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The Case for Tractor Farming

By Audrey Kolde, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist

My experience in farming started at the hand-tool scale. I enjoy the physical labor, that tangible connection to the land. But years of repetitive movement have started to catch up with me. My love of farming hasn’t changed as the aches and pains have increased—in fact, it has grown. I want to produce even more food to feed my community. I want to grow crops that are calorie- and nutrient-dense, and store well, like beans, winter squash, sweet potatoes, and dent corn—but these require a lot of land. They are cornerstones of the American diet that small-scale gardens often can’t keep up with.

With these crops in mind, my farming partner and I have started the journey to transition part of our land to tractor farming. It is a work in progress. As two women running a farm, we started to think more about why more women aren’t transitioning from small- to mid-scale operations. Women represent 9% of primary farmers in small-scale farms ($100,000-$350,000) and 5% of primary farmers in mid-scale operations ($350,000-$1,000,000). Women have continued farming in small-scale and traditional systems that involve a lot of manual labor and require physical strength. However, mechanization and technology like tractors offer women the chance to broaden their opportunities in agriculture.

Increase Productivity
One major reason to adopt tractor farming is that it makes it possible to cultivate larger areas in less time, with less hired help, and less backbreaking work. Mechanizing tasks like bed shaping, planting, and cultivation is game-changing. Using tractors increases productivity and efficiency, leading to bigger harvests, better quality produce, and access to lucrative markets that require a larger volume of products.

Improve Profitability
Tractors can make it easier for women to grow their businesses and achieve financial independence, helping to close the gender gap in agricultural productivity and land ownership. According to the 2012 Farm Census, female farmers in the United States earn about 40% less than male farmers. As women earn more, they can reinvest in their businesses by buying more equipment, diversifying their crops, or improving how they market their products. This economic freedom allows women to become successful agricultural entrepreneurs.

Improve Farmer Health
One of the biggest benefits of using a tractor for me is that it reduces the need for so much heavy (and expensive, if hired out) manual labor. I am all too aware of the back pain that planting, weeding, and harvesting crops can lead to. By using tractors, women can better manage their health while increasing their farm’s productivity. Tasks you wouldn’t immediately think of, like moving tarps and weights, are much easier with tractors. I once even moved a walk-behind tractor with a riding tractor.

Improve Conservation Practices
As an added bonus, tractors have so many attachments that can help with conservation practices. Proper tilling and cultivation help with pest management. No-till drills and roller crimpers make cover cropping easier. And the world of precision farming methods, like GPS and sensors, save water, use fewer chemicals, and enhance crop yields with less environmental harm.

Barriers
Unlike seed packets and wheel hoes, financing tractors costs more than a pretty penny. Tractors require capital to purchase, rent, or borrow. Women will likely need to find financial help through affordable loans from institutions such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency, Women’s Business Center, or the Small Business Administration, or grants through organizations like USDA Rural Development, National Women’s Business Council, RAFI, and American Farmland Trust’s Brighter Future Fund.

Another barrier is knowledge. Tractor operation is a skill that can be intimidating to learn. Organizations like NCAT and Extension Services are trying to overcome this barrier by training new farmers on how to operate tractors, maintain equipment, and use sustainable practices. Experienced farmers are also an invaluable source of knowledge, and now is the time for those skilled in using tractors to pass their knowledge on to the next generation. The generational transition in farming is coming, and our ability to maintain a steady food supply will require a smooth transition, passing the torch to well-trained hands.

Conclusion
Tractors, used responsibly, can turn more acres into productive, sustainable land, reducing food insecurity and improving the local economy in communities. By overcoming a few barriers, women farmers can improve their profitability and increase their chances of long-term health and success.

ATTRA Resources

Maintaining Your Tractor – Building Your Toolbox

Scaling Up Your Vegetable Farm for Regional Markets

Equipment and Tools for Small-Scale Intensive Crop Production

NCAT Highlights Safety Resources During Farm Safety and Health Week

Other Resources

American Farmland Trust’s Research into Women in Agriculture

The State of Gender Equity in U.S. Agriculture (pdf)

Sources

Dentzman, K. and Lewin, P. (2024), A Fair Comparison: Women’s and Men’s Farms at Seven Scales in the United States. Rural Sociology, 89: 3-39. https://doi.org/10.1111/ruso.12512https://doi.org/10.1111/ruso.12512 

Schmidt, C., Goetz, S. J., & Tian, Z. (2021). Female farmers in the United States: Research needs and policy questions. Food Policy, 102039. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2021.102039  

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The Legacy and Future of Small Farms

By Mike Lewis, NCAT Senior Manager, Southeast and Appalachia Region

In the past century, the number of farmers in the U.S. has declined dramatically. Small farms, once the heart and soul of rural America, have been squeezed out by a system that prioritizes economies of scale over community well-being. Consolidation of land and resources has made it nearly impossible for smaller operations to compete. The result has been more than a loss of livelihoods; it has been a profound loss of identity for countless communities across the country.

This loss runs deeper than economics. For generations, small farms were not just places of work—they were centers of life. They anchored rural towns, fostered innovation, and built tight-knit networks of support and resilience. Farmers leaned on one another, sharing tools, wisdom, and stories passed down through the ages. In many ways, these farms were the lifeblood of rural culture, a thread connecting people to one another and to the land itself. Their decline has left more than empty barns and overgrown fields; it has unraveled the social fabric of communities, leaving schools closed, main streets empty, and once-thriving towns struggling to survive.

The impact on community well-being is stark and far-reaching. The loss of small farms means the loss of shared traditions—harvest festivals, barn raisings, and local markets where neighbors gathered not just to trade goods, but to build relationships. These were places where stories were told, problems were solved, and hope was renewed. Without them, rural communities have seen an increase in isolation, the erosion of mutual support, and the hollowing out of institutions that once brought people together.

Equally devastating is the fading connection between people and the land. Small farms represented more than just a way to earn a living; they embodied a way of life that valued stewardship, humility, and a deep respect for the natural world. This relationship, cultivated over generations, has been lost for many, replaced by a sense of disconnection from the land that once fed, healed, and sustained entire communities.

But this story is not over. Beneath the surface of these struggles lies a quiet determination. Rural people understand what’s at stake—their heritage, their livelihoods, and their future. And amidst the hardships, there are glimmers of hope: farmers working together to reclaim their role as stewards of the land, young people returning to agriculture with a vision of sustainability, and communities fighting to preserve what remains of their unique way of life.

By supporting small-scale farmers, whether they’ve been farming for generations, or whether they are new to the profession, we can honor the legacy of small farmers, protect the land, and rebuild the resilience of rural communities. Every purchase at a local farmers market, every voice raised for fair agricultural policies, and every effort to connect with the origins of our food helps ensure a future where small farms thrive once again.

The time to act is now. The values of small farms—stewardship, care, and community—are not just relics of the past but guiding lights for a sustainable future. Together, we can cultivate a world where rural communities flourish, the land is cherished, and every field tells a story of hope and renewal. Let us choose to support the farmers who are working to build this better tomorrow, one seed, one harvest, and one community at a time.