HARRISBURG, Pa. — From the time she was a little girl, Teena Bailey knew she wanted to be a farmer.
“I don’t remember wanting to do anything else but farm,” Bailey, owner of Red Cat Farm in Heidelberg Township, Berks County, said.
“There were farmers in my family, dairy and crop farmers, and my dad's side were always veggie farmers.
“I always wanted to work outside, work in the soil, work with animals. I don't remember a time — I never wanted to be like a nurse or something else.
"It was always a farmer — that was not popular in high school.”
“I have never thought of myself as a ‘minority’ business owner being female. I have never labeled it that way in my head."Becky Allen, owner/manager of Golden View Farm and Longhorns and Lavender
The 110th PA Farm Show opens this weekend in the state capital, kicking off a week of competitions and demonstrations celebrating agriculture across the commonwealth.
In addition to this year’s theme, “Growing a Nation,” officials also will spotlight the crucial role of women in agriculture, as the United Nations has designated this year as the International Year of the Woman Farmer.
Women produce more than 50% of food grown across the world, according to the UN. Of Pennsylvania’s agricultural producers, 35% are women, according to the state Department of Agriculture.
“I have never thought of myself as a ‘minority’ business owner being female. I have never labeled it that way in my head,” Becky Allen, owner/manager of Golden View Farm and Longhorns and Lavender in Lynn Township, said.
“My dad has always been my biggest supporter and I was never made to feel as though I ‘couldn't’ or ‘shouldn't’ do something because I'm a woman.
"My husband just kind of nods along, and, as long as I can provide a business plan that looks halfway sensible, he's OK with it.”
Women farmers in the Valley
Bailey, who started out farming vegetables in the early 1990s and selling them at local farmers markets, grows open pollinated grains and wheats.
“I kind of looked around and I realized nobody else is growing grain in the Lehigh Valley for human consumption,” she said.
“They're growing acres and acres of it for animal feed, some soft wheat for pretzels and things like that, but nothing for bread-making, no hard wheat.
“So at that point, I guess my agricultural life changed.”
After partnering with a family-run flour mill in Bucks County, she was able to get the wheat milled and packaged for market.
“I think what was most important and is still important [is] trying to get the idea out to people that, yes, you can buy local grains, flour, oatmeal, wheat berries, rye berries, oats, groats — all of this is available locally,” she said.
Allen, similarly, has roots in agriculture, having grown up riding and training horses in the Valley.
“For the most part, we were outside all the time — me and my two brothers,” Allen said. “I'm the middle girl in between two brothers. So, always trying to keep up with the boys. Always trying to work harder.
“I never thought twice about it not being fun work. I mean, it was just fun, to me, to just go work.”
After taking over an almost 50-acre established horse farm in the early 2000s, the focus was primarily horses, but that expanded over the years into agritourism, adding chickens, highland and mini cows, goats, pigs and turkeys.
'Only thing that makes sense'
For Liz Wagner, owner Crooked Row Farm in Orefield, farming wasn’t her first goal — she studied English and journalism at La Salle University in Philadelphia.
After her parents talked about selling their home in a cul-de-sac and buying land, the idea for a farm took root and started growing.
For almost a year, she worked on a certified organic vegetable farm in New York, before returning to the Valley to “make a go of it right here,” she said.
After selling her organic vegetables for a few years at smaller markets in Philadelphia, the opportunity to expand came from a longtime neighbor, who also already had an established produce stand.
"It's been great. I love it — the only thing that makes sense in my whole life.”Liz Wagner, owner Crooked Row Farm
“I changed the format of it kind of dramatically over the last several years, but the infrastructure was already there,” Wagner said.
“People knew it was already there. It was just a matter of sort of informing customers [that] this is a certified organic vegetable farm now.
"I started aggregating from other local vendors and producers, so the things that were on the shelves were a lot different.
"And it's been great. I love it — the only thing that makes sense in my whole life.”
‘Nothing but respect and admiration’
Learning to use heavy equipment, often designed with men in mind, was cited as one of the most difficult obstacles many women farmers face.
“All the equipment, or 99 percent of the pieces of equipment, whether it's mechanized or whatever it is, all men can handle it,” Bailey said.
“People that say there's not a difference between men and women. Yes, there definitely is, because I know what it's like to try to handle large pieces of equipment and do things with them.
“And if you're a guy and strong or a boy, you have a definite benefit there. So everything has been, at least in this country, it seems kind of scaled to men, and it's OK, because most of the farmers are men, but there is that disadvantage.”
“There is a different attitude, maybe a little bit more caring attitude, women seem to have, because, well, that's kind of the way we were made.”Teena Bailey, owner of Red Cat Farm
However, there are advantages to being a woman farmer, too, several said, including a tendency toward empathy and nurturing with animals, as well as bringing a fresh different perspective to overcome obstacles.
“I think as women, we're quicker to ask for help when we need it, and not just think we can power through things,” Allen said.
“That just comes to being more sensitive and being a woman, and also as a woman farmer, and not that guys can't have this empathy as well, but you're looking at your animals a little bit differently.
“You really want to know what makes them tick. How can I have the healthiest animal in the right herd conditions? And, when you have a happy animal, you have a healthy animal – that really all goes hand in hand for your herd health.
“So as a woman, we're looking at things like that, we're saying, ‘Well, this one's not getting along, this one's getting pushed off the food a little bit.’ And, not that guys can't see that.
"But I think it's not as quick — that nurturing is not there as quickly. Certainly they'll notice a big issue, but how many times are we just kind of stopping that issue before it's an issue?”
Similarly, Bailey said, “There is a different attitude, maybe a little bit more caring attitude, women seem to have, because, well, that's kind of the way we were made.”
‘Get done what needs to be done’
While oftentimes a lonely and isolating job, women farmers in the Valley said they’ve found success networking with other farmers in the community, many of them men.
Allen said she’s “seen a lot of respect” from men farming in the area.
“I'm in a Pennsylvania Dutch area, and a lot of the women are hard workers,” Allen said. “They are not afraid to get up early and get done what needs to get done.
“I think that, for the most part, I've seen nothing but respect and admiration from the guys around here, the other farmers, and they're not afraid to answer questions.”
There are many resources available for women thinking about getting into farming, including trainings and apprenticeship programs.
However, many cautioned that farm life isn't as idyllic as influencers portray on social media.
"A lot of younger folks who see the internet stuff and want to come for that don't realize there's a heavy physical component, and you're really uncomfortable in weather extremes," Wagner said.
"But you still have to work, even if it's raining — they don't show that part. The internet algorithms don't show that part.
"And I think that's to the detriment of the industry, because it's an important part of making the decision if you want to do this thing or not."
Throughout the Farm Show, and through the rest of the year, the state officials will spotlight women and their contributions to agriculture.
“Learn about Pennsylvania women in all facets of agriculture, the challenges they face and progress they have made while innovating to give consumers what they want, integrate technology into their processes, and make their ag businesses more sustainable financially and environmentally,” officials said.
“Hear how you can support women in increasing access to resources like land, credit, education and technology.”
‘Growing a Nation’
The PA Farm Show runs from Friday through Saturday, Jan. 17, at the PA Farm Show Complex & Expo Center, 2300 N. Cameron St.
However, the Food Court is the only area available to visitors on opening day, from noon to 9 p.m. All other exhibits open 8 a.m. Saturday.
General admission is free, but parking costs $15.
This year’s theme is “Growing a Nation,” a nod to the 250th anniversary of American independence.
“America was born in Pennsylvania, with its identity deeply rooted in agriculture.”State Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding, in a release
“America was born in Pennsylvania, with its identity deeply rooted in agriculture,” state Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said in a news release announcing the theme.
“Two hundred and fifty years later, Pennsylvania agriculture is still leading our nation, supplying the economic power, ingenuity and innovation that is growing our nation’s future.
“Farm Show celebrates the outstanding products and people who make up our powerhouse agriculture and food industry, supporting 600,000 jobs pouring more than $132.5 billion into our state economy, including exports of more than $4 billion in agriculture and forest products — not only keeping our heritage alive, but supplying innovative solutions to our nation’s greatest challenges.”
‘Limits of culinary imagination’
There are a handful of new competitions, demonstrations, foods and speakers this year, including the return of the turkey showmanship category returning, which debuted last year.
The Mushroom Farmers of PA are debuting a new drink, mushroom coffee. And, the PA Dairymen's Association is offering a patriotic-themed with red, white and blue — strawberry, vanilla and raspberry flavors, respectively — milkshake flights.
“Celebrate Pennsylvania’s culinary heritage or grow the limits of your culinary imagination and knowledge at the PA Preferred Culinary Connection Stage in the Main Hall,” officials said.
“Every day, every hour, meet an all-star line-up of celebrity chefs, kicking off on opening day with Jen Heasley, author of The Game Day Kitchen and host of ‘Cooking with the Pros’ on CBS 21 and Bryan Voltaggio, American celebrity chef, restaurateur and author, ‘Top Chef’ television series alum and James Beard Award semifinalist.”
This year, chefs will be paired onstage with the farmers who produced the ingredients they’re using, and experts from the state Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Food Safety will share tips on preparing foods safely.
There also will be a PA Spirits Competition, a first for the Farm Show. Officials described it as “an exhibition, with awards and with sampling and sales in the next two years.”
For more information, go to the Farm Show’s website.
