Yesterday in St. Paul, Klobuchar and Deputy Secretary for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Krysta Harden convened a discussion about the experiences of women in modern agriculture and how best to encourage women to seek careers in the agriculture industry; earlier today in Fargo, Klobuchar and Harden participated in a second summit hosted by Senator Heidi Heitkamp

According to the 2012 Census of Agriculture, nearly one million women are working America’s lands and more than 6,300 Minnesota women are principal operators of a farm 

ST. PAUL, MN – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar this week led a pair of forums focused on the role of women in agriculture. Yesterday in St. Paul, Klobuchar and Deputy Secretary for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Krysta Harden convened a discussion about the experiences of women in modern agriculture and how best to encourage women to seek careers in the agriculture industry. Earlier today in Fargo, Klobuchar and Harden participated in a second summit hosted by Senator Heidi Heitkamp. According to the USDA’s 2012 Census of Agriculture, nearly one million women are working America’s lands and more than 6,300 Minnesota women are principal operators of a farm.

"Nearly one million women now work in agriculture in America and 6,300 farms in Minnesota are principally owned by women," Klobuchar said. "Whether it's growing crops or raising livestock, women in agriculture are making important contributions to this vital industry. These forums were a great opportunity to hear about the experiences of USDA Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden and to encourage even more women to seek careers in agriculture."

During the forums, Klobuchar, Harden, and Heitkamp were joined by women leaders in agriculture from across Minnesota and North Dakota for a discussion on how best to tap into the talents and abilities of women working in the agriculture sector. Klobuchar also highlighted the importance of ensuring that girls and women see agriculture as a promising career option and encouraged Minnesota companies to help more women work in agriculture.

Klobuchar, who is a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, helped craft the 2014 Farm Bill and served on the conference committee responsible for negotiating the final version of the legislation.

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