Women's Agricultural Network Blog

It’s official! The 2007 Census of Agriculture reports that the number of women farmers is on the rise. Not a big surprise to those of us that work with these folks.
“One of the most significant changes in the 2007 Census of Agriculture is the increase in female farm operators, both in terms of the absolute number and the percentage of all principal operators. There were 306,209 female principal operators counted in 2007, up from 237,819 in 2002 –
an increase of almost 30 percent.”
Other interesting findings:
Computer use is up — and so is access to high-speed internet service
The number of small farms is increasing.
The number of large farms is increasing.
The in-between farms are losing ground–literally
Check it out for yourselves.

There has been a lot of discussion over the years as to whether or not there is a link between planning a business (actually writing out a business plan vs just winging it) and actual startup. A recent research report was released this week that indicates that the act of writing a business may be a positive indicator of actually making it to the startup phase.
I struggle with this issue quite a bit since I’m in the business of encouraging folks to plan and get their planning down on paper before committing scarce resources. On the other hand I don’t want to contribute to “analysis paralysis” which can occur when aspiring farmers allow themselves to get mired in all the information out there.
There is a difference between good research which should have defined objectives along with a timeline and endless researching where you keep looking hoping that the next bit of information will offer unequivocal proof that your business idea will be successful.
Anyway, the research article is available at http://www.sba.gov/advo/research/rs339tot.pdf. If you work with entrepreneurs…check it out!

A record number of farmers invested in their future by participating in the 2007 Census of Agriculture. They will soon see a return on that investment when Census results are released Feb. 4 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).
“The true value of the Census of Agriculture is in the information it provides,” said Carol House, NASS deputy administrator. “The Census charts trends in agriculture over time and provides the only source of uniform, comprehensive data for every county in the nation.”
The Census, which is conducted every five years, provides facts and figures on virtually every aspect of U.S. agriculture, including number and types of farm operations, the economic aspects of farm production and the demographics of U.S. farm operators.
For farmers and ranchers, Census data can be a valuable tool to help them make informed decisions about the future of their operations. In addition, the information is used by all those who serve farmers and rural communities, including government agencies, community planners, agribusinesses, lenders, trade associations and many others.
“The information provided from the Census is really the voice of our nation’s farmers and ranchers,” said House. “They took the time to tell us about what’s happening in agriculture on a local and national level. That voice will be heard by policymakers and other agricultural stakeholders now and in the years ahead.”
Census results will be available online and in various publications to be issued by NASS.