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Forty-nine percent of the 2022 Small, Limited-Resource, Minority Farmers Conference attendees were women.

Throughout the year, Kentucky State University’s Land Grant Program has prioritized reaching and serving more women who are principal operators of their farm or agribusinesses. On the first day of the conference, one of the tracks was for women in agriculture. The track featured presentations on small ruminant production, nutrition, and growing flowers.

Jane O’Tiernan, the first ever recipient of the Women in Agriculture Excellence Award, presented on flower production.

“I think there’s all kinds of women that want to see agriculture in Kentucky expand and be more productive,” she said. “I think every woman who does any kind of farming or marketing wants to save her farm and find ways for the young ones coming after us.”

Joanne Henry of Todd County said she appreciated the track for women farmers. She and her husband, who had been farming since childhood, operated 417 acres of oat, wheat, barley, corn, and granola. Since her husband passed away, she leases out the farm but still manages it.

She has noticed that she’s far from alone as a woman in farming.

“A lot of women are coming into farming,” Henry said.