In California agriculture, leadership does not always arrive with a microphone. More often, it shows up before sunrise, in work boots, with a field plan in hand and a season’s worth of decisions already underway.

This recognition is about more than visibility. It is about acknowledging the real and growing role women play in producing food, sustaining communities, and helping agriculture adapt for the future.

California is home to more women producers than any other major agricultural state, and women now contribute at every level of the food system, from farm management and operations to research, workforce leadership, sustainability, and business strategy.

In the strawberry industry, that leadership is especially visible in the places that matter most: the field, the workforce, and the community.

California strawberries are already a remarkable story. More than 300 family farms produce nearly 90 percent of the nation’s strawberries on less than 1 percent of California farmland. The industry supports more than 50,000 jobs across nearly 30 career paths and keeps 95 cents of every farm dollar close to home, helping sustain local businesses and working families.

But those numbers only tell part of the story.

Behind them are women helping guide daily operations, manage teams, care for workers, invest in innovation, and carry family farms forward into a more demanding agricultural future.

Spotlighting Leadership Across the Field and Beyond

Women strawberry farmers in California are cultivating stewardship through farming practices grounded in a deep sense of responsibility to the land and to future generations. They are expanding opportunity within an industry that has opened meaningful pathways to leadership, ownership, and upward mobility.

Today, a majority of strawberry growers are Latino, many of whom began as field workers — reflecting resilience, expertise, and the power of inclusive growth. And they are strengthening community in the towns and regions where strawberry farming is not only an economic driver, but an integral part of daily life and cultural identity.

These International Year of the Woman Farmer honorees reflect that leadership in practice, each bringing a distinct story of service, expertise and commitment to California strawberry farming. They represent the countless other women across the industry whose hard work and dedication continue to make an extraordinary impact on the future of strawberry farming.

Lorena Chavez, CFO, DL Farm Management Inc., is a second-generation strawberry farmer from Santa Maria who has spent her life in the industry, helping oversee both administrative and field operations while navigating the demands of a highly regulated business.

She also made history as the first woman chair of the California Strawberry Commission, a milestone that reflects both her leadership and her commitment to opening doors for other women in agriculture.

Dr. Shashika Hewavitharna, associate professor of plant pathology-Plant Sciences Department, Cal Poly Strawberry Center, is a plant pathologist whose work focuses on strawberry disease diagnostics, early detection of emerging pathogens, and sustainable disease management.

Through her research, teaching, and student mentorship, she is helping strengthen the industry while preparing the next generation of agricultural leaders.

Dr. Hillary Q. Thomas, research and technical director at Naturipe Berry Growers, is a leader in strawberry research and innovation whose career has focused on solving complex production challenges, advancing sustainability, and helping agriculture adapt to change.

With experience spanning science, policy, and applied field research, she has also dedicated significant time to mentoring young professionals entering the industry.

Mayra Paniagua, owner and strawberry grower at Golden State Farms, is a second-generation strawberry farmer.

After graduating college with a degree in business administration and accounting, Paniagua returned to the Central Coast to lead the family farm that was started by her parents in 1997.

Mayra believes that with hard work anybody can achieve their dreams. She says, “El sol sale par todo el mundo,” which means, “The sun comes out for everybody.”

Leadership That Reflects the Strength of the Industry

The California Strawberry Commission’s recognition of these women is not symbolic. It reflects a broader truth about modern agriculture in this state: women are not standing at the margins of the industry. They are helping lead it.

At a time when California agriculture faces pressure from costs, regulation, labor challenges, and resource constraints, it matters to highlight the people bringing resilience, expertise, and long-term thinking to the work.

Women in California strawberry farming are doing that every day. They are helping ensure that family farming remains strong, that communities remain connected to the land, and that one of the state’s most iconic crops continues to reflect both excellence and heart.

The International Year of the Woman Farmer gives California a chance to say plainly what strawberry communities already know: these women are not only growing a crop. They are growing the future.

The commentary, produced in partnership with the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce, was written by Rick Tomlinson, President, California Strawberry Commission.