All month long, we’ll be celebrating women as part of Women’s History Month in the U.S.
My great-grandmother would be in awe if she saw the career placement of women in agriculture today. But let’s be honest — she wouldn’t be surprised that women could do the job. She already knew that. Women have always been in agriculture. We’ve planted the seeds, raised the livestock, balanced the books and kept farms and businesses running, often without recognition.
For generations, women have been the backbone of agriculture. They just weren’t always counted.
Look at any farm, any ranch, any seed business — we’ve always been there, doing the work. We ran operations while men fought wars. We made the tough calls during economic downturns. We developed new plant varieties, improved soil health, and pushed innovation forward. But history didn’t always write us in.
Now, the difference is that women are finally being seen. They’re leading seed companies, directing research, influencing policy and making decisions at the highest levels. But none of this is new — women in agriculture isn’t a trend or a movement. We’ve always been here.
I wonder what my hypothetical granddaughter will say 50 years from now when she looks back at this time. Maybe she’ll shake her head at the fact that there was ever a need to prove women belonged in leadership. Maybe she’ll read about the push for recognition and think, They actually had to fight for that?
I hope by then, the conversation will have shifted from Can women lead in agriculture? to Look at what they’ve built. But until then, we keep working. We keep leading. Because agriculture has never been just a man’s industry. It never was. It never will be.
Check back often this month; you may see some familiar faces from across the seed sector!
