New conservation programs, unlike many current ones, lack set-asides for women farmers

The new Farm Bill provides many benefits for "socially disadvantaged" farmers, but some critics say the bill doesn't go far enough in saying who exactly meets this criteria. While female farmers are considered "socially disadvantaged" in getting rural development assistance and farm loans, they are not eligible for new benefits in major conservation programs.

"Five percent of the money in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and 5 percent of the acreage in the Conservation Stewardship Program is reserved for socially disadvantaged farmers," writes Philip Brasher in The Des Moines Register. "Both are complementary programs that help farmers offset the cost of preventing pollution and improving soil, water and energy conservation." Why were women eligible for the loan and rural development assistance, but not conservation benefits? Kate Cyrul, spokeswoman for the Senate Agriculture Committee, said that "limited funding required that farm bill writers restrict this definition."

April Hennes, a farmer since the 1980s, tells Brasher, "Anything that encourages the young farmers and the women or the socially disadvantaged to get into farming is a good thing." While she says she no longer has to worry about the economic challenges added in being a female in a male-dominated career, other women do: "There's still some stigma out there." (Read more)