Photo credit: Women in Agribusiness.
Women in Agribusiness has named four recipients of its 2026 WIA Demeter Award of Excellence, the organization’s highest honor recognizing women for exceptional professional performance and contributions to agribusiness.
The 2026 honorees are Krysta Harden, president and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council; Dr. Magan Lewis, senior director of Innovation & Enterprise Operations at Bayer Crop Science; Emily Metz, president and CEO of the American Egg Board; and Terri Hawbaker, owner of Grazeway Dairy Farms. Hawbaker is the first recipient of the new Female Farmer of the Year category, created in celebration of the International Year of the Woman Farmer.
Now in its 14th year, the Demeter Award, named for the Greek goddess of the harvest, has recognized more than 40 women for professional achievements and efforts to advance opportunities for women throughout the food and agriculture value chain.
The four recipients were selected from more than 60 nominations, with some individuals receiving as many as five nominations. They will be recognized during the 2026 Women in Agribusiness Summit, scheduled for Sept. 22-24 in New Orleans.
Krysta Harden
Harden, of New Alexandria, Virginia, is the first woman to lead the U.S. Dairy Export Council. She directs the organization's global strategy, which helped drive U.S. dairy exports to roughly $9.6 billion in 2025.
The daughter of southwest Georgia peanut farmers, Harden has spent more than four decades working across agriculture, sustainability and public policy. She previously served as U.S. deputy secretary of agriculture, where she led a workforce of more than 100,000 and oversaw implementation of the 2014 Farm Bill. She later served as chief sustainability officer at Corteva and DuPont and as executive vice president at Dairy Management Inc.
Harden has advocated for women in agriculture throughout her career. Her efforts include helping modernize the U.S. Census of Agriculture, launching USDA's Women in Agriculture Mentoring Network and supporting the United Nations designation of 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer.
She also hosts the USDEC video podcast "Voices from the Barn," which has reached more than 7,000 listeners. Harden serves on multiple national boards and is a National 4-H Hall of Fame inductee.
Terri Hawbaker
Hawbaker founded Grazeway Dairy Farms in Pewamo, Michigan, with her late husband, Rick, in 2002. The operation has grown into a diversified 337-acre farm with a 150-cow milking herd, 70 replacement cattle and grass-finished beef.
Her seasonal, pasture-based dairy model has helped reduce costs while supporting sustainability. The operation has received multiple Grade A Perfect Score awards, two Outstanding Performance awards and four Bronze Quality awards, along with recognition including the Outstanding Young Dairy Cooperator and Young Farmer Achievement Award.
For the past decade, Hawbaker has raised and homeschooled her five children as a widow while continuing to expand the farm.
She also has worked to support the broader agricultural community by hosting grazing and conservation field days, training international agricultural fellows and holding leadership positions with the American Forage and Grasslands Council, Michigan Forage Council, Michigan Milk Producers Association and GreenStone Farm Credit Services.
Dr. Magan Lewis
Lewis, of the Des Moines, Iowa, area, serves as senior director of Innovation & Enterprise Operations with Bayer Crop Science. With a Ph.D. in plant breeding and genetics and more than 15 years of experience with Corteva Agriscience and Bayer Crop Science, she has led diverse teams through organizational transformation focused on improving efficiency and productivity.
Lewis has emphasized continuous improvement in innovation and collaboration while developing leaders and high-performing teams. Her work also has focused on building inclusive and resilient workplace cultures.
Beyond her corporate role, Lewis has spent more than two decades supporting STEM education, science literacy and mentorship. She has contributed to workforce development initiatives, board service and global advocacy efforts aimed at advancing women in agriculture.
As an AAAS IF/THEN Ambassador, she has become a national advocate for women in STEM and works to encourage future generations to pursue careers in science and agriculture.
Emily Metz
Metz, who is based in the Seattle, Washington, area, has served as president and CEO of the American Egg Board since 2020. She became one of the youngest CEOs in U.S. agricultural commodities at age 32.
A lawyer by training, Metz entered agriculture through a USDA internship that included traveling with then-Under Secretary Dr. Richard Raymond to meet farmers producing food.
During her first 90 days at the American Egg Board, Metz rebuilt its strategic framework around advanced analytics and consumer insights. The organization's efforts now generate more than $10 in net industry revenue for every dollar invested.
Her leadership was tested in 2025 as avian influenza and price volatility increased scrutiny of the egg industry. Metz led the industry's first national crisis response, generating more than 2,500 earned media placements and contributing to a 20-point increase in positive sentiment while consumer trust in eggs and egg farmers remained steady.
Metz also launched the Eggcelerator Lab, the industry's first innovation center. The facility has produced a patented foodservice technology and supported the development of new egg menu items and consumer packaged goods.
Before joining the American Egg Board, Metz held positions with the National Milk Producers Federation, Genus Plc and the Animal Agriculture Alliance.
Source: Women in Agribusiness, "Women in Agribusiness Names 2026 Demeter Award of Excellence Recipients"