1. Home
2. Conferences
3. 2010 National Women in Agriculture Educators Conference

Empowering Women Through the Locally Grown Food Movement

Jennifer Williams

Summary

Agriculturalists battle daily to increase awareness and promote positive images for the production of food and fiber. As Americans become further and further removed from their food supplies, there is a growing notion that food comes from the shelf of the local grocery store or a fast food chain. Locally grown food systems provide opportunities for small farmers, especially women, to change the tide of that sentiment. A fundamental shift is occurring in American agriculture. With concerns about food safety, consumers want to know where their food is coming from and who is producing it. As a result, we are seeing a movement from a commodity based food system to a more sustainable locally grown one. This shift enhances the power of women to compete on a smaller, more viable scale. Opportunities abound for a strong educational outreach program that encourages and empowers women to take advantage of the transformational changes in the thought process of our citizens.
This workshop will explore ways in which women can compete successfully on a local level to capture a sizable share of the food dollar. This can be done through the use of crop diversification, season extension production methods, value-added specialty crop production and a variety of other unique and sustainable production, management, and marketing methods. It will also address how to build a strong network of educational resources to promote success and draw important knowledge and expertise.

Details

---