Reviewed by: Elizabeth Hobbs
How these 3 women are thriving in agriculture right now
Reading time: 5 minutes
Sponsored
When you think of agriculture in Alabama, you probably picture crop farmers, cattle herders and poultry workers—and they’re likely all male.
But did you know that there are a significant number of women working in the industry in careers like business, horticulture, biotechnology and more?
We got to sit down with three female students from Auburn’s College of Agriculture and find out how they’re thriving in the field. Read on for the details.
Agriculture is for women, too
Meet Mallory, Laura + Maddie
Mallory:
- Hometown: Birmingham, AL
- Major: Agricultural Business + Economics
- Year at Auburn: Junior
- Favorite hobby: Creating custom banners and paintings as a side gig
Laura:
- Hometown: Andalusia, AL
- Major: Agricultural Business + Economics
- Year at Auburn: Senior
- Favorite hobby: Owning her hand embroidery business
Maddie:
- Hometown: Sylvania, AL
- Major: Agricultural Business + Economics
- Year at Auburn: Junior
- Favorite hobby: Hunting
Q: What drew you to Auburn + agriculture?
Mallory: “I come from a horticulture family, and my mom started her own gardening business. After watching her succeed over the years, I knew I wanted to go the agricultural route, but I wanted to branch out outside of the horticulture realm.
I decided to go with AG Business to gain a well-rounded knowledge of the AG industry. When I started touring colleges, I knew Auburn had a strong College of Agriculture. Stepping on the campus felt like coming home.”
Laura: “I wasn’t originally planning on attending Auburn and majoring in agriculture, but I needed a job during high school and there were open interviews at the Andalusia Farmer’s Co-Op.
At first, I wasn’t interested in going the agricultural route because I grew up on a family farm, but I ended up loving the job. I decided to apply for the Alabama Farmers Co-Op scholarship and was able to use it to pay some of my way at Auburn.”
Maddie: “I grew up on a farm, so AG has always been something I knew I wanted to do. I also loved how close Auburn was to home.”
Q: How have your views on agriculture changed while attending Auburn?
While attending Auburn, Mallory, Laura and Maddie have each seen that agriculture isn’t as male-dominated as they originally thought. They’ve also worked to create a space for women to succeed in the industry by starting the first-ever Women in Agriculture club on campus.
Maddie: “I expected there to be a lot more men than women in my classes, but the numbers have been very balanced, and I feel like I have a lot of opportunities to succeed.”
Laura: “When I was working with the Andalusia Co-Op, most of the farmers I interacted with were men.
My perspective has changed a lot since coming to Auburn. I’ve realized agriculture offers a lot more career paths than farming. I’ve enjoyed exploring the AG lending and communications side of the industry.”
Mallory: “We recently had Erin Beasley, who works in the cattle industry, come to speak at one of our Women in Agriculture meetings. We asked her if she had experienced difficulties in the industry as a woman. And she was like, ‘No, all the men are so happy to have us. We know how to get stuff done.'”
Fun fact: At their first Women in AG meeting, Mallory, Laura and Maddie were expecting only 10 people to show up (the minimum to have a club), but 40 women attended!
Why female students should consider studying agriculture
“You don’t have to have grown up on a farm to attend Auburn’s College of Agriculture. Everyone is very open, and no one bats an eye if you don’t have an AG background. There are so many job opportunities in the industry that you don’t want to miss out on.”
Mallory Nabors, Women in AG President, Auburn
Check out some of the career paths you can take with agriculture (+ the *average yearly salaries):
- Biosystems engineer (Biosystems Engineering degree) – $153,648
- Poultry scientist (Poultry Science degree) – $130,117
- Golf Superintendent (Crop, Soil and Environmental Science) – $109,621
- Molecular Biologist (Applied Biotechnology degree) $102,270:
- Agribusiness Manager (Agricultural Business + Economics degree) – $99,484
- Landscape Architect (Horticulture degree) – $75,346
- Agriculture Marketing Specialist (Agricultural Business + Economics degree) – $68,676
*Note: Salaries vary based on location, experience required + degree level
Find your place to thrive in Auburn’s College of Agriculture—apply today.
Sponsored by:
