State agriculture officials kick off International Year of the Woman Farmer

The nation’s commissioners, directors and secretaries of agriculture gathered in Washington, D.C. from Feb. 2-4 for the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture’s (NASDA) 2026 Winter Policy Conference, where members honored 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer through several engagements.  

“We were proud to be able to give International Year of the Woman Farmer the stage at NASDA’s Winter Policy Conference, and we look forward to elevating the voices of women farmers throughout 2026,” NASDA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ted McKinney said. “Women are vital to agriculture worldwide, from production to innovation to leadership. NASDA is committed to amplifying women farmers’ voices and ensuring policies reflect needs and opportunities for all farmers.” 

Featured panel

NASDA opened the conference with a plenary session panel titled “International Year of the Woman Farmer: What It Is and Why It Matters,” which examined the pivotal role women play in advancing global agriculture and highlighted how empowering women in agriculture helps strengthen and advance the entire industry. 

Moderated by NASDA President and Maine Agriculture Commissioner Amanda Beal, the session featured remarks from U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Global Farmer Network CEO Mary Boote and U.S. Dairy Export Council President and CEO Krysta Harden.  

One topic covered by the panel was the next generation, in which they discussed how to ensure women are not only inspired to work in agriculture but are also a respected and valued voice in the field. 

“Seeing is believing, and I think when you raise up other women in leadership positions as farmers the next generation gets to see it as an opportunity not only to be a farmer involved in agriculture, but also to show them their voice and perspective matters,” Boote said.  

Additionally, panelists discussed how International Year of the Woman Farmer can spur meaningful change through policy and beyond.  

“Don’t be afraid to introduce new legislation. Whether it’s in the State House or on Capitol Hill, it will make a difference,” Hyde-Smith said. “It may not seem easy, but as long as it’s logical and there are people who agree with us, we can get it done.”

“To honor and make real change – lasting change – is not done in one year. It’s not a snapshot,” Harden said. “It’s forever changing our policies, our attitudes, our commitment, the way we spend money, how we spend, where we spend, who we recognize and who we honor. This is just the beginning. This is the launch of what I hope is going to be a change so more women will not have to have these conversations – they will just be recognized for what they contribute.”

Overall, panelists em-phasized the importance of bringing all people together to advance the agriculture industry, epitomizing NASDA’s Winter Policy Conference theme of “United We Thrive.”

“There are a lot of good things we can do alone, but even more we can do together,” Boote said. “And this is where I think the agriculture story is – men and women, the next generation, the institutional knowledge of those who went before us and the intuitiveness with innovation the next generation is bringing. Understanding we need all of them and all of us to be able to do it together is important.” 

Other highlights

Following the panel, NASDA was honored to host U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) to share about the U.S. Senate resolution celebrating the designation of 2026 as International Year of the Woman Farmer. 

The resolution was co-sponsored by Fischer and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee.  

NASDA also hosted a reception at Nationals Park honoring International Year of the Woman Farmer by welcoming members of U.S. Congress, embassy officials from 14 countries and agriculture industry representatives. Four hundred fifty people attended. 

Members of the International Year of the Woman Farmer Working Group and NASDA displayed stories of women farmers from across the U.S. for government and industry leaders to learn and be inspired from. 

Throughout the conference, NASDA promoted the International Year of the Woman Farmer information hub hosted on NASDA’s website and its farmer survey to collect the stories of women farmers. These stories will be shared across NASDA’s newsletter and social media platforms all year long.

NASDA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit association representing the elected and appointed commissioners, secretaries and directors of the departments of agriculture in all 50 states and four U.S. territories. NASDA enhances American food and agricultural communities through policy, partnerships and public engagement. For more information, visit nasda.org.