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Winter
2017
Grains
West
22
Feature
BY NATALIE NOBLE • PHOTOS COURTESY OF ALLISON AMMETER, MAGGIE VAN CAMP AND LACEY OWENS
Recognizing themultitude of roles women play in agriculture
Part
of the team
LAINE FROESE, A FARM FAMILY
coach and succession planner,
has worked with farm families
for more than 35 years. Her work takes
her to the heart of agriculture and gives
her the opportunity to see unique
solutions to the ever-transitioning
landscape of the farm. With so many
farms reaching their succession point,
this type of problem solving has never
been more critical.
Elaine referred to the unavoidable
shi in demographics the ag industry
is experiencing as the “tsunami of
agriculture.”
“Approximately 40 per cent of
Canadian farms are at the succession
planning stage,” she said. “There are
a lot of aging farmers—and also a lot
of young farmers—who want to have
clarity and certainty about their farm
future,” she said.
She spoke of a young client who
farms with her sister on their father’s
farm. Froese asked their father what he
appreciates most about his daughters
farming with him. “He told me it’s their
individual and unique skill sets as well as
their attention to detail,” she said. “One
daughter takes care of the books, while
the other is the spraying operator. He’s
the kind of dad who embraces the idea
of empowering the person best suited to
the job.”
Froese is especially passionate about
increasing understanding around farm
roles and who fills them, regardless
of gender. “Both men and women
can be farm operators or managers.
Management does not always mean
E
operating equipment,” she said. “In
some cases, it’s managing the books,
making financial decisions from a farm
office and managing the farm with a
computer, a smartphone and a pencil.”
As women are stepping up to take on
more roles in agriculture, Froese noted
that the industry will need to better
reflect this. “I’ve noticed, and others have
too, that in too many cases women are
still not being recognized for the skills
they bring to the farm team,” she said.
With these observations in mind, here
are three women with different roles in
the agriculture industry. Each showcases
a unique perspective on the parts
women play in ag, as demographic
shi s suggest more women are taking
on key responsibilities, both on and off
the farm.
Photo: istock