少女福利

Women now represent more than one-third of U.S. agricultural producers. As that leadership continues to expand, higher education has an important role to play in cultivating the next generation of food systems and agricultural leaders.

Great to see the momentum around this gathering and the continued visibility of women shaping the future of agriculture here in Vermont by and and .

At the at , we see this shift every day through our Farm & Food Systems programming鈥攐ne of the Institute鈥檚 flagship career-connected content strands where students engage agriculture not only as production, but as leadership, community stewardship, and climate resilience work.

A woman farmer founded our program, succeeded it to a woman farmer, and is now entering its 11th season. In that time, more than 150 students have graduated from the program, preparing to work across food systems, environmental leadership, and community-based agriculture. The cohort composition has also been striking: roughly a 12:5:1 ratio of female-identifying to male-identifying to they/them-identifying graduates.

This mirrors a broader national trend. According to USDA data, 1.2 million women now serve as agricultural producers in the U.S., representing 36% of the nation鈥檚 producers. Efforts such as the and initiatives highlighted by the focus on celebrating women farmers are helping to surface both the barriers and opportunities ahead while strengthening leadership pathways across the agricultural sector.

Here in Vermont, the numbers tell a compelling story as well:

馃�� 5,077 of Vermont鈥檚 12,470 farmers are women

馃�� Roughly 70% of Vermont farms have at least one woman involved in operations

馃尪锔� 22.4% of the state鈥檚 principal farm operators are women, placing Vermont 9th in the nation for women serving as primary farm decision-makers.

In Vermont and across the country, the future of agriculture will depend on learning ecosystems that connect people to land, community, and applied leadership. Higher education has an important role to play in building those pathways.

From where I sit in higher education here in Vermont, one of the most important responsibilities we have right now is building learning environments where this leadership can grow鈥攃onnecting students, land, and community in ways that prepare the next generation of agricultural and environmental leaders.

If you’re curious about how students engage agroecology in one of our outdoor & living classrooms (Environmental Education | Saint Michael’s College) for leadership and systems thinking, you can learn more about our program here:

Farm & Food | Saint Michael’s College

And follow the day-to-day work of students growing, learning, and leading here:

Grateful to see this community鈥攁nd the leadership of women in agriculture鈥攃ontinue to grow.

Meet some of the alumni and community members helping lead the future of agriculture and food systems.

Kristyn Achilich 鈥�05

Christine Gall

Abbey Corse 鈥�05

Lindsay St.Pierre 鈥�20

Katie Tota Sheridan 鈥�20

Jessica Reid 鈥�17

Kristen McDowell 鈥�19

Sarah Rodgers 鈥�19

Ivy Luke 鈥�22

Peyton Edwards 鈥�23

Jess Edmonds 鈥�22e

Lizzie McCarty 鈥�22

Allison Plummer 鈥�19

Lindsey Rogers 鈥�18

Mary Lake 鈥�06

Caitlin Rodriguez

Taylor Mendell

Women now represent more than one-third of U.S. agricultural producers. As that leadership continues to expand, higher education has an important role to play in cultivating the next generation of food systems and agricultural leaders.

Great to see the momentum around this gathering and the continued visibility of women shaping the future of agriculture here in Vermont by and and, .

At at , we see this shift every day through our Farm & Food Systems programming鈥攐ne of the Institute鈥檚 flagship career-connected content strands where students engage agriculture not only as production, but as leadership, community stewardship, and climate resilience work.

A woman farmer founded our program, succeeded it to a woman farmer, and is now entering its 11th season. In that time, more than 150 students have graduated from the program, preparing to work across food systems, environmental leadership, and community-based agriculture. The cohort composition has also been striking: roughly a 12:5:1 ratio of female-identifying to male-identifying to they/them-identifying graduates.

This mirrors a broader national trend. According to USDA data, 1.2 million women now serve as agricultural producers in the U.S., representing 36% of the nation鈥檚 producers. Efforts such as the National Women in Agriculture Study () and initiatives highlighted by the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture鈥檚 () focus on celebrating women farmers are helping to surface both the barriers and opportunities ahead while strengthening leadership pathways across the agricultural sector.

Here in Vermont, the numbers tell a compelling story as well:

馃�� 5,077 of Vermont鈥檚 12,470 farmers are women

馃�� Roughly 70% of Vermont farms have at least one woman involved in operations

馃尪锔� 22.4% of the state鈥檚 principal farm operators are women, placing Vermont 9th in the nation for women serving as primary farm decision-makers.

In Vermont and across the country, the future of agriculture will depend on learning ecosystems that connect people to land, community, and applied leadership. Higher education has an important role to play in building those pathways.

From where I sit in higher education here in Vermont, one of the most important responsibilities we have right now is building learning environments where this leadership can grow鈥攃onnecting students, land, and community in ways that prepare the next generation of agricultural and environmental leaders.

If you’re curious about how students engage agroecology in one of our outdoor & living classrooms () for leadership and systems thinking, you can learn more about our program here: 馃尡
And follow the day-to-day work of students growing, learning, and leading here:馃尶

Grateful to see this community鈥攁nd the leadership of women in agriculture鈥攃ontinue to grow.

Meet some of the alumni and community members helping lead the future of agriculture and food systems.

Kristyn Achilich 鈥�05

Christine Gall

Abbey Corse 鈥�05

Lindsay St.Pierre 鈥�20

Katie Tota Sheridan 鈥�20

Jessica Reid 鈥�17

Kristen McDowell 鈥�19

Sarah Rodgers 鈥�19

Ivy Luke 鈥�22

Peyton Edwards 鈥�23

Jess Edmonds 鈥�22e

Lizzie McCarty 鈥�22

Allison Plummer 鈥�19

Lindsey Rogers 鈥�18

Mary Lake 鈥�06

Caitlin Rodriguez

Taylor Mendell