Film Description

As small, family farms continue to disappear, and large, mechanized farms dominate American agriculture, a new kind of farmer is sprouting up across the land: women.

Although women have always been involved in farming, it has long been thought of as a "man's job." Traditionally, farm women have often identified themselves as something other than the "farmer."

That's all changing. According to the USDA, between 1997 and 2002, the number of women who identified themselves as farmers increased by 13 percent. During these five years, Pennsylvania lost 2,000 farms, but gained 1,000 farms run by women.

Women are a fast-growing demographic in American agriculture, and they are doing things differently. While the average farm size in the U.S. has grown dramatically over the last 50 years, women tend to run smaller operations. Many choose organic and natural methods, in contrast to the highly mechanized and chemically-dependent farming that dominates the rest of the agricultural industry. And many women strongly value their relationships with the community, from selling their products at local markets, to using their farms as "de facto community centers."

Ladies of the Land profiles four women who once never thought they'd be in charge of a farm, but today raise cattle, sell goat cheese and harvest organic vegetables. With commentary from Carolyn Sachs, PhD, one of the nation's leading experts on women in agriculture, and Amy Trauger, PhD, founder of the Pennsylvania Women's Agricultural Network — one of the only organizations of its kind in the country — Ladies of the Land takes us on a journey through America's new heartland.

Ladies of the Land is the recipient of a 2007 Student Academy Award and a 2007 Gracie Allen Award.