The 120th West Alexander Fair swung its gates open on Monday, offering the familiar sights of home‑canned goods, crocheted hats, sweaters and baked treats that families cherish each year. This year, fair organizers added a meaningful new feature: the “International Year of the Woman Farmer” exhibit, a tribute to the women who quietly power our local food system.
Honoring Unsung Heroes
Fair queen coordinator Denise Leigh explained, “We wanted to celebrate women in agriculture. Women are often overlooked for their roles in agriculture, but they are the unsung heroes who get food on the table for families across Washington County.” The exhibit displays pocket‑shaped pennants shaped like jean pockets, each bearing the name and photo of a local woman farmer who has contributed to the county’s farms.
The exhibit aligns with the United Nations’ declaration of 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer, a global acknowledgment of the critical, yet frequently under‑recognized, contributions of women to food production.
Recent Fair Highlights for Women
Earlier this spring, the fair hosted a Denim and Diamonds Ladies Night Gala, during which the inaugural Women in Agriculture Diamond Awards were presented. Farmer HP Shriver of Shriver Beef Farm and Dr. Becky Grusenmeyer, a large‑animal veterinarian, were honored for their dedication, leadership and service to the agricultural community.
“I bawled when I found out I won,” Shriver said, recalling her upbringing on her parents’ Litman Dairy Farm. She added, “I still get up at 5 a.m. every morning and don’t go to bed until 10:30 or 11 p.m. It wears you out, but the alarm clock goes off and you’re still motivated to do it. I think it’s bred into you.”
Dr. Grusenmeyer, a graduate of Ohio State University with more than 45 years of veterinary practice, recently earned an honor‑roll membership in the American Veterinary Medical Association. She noted that the international focus on women’s role in agriculture is “long overdue” and emphasized that women bring a gentler, more patient approach to farming.
Women’s Impact on Food Production
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, women produce more than 50% of the world’s food, and in some regions that figure climbs to 80%. Pennsylvania’s Governor’s Advisory Commission on Women reports that women account for 35% of the Commonwealth’s agricultural producers, and two‑thirds of students at Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences are women.
One of those students, Ashlynn Mankey, serves as this year’s West Alexander Fair Queen. A freshman majoring in animal science with a focus on cattle embryology, Mankey highlighted the rarity of farming in America—fewer than 2% of the U.S. population are farmers—and expressed pride in the women who shape the industry.
“Serving as the 2025 West Alexander Fair Queen during the International Year of the Woman Farmer has been one of the most deeply meaningful honors of my life,” Mankey said. “It allows me to celebrate the strength, grit, and legacy of the women who feed our community. They are entrepreneurs, land stewards, innovators, and community leaders. Here in Pennsylvania, women in agriculture are farming smaller parcels, public lands, and conservation easements. They lead with sustainability, resilience, and vision.”
Visit the Exhibit
The “Honoring the Woman Farmer” exhibit will be on display for the duration of the fair, which runs through September 12. Visitors are encouraged to explore the photographs, learn the stories of local women who tend the fields, and recognize the vital role they play in sustaining families and preserving the heritage of Washington County.
By shining a spotlight on these dedicated women, the West Alexander Fair not only celebrates a global United Nations initiative but also reinforces the timeless values of hard work, family stewardship, and community pride that define our region.
Original reporting: Herald-Standard – latest news for Uniontown, Pennsylvania — read the source article.
