Girls are Farmers too
Another post in our call to arms to address this question recently posted by the ABC story “Women are farmers too, so why don’t we hear them more? “Found here http://blogs.abc.net.au/rural/2011/06/women-are-farmers-too-so-why-dont-we-hear-them-more.html
The Art4Agriculture network was formed with a key objective to reverse this trend
In fact our vision is an Australia wide network of enthusiastic, inspirational young farming professionals who can confidently
- Share their stories and have two way conversations with urban communities to help bridge the gap between city and rural communities by increasing knowledge, generating trust and understanding of modern farming practices.
- Promote Australian agriculture as a dynamic, innovative,
rewarding and vibrant industry and a great career choice.
Whilst it was certainly not our intention our network is currently all female and
believe us we are working hard to rectify this Com’on guys give us a ring we will welcome you with open arms.
Back to question posed by the ABC story we are very proud to say Art4Agriculture team of young farming champions is NOT microphone shy. Pivotally they are committed to building momentum and creating the necessary critical mass to reverse this trend by inspiring other farming women to join their ranks. But as I said guys can be agriculture advocates too and we look equally forward to convincing them they can do it just as well
as us.
As a testimonial to the power of AGvocacy Art4Agriculture Young Farming Champion “Farmer Steph” has now visited all her Archibull Prize schools and found the experience exhilarating.
Here are some highlights in her own words from her school visits.
“At the primary school I was talking to 85 Yr 5/6 students. The children asked
so so so many questions with hardly a topic not explored! A teacher had even
prepped a boy to ask if I was looking for a husband but the student was away, thankfully!
I had questions that were easy to answer and some not so easy
Such as “what happens to a calf if it is born with a disability”, “how do cows have babies”, “what if that hurts coming out”, “do cows fart” haha
The children were really interested in asking questions but also telling me about their farm experiences.
I was also told that “your too pretty to be a farmer”, “me and my friends like your shoes” and not just by the students but I was also invited to the staff room for recess
and told by many teachers “oh you’re not what I was expecting a farmer too
look like” and “oh not all farmers are men”. The hour and twenty minutes I had with them flew past and was not long enough to answer all the questions so they would like me to visit again!
The high school I visited doesn’t offer Ag as a subject so I was talking to creative
arts students from all years. The students were similar to the primary school
in that they asked lots of questions although some a little more serious around
topics of how much farmers earn, price we are paid for milk, is university
essential for farmers, and received lots of comments about how the media
portrays a really different image to what I represented. They all told me I
wasn’t what they were expecting when they were told a farmer was coming to talk
to them and one girl told me she had never known farmers could be girls!
P.S They also loved my shoes! haha
Visiting the schools has proved to be a real highlight of my farming journey and I am confident all the Young Farming Champions will enjoy their Archibull Prize school visits just as much as I did ! “
See the video “Farmer Steph” created for the school visits here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Pbkxc6QUOo
and her Powerpoint Presentation can be found here
http://www.slideshare.net/art4agriculture/farms-girls-have-fun-too