a Robin Tutor-Marcom is Director, North Carolina Agromedicine Institute, East Carolina University , Greenville , North Carolina , USA .
J Agromedicine. 2014;19(2):191-200. doi: 10.1080/1059924X.2014.886540.
The stress that farming visits upon male farmers has been acknowledged for decades. Stress- and work-related injuries among nonmigrant farm women is well documented from 1980 through the mid-1990s. A void of literature concerning nonmigrant farm women exists since that time. One possible explanation for this deficit is that United States Department of Agriculture Census of Agriculture data only consider the contributions of women on the farm if they are reported as farm operators. From 2002 to 2007, the number of women farm operators in North Carolina (NC) increased by 3%, and currently 13% of the state's farms are operated by women. These numbers emphasize the importance of understanding the self-perceived needs of women farmers. A qualitative research project was conducted to investigate the social-emotional needs of NC farm women. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 15 women with whom the NC Agromedicine Institute had previously worked in collaboration on farm health and safety. Key themes from interviews were (1) chameleonic, (2) inseparable connectedness, (3) farm sword, (4) women of a feather, and (5) one size doesn't fit all. Participants reported multiple roles, difficulty separating from the farm, preferring the farm over any other place, and viewing themselves as misperceived farm professionals. Participants need opportunities to interact with other farm women for support and sharing farm-management techniques. Future study recommendations include (1) inventory existing programs for farm women; (2) further investigate the support and educational needs of farm women; and (3) examine how farm women are perceived by nonfarm individuals.
几十年来，人们一直承认农业劳动给男性农民带来的压力。从 1980 年到 90 年代中期，有大量文献记录了非移民农场女性与压力和工作相关的受伤情况。自那时以来，关于非移民农场女性的文献资料一直存在空白。造成这种缺陷的一个可能原因是，美国农业部农业普查数据仅考虑女性在农场的贡献，如果她们被报告为农场经营者。从 2002 年到 2007 年，北卡罗来纳州的女性农场经营者数量增加了 3%，目前该州 13%的农场由女性经营。这些数字强调了了解女性农民自我感知需求的重要性。进行了一项定性研究项目，以调查北卡罗来纳州农场女性的社会情感需求。与 NC 农业医学研究所之前曾合作开展农场健康和安全工作的 15 名女性进行了半结构化访谈。访谈的主要主题包括（1）变色龙，（2）不可分割的联系，（3）农场之剑，（4）物以类聚，（5）一刀切不适合所有人。参与者报告了多种角色，难以与农场分离，更喜欢农场而不是其他任何地方，并将自己视为被误解的农场专业人士。参与者需要有机会与其他农场女性互动，以获得支持和分享农场管理技术。未来的研究建议包括（1）盘点现有的农场女性项目；（2）进一步调查农场女性的支持和教育需求；（3）研究非农场人士如何看待农场女性。
