizations
Educational institutions (and their work was
agricultural – related)
Which Factors are Important in
Measuring Your Success?
11 Options

I can talents and skills directly

I feel secure in my employment

I can make key decisions

I can meet current financial needs

I can try new ways of doing things

I can participate in environmental conservation programs (ag
and non-ag)

I am excited about my work

I have flexible work hours I can balance my work and free time

I can be involved in my community I improve my standard of
living

I can pass on the business to a family member

I can provide jobs for my community
2005
2006
2007
Factors
ABO
ABE
Pr
ABO
ABE
Pr
ABO
ABE
Pr
apply talents and skills
87.4
97.8
0.0451
87.7
94.1
0.2727
78.6
100.
0.0376
secure in my employment
67.9
88.6
0.1318
72.3
94.1
0.0452
78.6
91.3
0.1565
try new ways
81.2
91.1
0.3663
81.0
97.0
0.1324
65.9
90.9
0.0348
excited about work
86.2
89.1
0.0376
84.1
87.9
0.8525
80.5
82.6
0.9800
flexible work hours
82.8
80.9
0.4794
69.8
56.3
0.0694
68.3
56.5
0.6481
improve standard of living
77.4
91.3
0.3766
73.0
78.8
0.8190
65.9
95.5
0.0022
pass on the business
79.3
18.6
<0.000
1
65.6
16.1
<0.0001
63.4
25.0
0.0233
provide jobs
58.8
27.9
0.0094
50.0
42.4
0.5489
42.5
27.3
0.5484
Higher percentage of ABEs measure success by black factors
Higher percentage of ABOs measure success by red factors
Opnions of ABOs and ABEs are different for results in blue
Which areas represent challenges
for you in your business?
13 options

Networking with others

Finding good information about BMPs for my business

Finding information about government programs related to my work

Qualifying for government programs related to my business

Knowing where/how to market my products

Keeping up with environmental regulations regarding my business

Keeping financial records

Finding/affording a good lawyer

Keeping good employees

Handling my cash flow

Gaining access to credit

Completing loan forms and other important paperwork

Being respected as a female business person
2005
2006
2007
Factors
ABO
ABE
Pr
ABO
ABE
Pr
ABO
ABE
Pr
Info about govt programs
37.4
17.2
0.0452
32.2
22.7
0.7821
30.0
22.7
0.4313
qualifying for govt program
33.7
17.9
0.0039
40.7
23.8
0.0423
41.0
21.1
0.3361
marketing products
30.6
14.3
0.2945
28.8
13.6
0.0691
25.6
20.0
0.9570
environmental regulations
40.0
25.0
0.3976
33.9
14.3
0.1778
25.0
30.0
0.7504
keeping financial records
41.4
14.8
0.1614
33.9
17.4
0.0558
25.0
40.0
0.4705
finding/keeping a lawyer
42.4
29.6
0.1940
34.5
22.7
0.3942
35.0
15.8
0.2637
keeping good employees
48.8
25.0
0.0374
51.7
13.6
0.0184
43.6
35.0
0.0708
being respected
41.2
37.9
0.4902
39.0
36.4
0.2428
32.5
47.6
0.7546
Higher percentage of ABOs have problems all factors above
Opinions of ABOs and ABEs are different for results in blue
Relatively small percentage of women overall have problems in these areas
Being respected as a female business person is one of the most often reported
problems
Differences Across Time


Results were tested for significant differences across
time
Few significant differences emerged



The percentage of ABOs that had problems keeping financial
records and being respected both fell between 2005 and 2007
The percentage of ABEs that agreed meeting current financial
needs was important increased over time
Across all respondents, the importance of having flexible work
hours decreased over time
Percentage of women that agreed or strongly agreed
100.0
90.0
80.0
70.0
60.0
2005
2006
2007
50.0
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
Keeping financial records
(ABOs problems)
Being respected as a
female business person
(ABOs problems)
Meeting current financial
needs (ABEs
important factors)
Factors different across years
Having flexible work hours
(All women- important
factors)
Explaining the Results
Explaining the Results

Arkansas’ Agricultural Women are
Motivated


ABOs have confidence through
education and experience to lead
agricultural operations on and off the
farm
Many ABEs expect to become leaders in
their respective farm and non-farm
agricultural operations in the future
Explaining the Results

Arkansas’ Agricultural Women are
Community Minded


Many ABOs put community before profit;
business driven by desire to provide
community jobs and agricultural experiences
for youth
Nearly 70% of respondents were members of
at least one community organization and
provided their ag-related expertise to
community on a volunteer basis
Explaining the Results

Arkansas’ Agricultural Women Can Work in
Traditional Man’s World

Business culture is changing



Agribusinesses (particularly lenders and equipment
dealers) more comfortable working with ABOs
In part this is because more women are the
agribusiness personnel dealers
Networks for ABOs and ABEs emerging

However, not all areas of agriculture are transforming
at the same rate
Explaining the Results

Arkansas’ Agricultural Women Want
Agricultural- Related Business
Assistance

Demand Annie’s Project in State


First three classes will complete the course by
May 2008
Demand Active Educational Program

Efforts led by Arkansas Women in Agriculture,
Inc. and assisted by University of Arkansas
Cooperative Extension Service
Conclusions

Women’s Roles include more responsibilities including
leadership and decision-making

Data suggests that needs vary from different groups of
women at different points in time

ABOs and ABEs share some problems in business, as well
as factors important to them, but also differ because of
backgrounds

Further research on women in agriculture is needed,
especially at different times, to explore, more in depth, their
needs and roles
What’s Next

We’ve only just begun!

Expanded efforts on Arkansas’ Women in Agriculture research
Comprehensive cataloging of research on women in agriculture
around the nation
Identification of womens’ needs, challenges and opportunities
nationwide that will drive research and education programs into the
future


Acknowledgements
A special thank you goes to Ms. Carmen
Albright, 2007 University of Arkansas
graduate who conducted much of the
analysis as her undergraduate thesis
research.
Thank You
For more information, contact:
Jennie Popp
University of Arkansas
217 Agriculture Building
Fayetteville, AR 72701
(479)575-2279
jhpopp@uark.edu