Educational Media Reviews Online

Women in Agriculture is a series of short accounts of the life of women who raise sheep, grow vegetables and flowers, tend honey bees, make cheese, sell apples, manage agricultural business, advocate for organic farming, study plant pathology and numerous other careers related to farming. Each story is told in the voice of the woman in agriculture and accompanied by a slide show of photographs of that women and her work. Though they speak of the pros and cons of their chosen professions they each convey a love for the seasons, independence, hard work, and the rewards of providing necessary products to their neighbors and customers. The women are of all ages and different national backgrounds who have love the land and, for the foreign born, bring a taste of their homelands to the U.S.

The content of the film is most suitable to young women who have career choices to make but would also be of interest to scholars of women in non-traditional careers. Jr. high, high school and community college libraries as well as career centers could use this to support women’s and career programing. Other libraries in higher education might find it useful in programs supporting gender studies and human development.

The accompanying resource guide include viewing notes for teachers; a transcript of the vignettes from the film; and discussion questions in one section and overhead transparency masters with discussion starters and discussion questions in another.