Southern Women in Agriculture Workshops build confidence among female livestock producers

Animal agriculture, specifically cattle production, is a male-dominated industry. According to statistics from a 2014 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report, 76% of those who identified as farmers or ranchers were male.

In response to this disparity, female agricultural agents from University of Georgia Extension collaborated to develop Southern Women in Agriculture Workshops in 2016. The workshops were discontinued in 2020 due to COVID-19 but brought back by popular demand in 2023. These trainings are designed to give females interested or involved in agriculture an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in livestock production. In August 2023, the team produced the first training since 2020 in the Oglethorpe County Extension office. During the workshop participants rotated to six sessions that included forages, tractors, trucks and trailers, cattle handling and chute-side animal health. Each session was planned and taught by female Extension agents from across Georgia. Participation in the workshop was limited to maintain a small group size and to encourage participants to actively engage and gain hands-on experience.

Twenty-three women representing 12 counties in Georgia and South Carolina attended the workshop, bringing the total to 120 participants from four states over the last seven years. Results of six-month follow-up evaluations sent to participants of each workshop indicated that 95% of respondents have used techniques/skills learned at the trainings in their personal/family agricultural operations. All respondents reported having shared knowledge gained at the workshop with either a family member or friend; 80% replied that the training had resulted in their increased involvement in their personal/family agricultural operation, thereby reducing the need for hired labor.

Project supported by Smith-Lever (3b&c) funds.