Amy Trauger Interviewed on National Public Radio

Amy Trauger, doctoral student in Geography
and Women's Studies

November 1, 2004

National Public Radio (NPR) interviewed doctoral student Amy Trauger about her M.S. and Ph.D. research for an "All Things Considered" story, "Female Farmers: A Growing Trend in America" on Saturday, October 30. The Web page from NPR includes a photo gallery, Web Extra Audio (with Amy Trauger), and additional Web Resources.

Amy's M.S. and Ph.D. research focuses on women in sustainable agriculture. The program on National Public Radio profiled women farmers with on-farm interviews throughout Pennsylvania.

"I was interested in why women seem to be drawn to sustainable agriculture in greater numbers than conventional agriculture," said Amy, in the interview. "There's a global correlation in the developed countries where sustainable agriculture is taking on—a lot of women are doing it as farmers. I found out that areas women work in were much friendlier in sustainable agriculture than in conventional agriculture. They affirmed their identity as farmers rather than farm wives."

"That was a very interesting part of the research, but I also found that a lot of the women I was talking to didn't know each other. I talked to about 20 women farmers in a five-county area, and only a handful actually knew of other women farmers in the area. When I went to do a doctoral degree, I was searching for ways that I could build the development of that community into my doctoral research. There's this program called WAgN, Women's Agricultural Network, and it started in Vermont. We thought that Pennsylvania could really benefit from having a similar type of program. They provide education and networking, mentoring and support kinds of things for women farmers, just to connect them to each other so that they can talk to each other about farming and learn from each other."

Pennsylvania farmers participate in a field day
organized by the Women's Agricultural Network

"A group of farmers and activists met to discuss the problems of education and isolation for women in agriculture and we decided to found a WAgN chapter in PA. WAgN is meant to increase the numbers of women farmers to provide the support that they need, that they're not getting in traditional sources of information and education. It's also designed to just bring women together. Farming is a very isolating kind of enterprise in the first place, and when women are isolated from their peer group, which are largely men, they need to find other peer groups. A lot of women farmers are also geographically separated from each other. So we thought that a kind of network that not only connects them virtually, through the Internet or through listserves, but also through on-farm education programs. We've done potlucks and field days, so it's social and it's educational as well."

On her Web page, Amy writes, "I have lived on farms all my life, and my mother's changing roles in the farm operation throughout her life have always intrigued me. Because of her committment to our farm, I was weaned on goat's milk, collected eggs from my own little chickens, and helped put away food for the winter from our garden. As a child, I lived a life that few people ever experience, or even know about. This way of life is becoming ever more rare in our urbanizing society; a world where few people realize that food comes from someplace other than the supermarket. In my personal and professional life, I am committed to helping build sustainable communities where food is fresh, healthy and locally grown, and where farmers can live safe, productive and comfortable lives producing this food".