Women Mentoring New Female Farmers
A farmer mentoring another woman can offer something more useful than a list of everything the mentee should know. She can help put one difficult decision into order and explain how she would find the missing information. Early questions often concern land, buyers, work schedules or who has the authority to make a change. Knowing that other people struggled with the same decision can give a beginner room to think. It is also comforting to know that the original fence builder did not personally intend to teach you patience.
“Mentoring new farmers: I learned the hard way so you don't have to.”
Make the first conversation specific
Ask the new farmer to describe a decision she needs to make in the next few weeks. Find out what information, time and resources she has and what she can change. Agree on a goal for the first conversation, such as preparing questions for a prospective landlord or reviewing a rough marketing plan. The Women, Food and Agriculture Network Harvesting Our Potential program offers an example of mentorship and peer support for women in agriculture. Ask local Extension offices and farmer organizations about programs that match the mentee’s location, enterprise and stage.
Agree on time and confidentiality
Discuss meeting frequency, communication preferences and which farm records each person is comfortable sharing. Name subjects that may require qualified professional advice. Keep the new farmer in charge of financial, personal and operating decisions. If a farm visit involves equipment, animals or busy work areas, arrange it through the operator and follow site safety procedures. Make it easy to reschedule a visit when weather or family responsibilities intervene. A plan that depends on both farms having the same free Saturday has been known to become a three-year research project.
Teach the reasoning behind an ordinary job
Walk through an example and describe what you consider before acting. If discussing a purchase, explain the facts you look for, the alternatives you considered and what might make a different choice sensible. Ask the mentee to identify the part of the example that applies to her farm. Give her room to ask questions and name her own constraints. For a woman starting with rented land, maintaining the right to adjust the agreement may matter more than owning the same equipment you own.
End each meeting with a practical next step
Write down an action, who owns it and when the two of you will check in. The mentee might call a service provider, talk to a specialist or compare figures in a simple worksheet. Later, discuss what the step revealed and which question should come next. Give credit to the new farmer for the work and decisions she completes. If the relationship is ready to end, review what she accomplished and help identify a future resource. Mentorship is working when she can explain her decision without repeating yours. The goal is another capable farm operator with the confidence to ask a better question when she encounters a new problem.