Female farmers in the United States: Research needs and policy questions.

• U.S. female farmers pursue agricultural practices distinctly different from male farmers. • Push-pull factors account for most of the variation in female farmer shares. • Inherent differences in networking (via social capital) are important. • More research is needed to analyze the increasing importance and impact of female farmers in the U.S. The literature on women in agricultural production in developing countries is vast. While female farmers in the United States have recently received more attention, their general characteristics and practices pursued have not received as much consideration by agricultural economists. Here we examine U.S. female farmers' characteristics and factors associated with county level female farm shares using Census data. We find that these shares are higher near metropolitan core counties and that their presence is associated with agritourism activity as well as horticultural and small livestock production. We conclude with several policy questions and future research needed to assess the roles and impacts of female farm operators in the U.S. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]