WASHINGTON D.C. — To kick off Women’s History Month in March, USDA has started a mentoring network for women in agriculture to share stories and tips, and to make connections.

"As I talked to women in my travels, I was asked by women in all walks of agriculture to match them with mentors or peers who could help them. At first I was trying to do it one-on-one, and realized I don’t have the time to do it all myself," said Ag Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden last week.

So, she enlisted the help of her team at USDA and created the Women in Agriculture Mentoring Network. In the first two weeks, almost 500 people signed up, which Harden takes as a positive sign women are interested in the network.

The 2012 Ag Census found one million women work the land and one-third of all farmers are women, accounting for $12.9 billion in ag sales. While Harden had mentors in her family and community at home, she found Washington, D.C., a lonely place when she first arrived as a young female professional.

She believes women like herself need to sometimes look for peers and mentors.

"It’s critical to have mentors ... When I came as a young professional on Capitol Hill, there were not women mentors in (the USDA). I found women mentors in the energy industry who helped me navigate the Washington maze and who came to my confirmation hearing," Harden explained.

More recently, she found peers in women like Pam Johnson, former president of the National Corn Growers Assoc., and Vanessa Kummer, chair of the United Soybean Board. She hopes the ag network will be the first step for women who are returning to the land, starting a new farm or launching their own ag-related career.

Harden has heard many diverse stories from women, including one who said "she’s not just a farm wife" but an equal partner to her husband on the farm – a fact he recognized, but not their neighbors and community.

"She was not taken seriously. That particular email really resonated with women," Harden said.

For Janet Blake, who grows corn and soybeans with husband, Robert, on their land in Alexandria, Ind., farming always has been a partnership. "We work together ... Sometimes I plant beans, and he plants corn, or I combine, and he hauls the grain. We do whatever it takes to get the crop out," Blake said. "We make our decisions together."

Unlike her mother, who mostly stayed in the house to raise children, Blake prefers working outside. While her husband is at his day job, she is outside spraying the crops, working in the barn or whatever needs done that day. She learned her farm know-how from her dad, and shares her experience with children as a 4-H leader.

Harden benefitted from her male bosses who invested in her career.

"It doesn’t always have to be women who mentor us. But it helps to see women succeed in a difficult career. Women have such a big load with raising their families and multiple positions in business and the family," she said.

The field of agriculture is so broad that Harden hopes participants will shape the network to fit their individual needs. She said it’s a platform for participants to ask questions, start specialized groups, read blogs and pick up information.

"It’s a living, growing process. It will evolve. We don’t have all the answers. We want women to help dictate what they need," she said. "As a network, we are still in the infant stages right now."

Although the network is in sync with Women’s History Month, it will continue beyond March. "I hope it’s here long after I’m gone, and will increase over time so that more women in ag recognize they are not alone," Harden added.

To join the network, simply email AgWomenLead@USDA.gov