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Farm & Family – March 13 edition

Reading Time: < 1 minute March 8th was International Women’s Day, but did you know that this year is the International Year of the Woman Farmer? The United Nations declared 2026 the International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF 2026) to “spotlight the essential roles women play across agrifood systems, from production to trade, while often going unrecognized. Women farmers […] Read more

Celebrating women in agriculture

Celebrating women in agriculture

Reading Time: 2 minutes If you’ve been a long-time reader of Country Guide, you’ll have read many articles in our pages over the years that highlight women farmers, ranchers, industry leaders, mentors and partners. March 8 is International Women’s Day, a global, annual celebration recognizing the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, while advocating for accelerated gender […] Read more


Credit: Canva_Truecreatives from TrueCreatives

How to develop leadership presence

Reading Time: 2 minutes Lauren Sergy, an Edmonton, Alta., communications and executive coach, says it’s human nature to be biased when someone in a leadership position doesn’t look or sound like what we’re expecting — which, in agriculture, has typically been a white male. “It’s the way our brains are wired. Even before people hear us speak, they are […] Read more

Group of five women silhouettes in sunset light

What makes a leader?

What makes an effective leader? Historically, many thought the deciding factor was being male. They were wrong

Reading Time: 8 minutes It’s not gender that makes an effective leader.


young man and woman farmers with a tractor and cultivator in the background

How women lead with confidence in agriculture

Summer Series: While women working in agriculture is certainly not as rare as it used to be, gender biases haven’t kept pace with the change. But with the help of peers and industry learning opportunities women are confidently stepping into leadership roles

Reading Time: 6 minutes Gender bias is complicated. It can be intentional, but it can also be subconscious or structural, such as when it’s embedded in organizational policies or societal norms.  And it often goes unseen by those who don’t experience it themselves. Although the number of women working in leadership positions in agriculture is increasing, women are still […] Read more

Tara Sawyer.

What is work worth?

Women’s work in the ag industry has long been under-recognized and undervalued. Has the industry finally advanced its collective thoughts and actions around this idea? Some experts say ‘yes’

Reading Time: 7 minutes For Tara Sawyer, the term “farm wife” has always been a point of pride. Sawyer, who farms with her husband, Matt, in Acme, Alta., always felt the term signifies partnership. “I have always taken great pride in calling myself a farm wife. I am a farm wife, and I’m a stay-at-home mom, and yes, I […] Read more


Alanna Koch and family in a field of canola stubble

Navigating transitions in career, family and the farm

Moving through life’s phases can be difficult, but the journey — and the lessons — make it all worthwhile

Reading Time: 8 minutes “I thought my career was over.” Alanna Koch reminisces about her decision to quit her job as executive director of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association to stay home with her kids full-time in 2000. “I thought it was the end of the world,” she says. Her role with the association followed years of public […] Read more



The trends are stubborn, but there is cause for hope for women on Canada's farms.

Summer Series: Women in charge

[Leadership] Yes, progress is being made, but women still face challenges in expanding their farm ownership and leadership roles

Reading Time: 6 minutes Factors like the “mommy tax”, gendered roles, and land ownership continue to make it difficult for many women to immerse themselves in agriculture. The good news is that the industry is working at dismantling these barriers.– April Stewart, CG Associate Editor There are two stories here. Yes, the proportion of Canadian farm operators who are […] Read more

“Keeping each other accountable is very important.” — Gracey Gulak.

When she’ll be the leader…

On more farms like these, the dad-daughter relationship is emerging as one of agriculture’s greatest strengths

Reading Time: 10 minutes The dad-daughter relationship is emerging as one of agriculture’s greatest strengths. Country Guide spoke with two young Manitoban women about how they’re harnessing the power of this dynamic to grow their farms. Maybe it used to be a struggle for Dad to stop being Dad and become a business partner. especially if it’s his “little […] Read more