U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, has joined other senators in designating 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer.
Ernst highlighted her personal connection to agriculture, stating, “Having grown up on a family farm, I understand how women are the backbone of American agriculture,” said Ernst. “Whether hearing firsthand from female farmers on my River to River tour or on the Senate ag committee, it’s inspiring to see ladies stepping up and carrying on our great rural traditions. I’m proud to designate 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer to honor and recognize the 1.2 million female producers that work hard every day to feed and fuel our nation.”
Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture indicates that women play a significant role in farming operations across the country. In recent years, 58% of all farms had at least one female producer, accounting for 41% of national agricultural sales and nearly half of U.S. farmland. In 2022 alone, farms with one or more female producers generated $222 billion in agricultural product sales.
Senator Ernst’s office provides constituent services such as casework assistance and facilitates interactions with federal agencies through its official website: https://www.ernst.senate.gov/. Her representation covers all regions within Iowa and she leads several committees including Small Business and Entrepreneurship while also serving on Armed Services, Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committees (https://www.ernst.senate.gov/).
Ernst made history in 2014 by becoming both Iowa’s first woman elected to serve in the U.S. Senate and the first female combat veteran in that legislative body (https://www.ernst.senate.gov/).
The resolution aims to acknowledge over a million women who contribute daily to sustaining food production throughout America.
