Change is in the air these days and women in agriculture are making some noticeable transitions. According to the USDA, the number of farms operated by women has more than doubled over the last 30 years—and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Delaware is offering technical and financial resources to help. 

 In late January, several DE NRCS employees attended the 8^th annual Women in Agriculture Conference presented by the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension, along with dozens of agricultural professionals, women farmers and educators.  The two-day conference featured a wealth of information through three general information sessions and numerous workshops--ranging from goat management to the status of honeybees to food safety practices. 

 NRCS employees Clarissa Blackiston, civil engineering technician, and Laurie Gandy, soil conservationist, staffed the farm bill exhibit, which featured updates on each conservation program. Women participants who stopped by the booth learned of the new incentive for traditionally underserved farmers under the 2008 Farm Bill. This provision allows 10 percent of funds from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and 10 percent of acres of the Conservation Stewardship Program (CStP) to be set aside for beginning/limited resource and socially disadvantaged farmers.