HARRISBURG, Pa. — In honor of Women’s History Month and the United Nations’ International Year of the Woman Farmer, the Shapiro Administration is celebrating the more than 31,000 women who are driving Pennsylvania agriculture, while highlighting strategic state investments that support their leadership, farm management, and long-term success across the Commonwealth.
“Women have long been leaders in Pennsylvania agriculture — managing farms, making key business decisions, and shaping the future of our industry,” affirmed Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Redding.
Women make up 35 percent of Pennsylvania’s agricultural producers, representing a growing and vital part of the state’s $132.5 billion agriculture sector. Among Pennsylvania’s women in agriculture:
- 1282 serve as hired farm managers
- 26,156 are operators who live on the farms they manage
- 4227 are under age 35 — helping Pennsylvania rank No. 1 in the nation for young agricultural producers
- 24,906 — nearly 80 percent — are involved in day-to-day farm management decisions
- Women represent a growing share of the agricultural labor force, rising to 26.4% of hired farmworkers nationally
- 54% of employees at the Pa. Department of Agriculture are women, compared to the Commonwealth average of 42.4%.
Pennsylvania is cultivating the next generation of women leaders in agriculture through education and hands-on experience. At Penn State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences, two-thirds of students are women, reflecting a powerful shift in who is entering and shaping the future of the industry. Leadership programs also reflect this trend: the state’s FFA State Officer team is predominantly female, and organizations like PASA Sustainable Agriculture provide apprenticeship programs that give women real-world training and experience in sustainable farming practices.
Across the Commonwealth, women farmers are not only feeding communities — they are leading businesses, managing land responsibly, mentoring young producers, and driving the future of agriculture. These combined educational, leadership, and apprenticeship opportunities are helping ensure that more women can enter, thrive, and lead in Pennsylvania agriculture.
Further, the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Women digital survey is open through May 30 and will collect insights from Pennsylvania women on their experiences and priorities to better inform the Administration’s policies that impact women. The digital survey is available at www.surveymonkey.com/r/stateofthewoman.
