Fitting in and standing firm: New, alternative women farmers in Australia and the Netherlands

ABSTRACT How is hegemonic agriculture produced, reproduced and challenged at the mesosocial level? We explore this question by examining the experiences of 37 farmers in Australia and the Netherlands who are ‘other’ in hegemonic agriculture: They are women, new to farming and engaged in alternative agriculture. Their experience of navigating their otherness in traditional mesosocial agricultural spaces demonstrates that masculinity, productivism and longevity in agriculture remain co‐constructive of hegemonic agriculture. By repeating ritualised performances of masculinity, layering communication about alternative agricultural practices onto existing rural scripts and demonstrating a commitment to their rural community, these women attempted to gain acceptance as legitimate farmers. It was only the norms of longevity in agriculture and commitment to community that expanded to allow a degree of acceptance for this cohort. Their embodiment as women and use of alternative, non‐industrial production systems continued to position them as marginal. This paper deepens our understanding of how hegemony may be maintained by making access to the resources required to challenge hegemony dependent upon performances within the discursive matrix.