7. Pennsylvania Women’s Ag Network (PA-WAgN)

Location:

• Across PA, some from outside state (<15%) (much hunch is that this group is either close to border, or are involved in other women’s networks and were helpful in getting group started)

Why interesting:

• This organization is relatively young/new, only in existence for a couple years. Combination of producers and educators started it, with heavy involvement of Penn State employees (faculty and extension staff), but vast majority of members are growers.
• Explicit focus on increasing capacity of women farmers through peer-to-peer learning network.
• No formal economic tie among members. Tie is based on mutual interest, learning, networking, common interests and frustrations with ‘old boys network’ of ag (especially traditional ag).

Common feature:

• Women producers and ag professionals
• Sustainable ag is focus, but not exclusively so

Types and numbers of participants:

• Approximately 400 members as of mid-October, across all regions of PA
• Heavier concentrations in central and southeast regions, but growing in all (particularly in response to field days/events)
• Network of women involved in agriculture, including growers, ag professionals (NGO and government agencies), and educators
• Although not specific feature of the group, members tend to be organic (certified and not) or low-input, small-scale, direct marketers/value-added, vegetable and (small) livestock producers
• But, having said this, members are very diverse in background, commodity, production methods, markets

Brief history:

• PA-WAgN formed in 2003, and is modeled after the women’s ag networks in Vermont and Maine. One point of difference, however, is that PA-WAgN is focused explicitly on sustainable ag (but in practice, this is broadly defined).
• “The goal of the network is to enhance women producers’ success as environmental managers, innovative entrepreneurs, and community leaders. The project will facilitate the development of a peer-to-peer information sharing and support networks and create educational programs and events to increase women’s knowledge about sustainable agriculture practices, business management, and entrepreneurial strategies” (NE-SARE proposal, p. 6).
• First activity was Women in Ag Conference, part of the annual Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) conference in 2004. Ninety women attended the day-long workshop. Needs assessments of women at this and subsequent events indicated that they desired educational programs that are hands-on, farm-based, and led and organized by women. These surveys also indicated that “the majority of women farmers do not currently use cooperative extension programs for their educational needs, lack the respect and skills that most men seem to have automatically in agricultural communities, make connections and visualize in ways that are often dismissed by traditional views of farming ,and want training in supportive and empowering spaces” (NE-SARE proposal, p. 7).
• Because of geographic spread and diversity of farms in PA, network has regional presence in 6 regions of the state (following extension’s administrative regional boundaries). Events are held in each of the regions at least once a year. There are 3 regional contacts, women identified as regional leaders and liaisons with the statewide organization.
• Steering committee includes PSU faculty, extension staff, and administrators; farmers from across the state; NGO representatives; and government agency representatives. The steering cmte meets 4x per year.
• Note: the group has received 2 grants to develop the network (NE-SARE) and to learn about women farmers (NRI), running concurrent with the SFIC NRI. We must avoid taxing and confusing participants.

Key contacts: (founders)

• Carolyn Sachs – PSU professor of Rural Sociology
• Mary Barbercheck – PSU professor of Entomology
• Amy Trauger – PSU research associate
• Lyn Garling – farmer, PSU Extension employee, steering cmte member
• Gay Rodgers – farmer, steering cmte member
• Leslie Zook – Executive Director of Pennsylvania Certified Organic – steering cmte member

Liaison:
Linda Moist
Sr. Ext. Assoc.
302 Armsby Building
Penn State University
University Park, PA  16802
Ph.: (814) 865-7031
lsm9@psu.edu