Figures show Ohio ranks high in farms run by women - WBTV 3 News, Weather, Sports, and Traffic for Charlotte, NC

CLEVELAND (AP) - Ohio ranks high in the increasing number of farms run by women.

The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer (bit.ly/17Pc7pP) says statistics studied by the U.S. Department of Agriculture from 2007 census figures show a big change in farm operations.

Now there are nearly three times as many women farmers as there were 30 years ago. In three decades, women have gone from 5% of all farmers to 14%.

The numbers show Ohio ranking among the top 10 states with 29,060 women farm operators and 9,127 principal farm operators.

Sharon Sachs, who helps run central Ohio's WomenFarm consulting and support group, thinks the trend will continue.

She expects an analysis due out in 2014 will show even stronger data for women running farms.

Information from: The Plain Dealer, http://www.cleveland.com

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