On the Question of the Feminization of Production on Part-time Farms: Evidence from Norway1

Abstract The argument that production on part-time farms has been feminized is evaluated using longitudinal and indepth interview data sets from communities throughout Norway. Time-series data suggest that traditional part-time farms are not being reproduced in Norway. Rather, there is a shift toward modern forms of part-time farming; in its most common form, women juggle off-farm, farm, and household work while men farm or combine farming with an off-farm job. As some women shift or reduce their labor input to the farm, others opt to become independent female farmers. What has emerged is an increasing number of two-career households with male and, less frequently, female farmers whose working spouses contribute some labor to die farm. In all cases, women continue to do most, if not all, of the domestic housework.