The Rural Voice, 1981-02, Page 6Farm women,
a rich untapped resource
Brenda McIntosh of R.R. 5, Seaforth, who attended the first National Women In
Agriculture Conference in Ottawa recently, displays a copy of The Invisible Pitchfork.
This study on farm women and their coverage by the media found women in agriculture
must become more visible and more vocal in the community and could be an important
voice in getting the farmers' message across to urban consumers. During the
convention. chairman Dianne Harkin told delegates farm women are often cooks,
gardeners, accountants. mothers and hired men - tasks they perform for "three and a
half a day - for three meals and half the bed." [Photo by Gibb]
PG. 4 THE RURAL VOICE/FEBRUARY 1981
BY ALICE GIBB
Canadian farm women met in Ottawa
recently to discuss how they can change
their public image and become more
visible in the community. Brenda McIn-
tosh of R.R. 4 Seaforth, sent by the Huron
County Federation of Agriculture, was
the only local delegate to the first
National Farm Women's Conference
which attracted over 200 delegates from
across Canada.
During the two-day conference, the
women discussed monetary recognition
of a wife's labour in the farming
operation, the lending practices of banks
and federal institutions to farm women,
and demanded farm families receive
ade yuate returns for their investment
and lahro'r to provide incentive for
young farmers to enter the industry.
The conference was chaired by Dianne
Harkin, president of the Women for the
Survival of Agriculture group. In opening
the conference, Mrs. Harkin told delegat-
es, "I believe that farm women are this
country's richest untapped resource. It's
time we reached out beyond our own line
fences to share our talent, ability and
knowledge with othbrs.
Mrs. Harkin suggested the lack of
recognition was partly due to the farm
woman's own poor self-esteem, which
has created the public image of them as
simple homemakers rather than working
partners in a tarm operat:an.
Mrs. ivfclntosh said Dianne Harkin
pointed out the farm wife is still the
cheapest source of labour on the farm
since she's often cook, gardener, ac-
countant, seamstress, hired man and
mother "and she does all this for three
and a half a day - for three meals and half
the bed."
Following Mrs. Harkin's remarks,
Federal Agriculture Minister Eugene
Whelan addressed the conference dele-
gates. During his speech, he announced
the appointment of the first woman
member to the Farm Credit Corporation,
Mrs. Carol Teichrob of Saskatchewan.
Mrs. Teichrob, president of a poultry
processing plant, is in partnership with
her husband in a mixed farming operat-
ion specializing in turkey meat product-
ion. As well as being the first woman