Bl2—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 17,1982
More women joining U.S. agricultural research programs
CEDAR RAPIDS, lOWA -
Karolyn Ely enjoys baking.
There’s nothing unusual about
that.
But the “micro” loaves of bread
she bakes in her Hutchinson,
Kansas, laboratory wouldn’t go far
at the supper table. Each weighs 10
grams, a third of an ounce.
Ely is a cereal chemist, a
researcher who plays an important
role in development of new wheat
varieties which will help American
farmers meet increasing demand
for high-quality food grams. She
tests and evaluates milling and
baking qualities of experimental
wheats developed by Pioneer Hi-
Bred International, Inc., plant
breeders.
Eljralso is one of the growing
number of women who hold top
positions in agricultural research.
Female representation in
agricultural research and
development programs is on the
rise today, just as it is in other
farm-related occupations.
There are several reasons why
university officials believe this
trend will continue.
More women are working out
side the home, increasing the pool
of available workers for jobs in all
sectors of American education,
business and industry. Legal and
cultural changes that have oc
curred in the past two decades also
have opened the doors for women
to enter “non-traditional” careers.
On top of that, agriculture today
is an attractive industry. Food
production will take on increasing
importance as world population
grows; some experts believe that
food will play the same role m the
1900 s and ’9os that oil played in the
19705.
Finally, enrollment by women in
agriculture-related college majors
skyrocketed during the last
decade. Women accounted for
about 2 percent of the total
enrollment m agricultural schools
in 1969. The proportion had risen to
30 percent by 1977. Total
enrollment in agriculture majors
has declined smce it peaked that
year, but the percentage of women
has remained nearly constant.
Those women who continued
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their studies at the graduate level
are starting to enter the job
market, armed with master’s and
doctoral degrees and prepared for
demanding technical professions.
“We’re just now beginning to see
women apply for faculty positions
at the Ph.D. level,” says Louis M.
Thompson, associate dean of
agriculture at lowa State
University. “It will take five or 10
years before we really begin to see
a significant number of women
faculty members in agricultural
schools.”
However, neither Thompson nor
Rick Daluge, assistant dean of
agriculture at the University of
Wisconsin, foresee a dramatic
increase in the number of women
available for high-level research
jobs, either at public institutions or
in agribusiness.
“There simply aren’t that many
women doing advanced work m
agriculture-related majors,”
Daluge says.
The numbers back him up.
Though surveys show women now
account for about 30 percent of
total agriculture school
enrollment, less than 5 percent of
the ag school graduate students
are women.
That’s why there are relatively
few women with agricultural
research jobs like Karolyn Ely’s.
She is one of four women who hold
high-level positions in the Pioneer
Plant Breeding Division, the Des
Moines, lowa-based company’s
research and development unit.
“I’ve always liked plant
sciences, but when I was going to
school m the ’6os my interests were
in more traditional areas of study
for women,” says Ely.
A native of Kansas, she has a
master’s degree in food and
nutrition research from Kansas
State University. She joined the
research staff at Hutchinson in
1970. Her job is the only one of its
kind in the Pioneer research
program, primarily because of the
crop with which she works.
“Wheat is unusual among the
major grains because it is used
primarily for human foods rather
than animal feed and must meet
unique quality criteria,” she ex
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plains. “Just as farmers are in
terested in yield, disease
resistance and straw strength,
millers and food processors are
interested in protein content, test
weight and flour yield.”
Ely’s job is demanding,
especially because she has such
small amounts of gram to test.
“We’re examining wheats from
breeding programs, so we often
have only a small sample to work
with,” she says. “Many of our
quality tests and the equipment we
use are designed for these small
samples, so we can begin testing
during early generations.”
Whether a new variety will
continue m the testing program
depends largely on Ely’s quality
assessment. If an experimental
line can’t meet minimum stan
dards, there’s little use investing
time in further development. If
processors can’t use the new
wheat, there’s no market for it and
farmers won’t plant it.
“My work is challenging, and it’s
also very interesting,” says Ely.
“Every wheat line has its unique
characteristics; I enjoy finding out
what they are.”
Another Purdue graduate is Lou
Nash, manager of the Pioneer
alfalfa research station at Lit
chfield, Michigan. Nash, who is
completing her master’s thesis at
Purdue, received a bachelor’s
degree in general science and
education there and managed a
laboratory for a chemical com
pany in Omaha, Nebraska, for
three years before returning to
continue her post-graduate
studies.
She joined Pioneer in March 1961
to establish the alfalfa station.
“My work involves testing and
evaluation in the development of
alfalfa varieties,” Nash explains.
“I have test plots at Litchfield, at
Marlette in the Michigan ‘thumb,’
and at Tipton, Indiana. I spend a
lot of tune on the road, especially
in the summer. I enjoy the mobility
and flexibility of my job. I can be
out with people when I want to be,
but I also can work by myself when
I want to.”
Nash and the other researchers
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say the fact that they are women in
jobs traditionally dene by men has
caused them few problems.
“Sometimes mechanics at the
local garage have a hard time
believing I’m the station manager
when I bring in the forage har
vester for repairs,” say Nash.
“But there’smo problem with the
Companies. They accept you for
your talents expenence and expect
you to do the job. And having
people available as backup in
formation sources is a big help.”
“Whether you’re a male or a
Red Rose announces judging results
Carol Gmder placed second and
third in individual judging.
LANCASTER - The Red Rose 4-
H Beef Club held their April 7
meeting at the Farm and Home
Center to announce results of their
practice judging meet at Penn
State.
The junior team consisting of
Michelle Dean, Fritz Frey, Carol
Gmder, and Emily Weaver took
first place
4-H exchangee goes
to United
DOYLESTOWN - Virginia
Walton, 21, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Harvey Walton, Doylestown,
departed for the United Kingdom
on April 15 as a selected
representative of the International
4-H Youth Exchange Program.
Walton will spend six months
living for two weeks at a tune with
approximately 12 different host
families in England, Scotland and
Wales, while gaming better
knowledge of the customs and
establishing good will relation
ships between people.
The International 4-H Youth
Exchange Program is sponsored
by the National 4-H Council,
Washington, D.C. and the Penn
State Cooperative Extension
Service.
Locally, the Bucks County IF YE
committee supports the
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female is not an issue,” adds
Albertsen. “You’re treated as
another professional in the
business.”
According to Ely, “What’s
happening in agribusiness is a
reflection of what has happened in
society. People are taught to live
up to their potential, and there’s
less emphasis on what were
traditionally men’s jobs or
women’s jobs.
“And that’s the way it should
be.”
Speaker for" the evening was
Gregg Cougar, former herdsman
at Perdue University. His topic
was “Feeding and Caring for Show
Steers.”
The next meeting is scheduled
for May 5.
Kingdom
representatives and raises money
for the exchange. In the past 19
years, Bucks County has had 10
young people travel to foreign
countries with this program.
Walton was selected as an IF YE
representative on the basis of her
leadership abilities and 4-H par
ticipation. A member of Danboro 4-
H for nine years, Walton served as
club president, 4-H camp coun
selor, and crafts teen leader.
Currently, a nurse’s aide at
Doylestown Manor Nursing Home,
Walton graduated from Central
Bucks West High School, and at
tended Penn State University.
Walton will be returning to tb '
United States on approximately '
October 25, after which tune she
will be sharing her expenences
with community groups and
organizations.
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APRIL 17
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