When most people hear the word “farmer,” they don’t picture a woman—and that can be both a problem and an advantage for female leaders and partners in agriculture.
Research shows that since about 10,000 B.C., women have been a key part of how we source, grow and harvest food.
In more recent history, women took over farms for men as they went overseas during the Second World War. According to the USDA’s 2017 Census of Agriculture, over 36% of American ag producers are women, an increase of 5-percent since the 2012 census and one that continues to grow.
At the Panka Family Farms in Ivanhoe, Minnesota, they have 1,000 head of cattle, are NHTC certified, and also raise crops. Diane Panka and her daughter Melissa are major players in the operation. With her background as a vet tech, Melissa helps ensure the health of the herd while Diane handles the finances, accounting, and general farm management.
“People who don’t know me personally don’t know I’ve been on a farm my whole life,” said Diane. “That gets cleared up pretty quickly when they see I know what I’m talking about.”
“There is a hidden power in being underestimated,” added her daughter Melissa.
Much like with the Panka’s operations, many farms are the definition of a family business where everyone in the household is well aware of the 80-hour weeks and drive it takes to run a farm. Women are often expected to fill a wide range of roles in these operations—accountant, meteorologist, HR, crop scientists, vet, and more.
“When you’re a woman in the industry, you’re going to face additional challenges,” said Melissa. “We bring a different, more detailed perspective.”
Like the incredible women at Panka Farms, there are female leaders who work tirelessly in every aspect of our industry. FarmOp is proud to celebrate and support women farm owners and all women in agriculture, including our proud female partners at Panka Farms.
When asked about the partnership between Panka Farms and FarmOp, Diane quickly responded with the advantages our production-based lending brings her operations.
“Their farm input loans don’t mature until August…so instead of selling in the fall when crops are historically at their lowest, we’re able to keep them in the bin until prices come back up,” said Diane.
“FarmOp wants to see us succeed.”
We couldn’t have said it better, Diane.
Thank you to all the women in agriculture in the past, here today, and those who will pave the way to a brighter future for everyone in the industry.
To learn more about our unique approach to Ag Lending, give us a call at (833) FARMOPS (833-327-6677, or visit our website at www.farmop.com.
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For Media Inquiries:
Sandra Erdtmann
media@foc.ag