In the past 20 years, farm women have reduced their gardening and
canning, and picked up new jobs such as dealing with salespeople.
A unique study of Canadian farm family work commissioned by the
National Farmers Union has found a blurring of traditional work tasks.
Diane Martz, a researcher the NFU hired to conduct the $500,000 study,
told the group’s annual meeting in Saskatoon on Nov. 22 that women and
young people are doing more of the farm work that men alone used to do.
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Farm diversification and the need for off-farm income are driving the
change, Martz said. She is halfway through the data unveiled by a
year-long survey of 200 farm men, 200 farm women and 200 farm children
from across Canada.
They are being asked to fill in questionnaires and time diaries listing
their activities at four different times during the year.
Martz intends to complete the study in the new year and the NFU plans a
news conference to announce the results in March 2003.
When announcing the study last January, NFU member Shannon Storey said
that while Statistics Canada confirmed the trend to off-farm jobs,
there wasn’t enough data to prove the need for gender and age-related
policy changes.
Martz’s preliminary results show there have been changes on the farm.
Since 1982, women have been doing more of the farm and managerial tasks
such as harvesting, caring for livestock, supervising those doing farm
work, and dealing with customers and buyers.
Women have also continued their roles as bookkeepers, errand runners
and parents. They report they are doing less tending of vegetable
gardens and fewer are canning or driving farm trucks.
Caring for elderly relatives and friends is a new and growing area of
work. As well, 51 percent of the women work off the farm.
For men, the early results show they are helping around the house more
but that 45 percent are working off the farm.
Men and women say the extra jobs leave them tired and with less time to
do other things.
Young people are also doing more farm chores, and 44 percent have a job
off the farm.
A positive surprise, said Martz, was that 53.7 percent of the young
people want to farm if they have the opportunity.
She said researchers rarely recognize youth as important contributors
to the economy or within households. The research shows they are
filling in for the hired help their parents can’t afford.
