Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons^™

Our Gendered Food Chain, Jasmine T. Colahan

SURGE

Over the past four decades, the number of women-operated farms has nearly doubled. Including both primary and secondary operators, one million women make up thirty percent of all U.S. farmers.

Headlines such as “Females Take the Reins,” “Meet the New face of Agriculture,” “Old McDonald Might Be a Lady” demonstrate this gender shift. And, it is true in my life too. As I worked on the Painted Turtle Farm this summer, the majority of my role models, co-workers, and mentors working in agriculture, whether rural or urban, were primarily women. [excerpt]

Fearless: Adrienne Ellis, Adrienne M. Ellis

SURGE

Taking the initiative to change college policies related to LGBTQ issues, restructuring a sustainable community garden in Gettysburg over the summer, and continually being motivated to change and challenge the powers that be through her love of people, Adrienne Ellis ’14 fearlessly fights for what she believes to help the people she loves— everybody. [excerpt]

Hidden Overburden Of Female-Headed Households In Guar Bean Production: Zimbabwean Experience, Innocent W. Nyakudya, V. J. Murewa, M. J. Mutenje, M. Moyo, T. J. Chikuvire, R. Foti

Journal of International Women's Studies

The study was done on a guar bean-growing project in Makachi area, Zimbabwe. The study objectives were to determine ownership of resources, time spent on production and access to information by male-headed and female-headed households. Data collection and analysis were based on the FAO Gender Analysis Framework. Results showed that male-headed households had more ownership of resources and spent less time on production; access to information was equal; female-headed households allocated a greater proportion of their land to guar bean production and matched their male counterparts in the mean yield. While inter-household exchanges helped female-headed households access draft power and …