Closing the Agricultural Gender Gap
Written by Suzanne Waring
Although in the minority, women have always been involved in Montana’s agriculture. When the early 20th Century homestead acts opened up land for occupancy, women who were heads of households took up land. Up to 18 percent of all homesteaders in Montana were women. Today nearly one million women are working America’s lands, which is nearly a third of our nation’s farmers.
College women are majoring in agriculture in growing numbers. They have become specialists in various agricultural careers. For example, they have become veterinarians, researchers, conservationists, foresters, and economists. They are serving on boards of directors, and they have taken up corner offices and become CEOs in agricultural businesses. Women continue to make strides in agriculture, a career field that has traditionally appeared to be made up of men.
A Montana Farmers Union Board of Directors Member
Jan Tusick, who is the Director of Lake County’s Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Center in Ronan, is the only female member on the Montana Farmers Union Board of Directors that meets in Great Falls. She and her husband live near Polson and care for 150 ewes on an 80-acre farm. She uses her Agricultural Science degree from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California, as the foundation for fulfilling her responsibilities as a director of a food center, as a farmer, and as a board member.
When Tusick joined the Board of Directors in 2006 as the representative from Region Six, which covers the western counties of the state, there was another woman on the board of nine members. That woman left the board and Tusick did too when another person won the Region Six seat in 2008. Tusick decided to put her name in the selection process in 2013, and she won the Region Six seat that year and then again in 2016. Presently, she is the only woman on the board. Her daily work at the Food Enterprise Center puts her in contact with individuals who are enthusiastic about starting up a line of food for retail distribution. This spirit is also prevalent at the Montana Farmers Union, a grass roots organization supporting farm families through legislation, cooperation, and education. Topics that have currently come to this board’s attention are climate change, agri-tourism that can be value added for farm families, and sustainable agriculture, among other issues. “We reach out to our 1500 farm family members to learn what we should be supporting,” said Tusick.
She feels that it is important to use creative thinking during board meetings, especially when they engage in strategic planning. “We seek to find ways to explain what agriculture and the family farm mean to our country. We strive to be the voice for families who work so very hard on Montana farms.”
An Expert in Sales and Marketing at Hodgskiss Seed
Chrissy Cook assists customers who come into Hodgskiss Seed in Choteau. Ninety-nine percent of them are men. The majority of the people she works with are men. It’s easy to say that she works in a man’s world.
Out of high school Cook was a snow safety and ski guide in the winter and a fishing guide in the summer for a number of years. As a non-traditional student, she went to Colorado State University in Fort Collins when she decided on a major. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Ag Business and Animal Science and then a master’s degree in Agriculture—Integrated Resource Management. These credentials landed her the County Extension Agent position in Judith Basin County. This job gave her experience in communicating in both small and large groups. She enjoyed her work so immensely that she turned down the first offer for a job with Hodgskiss Seed. Six months later when the owner called again, she accepted the offer. That’s when she started learning in depth about seed and crop diseases. In the beginning, she had the responsibility of writing reports, and when customers came in, she could tell that they thought she was there to answer the telephone or do the cleaning. As she gained knowledge and became acquainted with the customers, she took on the responsibilities of sales, marketing, writing contracts with farmers, and also writing the reports. The Hodgskiss brothers included her when they checked on farmers’ fields to determine what might be problems with crop growth. In time she was able to do it herself. At a recent extension service meeting on chickpeas at Fort Benton and Conrad, Cook was a featured speaker, and farmers had many questions that they knew she could answer.
“My employers are farmers themselves, and they know what farmers need. I set about developing my knowledge and relationship with farmers so they would also trust my recommendations.”
As a woman, Cook feels that she puts the customer first, pays attention to detail, multi-tasks, and uses good organizational skills. “I realize that agriculture is a tough business on a good day, and people are trying to live out a good life by working on the land. I respect that,” said Cook. Today, when customers stop at Hodgskiss Seed, they are as likely to be looking for Cook as for any of the other personnel. Cook feels comfortable working in a man’s world, and it is obvious that farmers look to her expertise as a means for getting on with their work.
The CEO with Farmers Union Insurance
A Havre native, Kerri Bekker attended Montana State University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree with an Accounting Option and then became a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Her first job was in the accounting department with Farmers Union Mutual Insurance Company (FUMIC) in Great Falls, and she has been there since in several capacities. Serving as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for the prior ten years, she was ready to move forward when the president/CEO indicated that he would be retiring. After landing the position, she attended meetings and worked directly with the CEO during 2016. She was prepared to take over the reins of this Montana domiciled insurance company on January 1, 2017.
This organization is made up predominately of men. All but one of the FUMIC Board of Directors are men and approximately 80 percent of the agents are men. As a woman CEO, Bekker brings her background as the CFO plus distinct leadership qualities to her position, as well as a little humor and light heartedness.
“Before the addition of Nancy Jensen to our Board of Directors this past October, I used to joke when we would check in with the hostess at restaurants by saying ‘I’m Kerri from Farmers Union Insurance and this is my entourage’ as ten official-looking men would fall in behind me!” said Bekker.
FUMIC interacts with and provides sponsorships for the Montana High School Association and the Future Farmers of America. “We feel that it’s important to encourage students—both boys and girls—to develop their talents, skills, and knowledge. As the first woman CEO of FUMIC in its hundred-year history, I feel that it is also important to lend a hand in empowering girls to develop a vision for themselves and to allow confidence in their skills and knowledge to shine through,” said Bekker.
Numbers of Women in Agricultural Careers Grow
Women are still in a minority, but they are increasingly moving into agricultural careers that capture their interests. At first it may be surprising to those who are accustomed to what is traditional, but as qualified women take their places, it is certain that the agricultural industry will gain immeasurably from their knowledge and skills.
