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Number Of Michigan Farms Operated By Women Has Doubled In 30 Years

DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - The number of Michigan farms operated by women has more than doubled in the last 30 years.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the number of farms run primarily by women grew from around six thousand in 1977 to eight thousand, 275 in 2007, the most recent year for which data is available.

The USDA says there is an increased opportunity for women in this agricultural field.

"I started volunteering in farms as a way for me to travel and I was also curious about food and where it came from," Emily Freeh, 31, manager of nonprofit Community Based Intervention's Giving Tree Farm told the Lansing State Journal. "Then, I realized I liked it more and more and didn't want to stop doing it."

It's due mainly to the growth of so-called small-scale farming. Two-thirds of Michigan farms with less than 50 acres are operated by women.

 The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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