Women farmers are among the fastest growing segment of farmers today. 

 

The number of women-owned farms tripled over the past three decades, from 5 percent in 1978 to 14 percent in 2012, blowing away any other farmer population growth segment and bucking the national trend of declining family farms.  As a result, women farmers are the hot “rock stars” for the media, with regular coverage in outlets from USA Today (“Breaking the Grass Ceiling: More Women Are Farming”) to NPR (“Old McDonald Might Be a Lady: More Women Take Up Farming”).  

In Wisconsin, women-owned farms skyrocketed 58 percent over a ten year period, from 5,793 in 1997 to 9,176 in 2007.  Many of these women-owned farms are located near the Monroe and Brodhead communities.  Soil Sisters uniquely capitalizes on this women farmer buzz by channeling it into a fun, immersive and accessible, food- and farm-based tourism event.