There was a time when women in agriculture were introduced as “the farmer’s wife.” We were the ones who helped with the books, ran the Facebook page, or worked the register during busy season. Our work was visible, but our leadership was often softened or minimized. That era is ending.

On most farms, the workday doesn’t follow a clock. Calving doesn’t wait for daycare drop-off. Weather windows don’t align with preschool pickup. Planting and harvest move when conditions demand, not when childcare is available.

For women in agriculture, access to reliable childcare is not a convenience. It is infrastructure. And across rural America, that infrastructure is increasingly strained.

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how much women truly carry in agriculture — and honestly, how much more they could accomplish with the right support behind them. That’s a huge part of why the International Year of the Woman Farmer initiative matters so much, and why stories like Jamila Norman stand out as such a powerful example of what this movement represents.

Women farmers are not a modern trend or niche movement. We have always been here; planting, tending, raising, managing, and problem-solving. What’s new isn’t our presence. What’s new is the willingness to finally say it out loud. 

When you think of a farmer, who do you picture? This year, we find ourselves in a moment of global reflection and celebration: the United Nations has designated this year as the International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF). This designation recognizes the indispensable, yet often overlooked, roles women play across agrifood systems worldwide. It’s a call to highlight their contributions, shed light on inequalities, and commit to tangible actions that strengthen women’s empowerment in agriculture.