ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the key questions of how good farmer identities are gendered and whether the good farmer construct reinforces traditional gender roles, thus contributing to the invisibility of women on farms. To do this we first explore how gender is (and often is not) addressed within the ‘good farmer literature’. We then identify the historic and contemporary symbols of ‘good farming’ associated with women, in relation to mechanisation, animals, domestic manufactures, hospitality, and political activity. We consider competing ‘masculine’ visions of success in farming, the development of arguably more ‘feminine’ approaches to farming, and the expression of gender identity within non-traditional farm household compositions. We conclude with suggestions for future directions for gender and good farming research.
