AgricultHER: A Social Media Campaign Highlighting Women in Agriculture
Agricultural Issues
Sherri Sanders
County Extension Agent - Agriculture
University of Arkansas Syst. Div. of Agri. Ext. Serv.
SEARCY
Abstract
According to the US Census of Agriculture, there were 67,425 Arkansas agricultural producers in 2022. Only 39% of those were female, and that’s just producers. That number doesn’t include the women who contribute to agriculture in other ways both on and off the farm and ranch. AgricultHER was created to showcase and celebrate women contributing to Arkansas agriculture. The campaign’s main goal is to bring awareness to the women who have stayed in the shadows for too long because of the challenges and barriers they face in the agricultural industry.
AgricultHER launched in June 2023, and I recruited my daughter and colleague, Jessica Wesson, to be a fellow team member on this project because of her background in agricultural communications. As a team, we set up interviews with women we know personally and travel to their operation to film. Each month, one woman is featured through approximately 4-10 videos about her contribution to Arkansas agriculture. They are shared on AgricultHER’s social media pages and posted to the White County Extension website.
Since starting the project, we have always asked our interview subjects what challenges they face. Answers vary, but some of the most common obstacles are weather, capital investments, labor shortages, disease, and other environmental challenges. However, most ladies we talk to say that their biggest challenge is overcoming sexism in agriculture.
This project is still in the early stages, but we have seen some impressive results. Our social media platforms include Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube. Overall, our videos reached 16,594 people in nine months. Our audience is mostly female, aged 35-64.
We believe this social media campaign could be easily implemented in regions across the country. Based on our campaign impact results, we recognize that this issue is of great interest to the public. According to National Geographic, “Gender-specific obstacles—such as lack of access to land, financing, markets, agricultural training and education, suitable working conditions, and equal treatment—put female farmers at a significant disadvantage before they ever plow a field or sow a seed.”
Authors: Sherri Sanders, Jessica Wesson
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Sherri Sanders County Extension Agent - Agriculture, University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, Arkansas, 72143
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Jessica Wesson Communications Manager, University of Arkansas Department of Poultry Science, Arkansas, 72701