Breaking New Ground: Women and Farm Entry in British Columbia A thesis defense by Becky Lipton

Positioning Myself

Why Research Women and Farm Entry?  1996 – 2001 farmers decreased by 10% or 40,000 farmers  Farmers under 35  1991 = 20%  2001 = 11.5%  45% of farmers work off the farm

Methodology  2 stages  5 farms  28 interviews  Selection Criteria  Interviews: Farming less than 10 years  Subgroup: Farming less than 4 years  Managing the Farm

Gendered Spaces and Being a Farmer “In my experience, I think women are well respected in the farming industry” “On this Island there are a lot of women farmers and I feel like I fit in pretty well.” “I definitely don’t feel disadvantaged because I’m a woman.”

An Alternate Social Space  A social space of acceptance  A social space where women feel satisfied as farmers

Autonomous Emergence and Co-Existence  Autonomous economic niches, systems, institutions  Related to alternative & conventional agriculture  Marketing Systems  Social Interactions  Autonomous Emergence Alternative Agriculture Conventional Agriculture Both Alternative & Conventional Total (N) N%N%N% Length of Years Farming > 10 yrs 3463%1935%12%54 < 10 yrs 2782%515%13%33

From Idea to Success: Networks and Support  Networks result in support which mediate challenges  Family-to-Farmer  Farmer-to-Farmer  Community-to-Farmer  Types of Support  Affective  Practical/Material

Policy Implications  Support Alternative Agriculture  Direct Marketing Infrastructure  Farmers’ Markets, Farm Gate Sales, CSAs, Farmer-Chef Partnerships  Local Products  Local marketing infrastructure, buy local campaigns  Import Substitution  Alternative Production Techniques  Training programs, grants, certifications  Small-scale Agriculture  Caps on land values  Recognize farmers social & environmental services

Policy Implications  Supporting the Networks  Networks as providers of resources  Recognition in taxation policy & infrastructure  Opportunities for Exchanges  Training programs: Mentors, apprenticeships, exchange forums  Farmer collaborations, farm visits, events and organizations  Enhance community-farmer relations  Promoting farmers = increased tourism & local development

Breaking New Ground: Women and Farm Entry in British Columbia Thank you!