UI Extension to host International Year of the Woman Farmer events in north Idaho

MOSCOW, Idaho — University of Idaho Extension will host events in northern Idaho highlighting the contributions of women in agriculture and challenging long-held stereotypes about America’s food producers.

Colette DePhelps, area Extension educator in community food systems, has helped plan community events scheduled for Thursday and Friday, Nov. 5-6, in Sandpoint and Friday, Nov. 20, in Moscow in recognition of the United Nations’ declaration of 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer.

“Picture a farmer and who do you picture? We have these cultural icons that come to mind. When we were kids we sang about Old MacDonald, a classic older, male farmer in overalls,” DePhelps said. “A rancher is a cowboy on a horse rounding up cattle, wearing a Stetson hat. Remember the Marlboro Man?”

Extension will host a free screening of the documentary “Women’s Work: The Untold Story of America’s Female Farmers” from 7-9 p.m. Nov. 5 at the Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave., Sandpoint. The 56-minute film argues that the story of American farming has largely been told through men’s experiences and examines the contributions of women to food production, land stewardship and rural communities.

After the film, five women farmers from the Sandpoint area will participate in a panel discussion, during which they’ll share their personal farm stories and views about women in agriculture. The panel includes Whitney Beck of Post Falls, Leigh Bercaw of Sandpoint, Julie Newcomb of Bonners Ferry, Trew Rice of Bonners Ferry and Liz Wood of Naples.

“Celebrating Idaho Women in Ag and the International Year of the Woman Farmer” will be the theme of the fifth annual Selkirk-Pend Oreille Food Summit, scheduled for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 6 at U of I’s Sandpoint Organic Agriculture Center, 10881 N. Boyer Road. Admission is $35, with a registration deadline of Sunday, Nov. 1.

The summit is a harvest celebration focused on building relationships and will include at least a dozen five-minute presentations in which women farmers and agricultural professionals will share their stories. The event will also feature a catered lunch made with locally sourced ingredients.

A second free screening of “Women’s Work” is scheduled for 7-9 p.m. Nov. 20 at the Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre, 508 S. Main St., Moscow. The panel discussion following the Moscow screening will include Jenny Parker of Moscow, Sheila Hasselstrom of Winchester, Suzanne Johnson Dittmer of Princeton and Sheryl Zakarison of Pullman, Washington.

Prior to 1978, the U.S. Census of Agriculture listed only a single farmer as the operator of each farm. The rules now allow up to four farm operators to be listed, and the improved data collection approach has raised the visibility of women’s contributions to farms. The 2022 Census of Agriculture found that 39% of Idaho farmers are women. Furthermore, 68% of Idaho farms had at least one woman listed as an operator.

Idaho women are involved in all types of agriculture — from small hobby farms to some of the state’s largest operations. However, a U of I research team has calculated that a male-run farm earns $2.50 for every dollar earned by a female-run farm. The researchers attribute the earnings difference to historical inequities in women’s access to capital, land, education and other resources.

When DePhelps organizes farm succession planning events, she includes images of women and men running agricultural businesses, recognizing that sex-based biases can influence who ultimately inherits the family farm.

“It’s important for us not to make assumptions that women have a smaller contribution to the overall industry,” DePhelps said. “We see more and more that women are interested in being leaders in agriculture, not only on the farms, but also in research and agricultural organizations. Many of the commodity commissions have women leaders.”

Media contact

Colette DePhelps
Area Extension educator in community food systems
208-885-4003
cdephelps@uidaho.edu