How Women Are Impacting Agriculture

At FBN®, we value all farmers and are working to make the agriculture sector more equitable. Through our 55,000+ member strong platform, we are making gains in democratizing information for all farmers so that family farms can become economically viable. 

Let’s take a look at some fascinating facts about women in the ag sector. 

$148 Billion in Agricultural Sales Comes from Women

Collectively, U.S. women account for agricultural sales equaling $148 billion. They are responsible for a myriad of decisions, including:

  • Land use

  • Crop planning

  • Livestock management

  • Financial management

  • Marketing

  • Estate planning

How FBN Can Help

FBN Direct offers free guides and webinars to help farmers make informed crop and livestock decisions:

FBN Finance offers a number of free resources that can help farmers with financial planning and decisions, such as:

9% of U.S. Farms Are Women-Run

In the ag sector, 9% of U.S. farms are run entirely by women, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

How FBN Can Help

Women planning to own and operate their own farms can secure farm land loans through FBN Finance that will help them build a strong financial future for themselves, their families, and generations to come. These loans can be used to:

  • Purchase new land

  • Finance improvements of land, such as barns and grain storage

  • Refinance debt on current agricultural property

Customers can feel confident that they are accessing great rates through FBN Finance. With our low overhead and nationwide network, we often help customers save thousands of dollars*. 

We know that women are often juggling many responsibilities, so we’re happy to offer instant approvals** on qualifying land loan applications. Once the brief application is filled out online, an approval decision for land loans up to $2.5 million may be made within minutes.

Get a Land Loan Quote Today

36% of U.S. Farmers Are Women

There are 1.2 million female farmers in the United States. This means that more than a third – 36% – of U.S. farmers are women. 

How FBN Can Help

Purchasing the ag inputs necessary to succeed as a farmer can be costly. 

A farm operating line from FBN Finance can help female growers overcome financial barriers. Unlike an operating loan, which is a non-revolving lump sum, an operating line is a credit line for an approved financing amount that does not have a fixed payment schedule. Often, as the debt is paid down, the credit renews. 

Farmers can use an operating line to purchase:

This financing solution from FBN Finance provides farm operating lines for a range between $100,000 and $5,000,000 with highly competitive terms. There are no application fees, the simple online application can be completed quickly, and qualified applicants can get approvals up to $1 million instantly.**

Get an Operating Line to Unlock Capital for Inputs

AgTech Market to Reach $16 Billion by 2027

From automatic milking systems to robot fruit harvesters, agricultural technology (AgTech) has become an exciting sector to watch. In North America alone, it’s forecasted to grow from about $6 billion in 2019 to about $16 billion by 2027.

The local government of Salinas, California – “the salad bowl of the world” – is prioritizing AgTech, backing an incubator for AgTech startups: the Western Growers Center for Innovation and Technology (CIT). Here, women-founded AgTech startups are using technology to improve the ag industry. 

By taking on some of the physical challenges associated with farming, AgTech is making farming more accessible to women and leveling the playing field. ICARDA scientists conducted a study in Tunisia that found that “women farmers are key to driving technology adoption.”

“Technologies supported by appropriate institutional arrangements and models of linkages can empower women farmers to address major socio-economic, gender, and environmental issues,” writes Nidhi Takur for Springer.

How FBN Can Help

Women who want to implement AgTech in their farming practices can get equipment financing through FBN Finance. Farm equipment loans help farmers purchase AgTech that can bolster the efficiency of their agricultural operations.

A wide variety of farm equipment can be financed, including:

  • Application equipment

  • Tractors

  • Irrigation equipment

​​This allows female farmers to invest in the smart farm technologies that will scale their operations for as little as 0% down.

Invest in AgTech with an Equipment Loan

Become Part of Something Bigger

Women have always been essential to farming. Now female farmers can connect by joining our growing network of 55,000+ members.

When you join FBN, you:

  • Become part of the biggest community of like-minded farmers, where you can have authentic farmer-to-farmer discussions in our Forum

  • Gain access to innovative technology for modern farming

  • Receive farmland insights related to cropping history, soils, and more through our AcreVision℠ tool

  • Unlock free FBN educational guides 

Join FBN for Free^

Meet FBN’s Female Loan Advisors 

The men and women who make up our team each have an average of 15 years of ag financing experience – and many of them are also farmers. 

We have also hired a team that understands the unique experience of female farmers and helps them secure operating lines and loans to scale their ag operations. The loan advisors and analysts use their deep industry experience to answer your questions and help walk you through the process of securing the financing that can help maximize the profit of your ag operation.

Our team includes:

  • Katie Hennegin, loan advisor manager

  • Carla Lappe, loan advisor manager

  • Jenny Arnold, loan advisor

  • Nikki Boyer, loan advisor

  • Taylor Griswold-Weigle, loan advisor

  • Branygon Kirsch, loan advisor

  • Kayla Kniepmann, loan advisor

Meet FBN Finance Loan Advisors


Related Resources


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*There is no guarantee of savings. Your actual savings, if any, may vary based on interest rates, the repayment term, the amount financed, and other factors.

**Subject to review and verification, and underwriting.

Financing offered by FBN Finance, LLC and its lending partners. Available where FBN Finance, LLC is licensed. Terms and conditions apply. To qualify, a borrower must be a member of Farmer’s Business Network, Inc. and meet all underwriting requirements. Interest rates and fees will vary depending on your individual situation. Not all applicants will qualify. NMLS ID: 1631119.

The information provided by AcreVision℠ is provided for your individual informational use only, and may not be disclosed, reproduced, summarized, distributed, excerpted, or used for any reason other than for property research purposes. Any unauthorized use of this product or its information is prohibited. Information is reliable but not guaranteed, may be incomplete, and should be independently verified. Farmer's Business Network, Inc. and its subsidiaries are not responsible for the accuracy of this information.

^Fees may apply for certain product and service offerings other than FBN membership.

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