The agricultural industry is facing different challenges today than it was decades ago, and as women have been stepping into industry roles at a greater rate, Arkansan women have continued to bring their unique perspectives about overcoming challenges and preserving the Natural State’s largest industry.
Wright Lindsey Jennings Woman-Run Initiative led a panel discussion, moderated by Dana Stewart of the Arkansas Farm Bureau, on Wednesday, April 5.
“Agriculture is a tough industry, year-to-year it can be very vulnerable, but it is a critical industry that’s important to all of us, so we have to continue to invest in our state and grow and innovate,” Stewart said.
Stewart, herself, is the sixth generation to live and work on her family farm that raises registered cattle, and while she is in a different part of the food chain then a lot of people recognize, she and her two sisters will one day be running the farm that her father currently still operates. In celebration of women leading farms, and other positions in the industry, Stewart is passionate about giving women in the industry a platform.
The panelists included Jennifer James, a fourth-generation rice, soybean and corn farmer and part-owner of H&J Land Company; Ashlee Johnson, principal at The Russell Group, previously of the Senate Agriculture Committee, USDA and White House; and Hallie Shoffner, a sixth-generation row crop farmer and CEO of SFR Seed.
All three of the panelists discussed ways in which agriculture has changed since the time they were first introduced to the industry. James, Johnson and Shoffner were all introduced to farming as children. James and Shoffner are both now in positions of leadership directly in farming, and Johnson is involved in agriculture via working as a lobbyist and aiding in the production of Farm Bill, which covers large and small issues relating to food production and consumption.
As for women leading initiatives and production in agriculture, the panelists all were in agreement that a career in agriculture does not automatically equate to farming. Johnson is involved in agriculture in a different way than the other panelists are, as a lobbyist, she works to solve issues on a national level that impact local farmers.
“We are looking at competitive foreign marketplaces right now, and our upcoming Farm Bill will be one of the most expensive farm bills we have created. There are a lot of things that will challenge us, but we’re now working to be more proactive in laying the foundation for the opportunities of market access,” Johnson said.
Johnson said she is unsure if Farm Bill will be ready with authorization completed by Sept. 30 of this year, but she is hopeful it will be authorized by the end of the year. Two possible reasons for the delay may be attributed to whether or not there is a Government Shutdown in October and the plan for debt relief.
Credit: Wright Lindsey Jenning Woman-Run Facebook
“If we are really going to innovate, we have to think through how we do things, not just in funding, but also in execution. Nutrition will be funded, conservation will be funded, but we have so many other areas that are in need of innovation,” Johnson said.
Outside of Farm Bill, there are several challenges to the agriculture industry that these women leaders have noticed, from supply costs to climate change, the industry has had to adapt to stay afloat.
“A lot of our challenges come down to profitability, visibility and competitiveness,” James said. “Row crop agriculture can be totally different each year and input costs have soared out of control, although they will come down somewhat in 2023.”
James also mentioned that worldwide competitiveness has been on the rise as other countries are continuing to protect their farmers and our government is trying to do the same.
“Agriculture is a complex industry, we’re responsible for growing food to feed billions,” James said.
“I think that market volatility is one of our biggest issues right now, in the wheat market, there are higher fertilizer costs, there are still covid-related issues and the cost of materials has skyrocketed,” Shoffner said. “I talk a lot about climate change, which I believe is the biggest problem we face. Weather volatility impacts everyone, even if we don’t experience it on our own farms personally, which we do.”
“We can still make a difference regardless of how you feel climate change came about,” Shoffner said.
Shoffner and James have implemented conservation efforts in their own farms and have continued the practices that their families put in place decades ago.
“You can implement practices that save you money and also help the environment. Arkansas row crop irrigation, we spend a lot of progress in land farming, water retention. We have a small reservoir on our farm. We practice a lot of water recovery, when water in a field leaves, we pick it back up to reuse irrigation water,” James said.
Women in Arkansas are continuing the tradition of their families and are working to solve agriculture issues on local, regional and national levels.
To learn more about Arkansas Farm Bureau, click here and to learn more about Wright Lindsey Jennings Woman-Run Initiative, visit its website.
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