See also: Outstanding in their field (Quicktime, 1 min 45 sec)
Paul Pfotenhauer, producer; Ken Zukin, videographer
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Ag economist says women embrace risk to farm and ranch in California
Pat Meade of Yolo County has been an air traffic controller, a flight instructor and a software engineer. But for the past dozen years she's been challenging herself in a different field.
She owns and manages West Valley Alpacas in Esparto with her husband, Jon Robbins.
It's women like Meade that UC Davis agricultural economist Desmond Jolly says are providing new kinds of products by bringing leadership and innovation to agriculture.
Jolly recently retired from his long-time position as director of the Uhiversity of California's Small Farm Center, which manages a program to encourage women in agriculture. The center has published a book called "Outstanding in Their Fields: California's Women Farmers" that profiles 17 women who have undertaken a variety of adventures in agriculture.
Says Jolly, "If you look at the diversity that's occurred in the last 20 years with our farmers' markets and with the new kinds of products that you can buy here, and eat here, and prepare here, and enjoy, a lot of that came about because of women."