Sustainable Agriculture Archives - Carolina Farm Trust

30 Jun, 2025

Women in Agriculture: Changing the Face of Farming One Acre at a Time

By Siobhan Norbeck|2025-06-30T16:01:36+00:00June 30, 2025|Advocacy, Farmers, Food Systems, Sustainability, Sustainable Agriculture|0 Comments

Agriculture has long been seen as a male-dominated industry, but that’s changing—fast. Today, women are not just participating in agriculture; they are leading it, innovating within it, and transforming it to meet the needs of their communities. From small urban plots to large regenerative farms, women are growing food, growing businesses, and growing power.

At Carolina Farm Trust (CFT), we see this shift as a vital part of building a more just, sustainable, and inclusive food system. Our work is rooted in uplifting historically underrepresented communities in agriculture—and that includes women.

The Rise of Women Farmers

According to the 2017 USDA Census of Agriculture, women now account for 36% of all U.S. farmers. More and more women are now involved in making decisions about land use, crop and livestock production, and business operations. This is not

Farmers, Not Factories: Why We Must Break the Corporate Monopoly on Food

By Siobhan Norbeck|2025-05-05T15:49:55+00:00May 5, 2025|Food Equity, Sustainable Agriculture|0 Comments

In America today, four corporations control more than 80% of the beef market, four companies dominate 70% of the pork industry, and just a handful of conglomerates manage most of the nation’s grain processing, seed production, and food distribution. This is not a coincidence—it’s a deliberate design that favors profit over people, scale over sustainability, and monoculture over community.

At Carolina Farm Trust, we believe food should come from farmers—not factories. And we’re actively building a food system that reflects that belief.

How Corporate Consolidation Took Over Our Plates

The corporate grip on agriculture didn’t happen overnight. Over the past 50 years, policies have shifted in favor of vertical integration—where large companies own every step of the process, from seed to supermarket shelf. This gives them near-total control over pricing, production, and availability.

Meanwhile, small farmers have been squeezed out:

The Future of Farming: Regenerative Agriculture and Its Impact

By Siobhan Norbeck|2025-04-08T14:00:34+00:00April 8, 2025|Sustainable Agriculture|0 Comments

The way we produce food today is unsustainable. Industrial farming depletes soil nutrients, pollutes waterways, and contributes to climate change. But there’s a better way: regenerative agriculture. More than just sustainability, regenerative farming actively restores ecosystems, strengthens food security, and improves livelihoods.

What Is Regenerative Agriculture?

Regenerative agriculture is a holistic approach to farming that prioritizes soil health, biodiversity, and climate resilience. Unlike conventional industrial farming, which relies on chemical inputs and monocropping, regenerative farming works in harmony with nature to restore the land. Core principles include:

Building Soil Health: Using cover crops, compost, and reduced tilling to increase organic matter and retain nutrients.
Enhancing Biodiversity: Integrating diverse crops and livestock to create resilient ecosystems.
Water Conservation: Implementing techniques like rotational grazing and agroforestry to improve water retention.
Carbon

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