Over the next six months, fifteen of our Young Farming Champions will be featured in the AGWomen Global initiative. Like the Australian Invisible Farmer project, AGWomen Global will profile different women, making an impact in the primary industries, no matter the level of their contribution. A huge kudos to both these organisations for creating an opportunity to celebrate success and share the stories of women who help to shape the agriculture sector.
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We believe that everyone has a story. Most peoples first response is “I’m not that interesting” – but we all have a different journey and role to play in such an awesome industry. If you are part of the primary industries in any way we want to hear from you. All that’s required is a big smile, lots of enthusiasm and the willingness to tell us your story.
#YFC Jess Lehmann , Laura Phelps, Bessie Thomas, Peta Bradley ,Emma Ayliffe, Rebecca Thistlethwaite, Kirsty McCormack , Melissa Henry, Dione Howard, Jo Newton , Casey Onus Anika Molesworth and Sharna Holman have launched the Young Farming Champions stories
Everyone can get involved and its a great opportunity for women in agriculture to drill down to WHY they love what they doTo coincide with the AGWomen stories, Grass Roots Media has launched an Instagram account – @AgWomen.
This is how some of our Young Farming Champions shared their WHY with the world
“I’m a nurturer – I love caring for my sheep, being responsible for the decisions that impact their wellbeing and productivity. I’m proud of the product that we produce – clean naturally coloured fleeces that go on to be handspun and felted into beautiful items. I love going into the paddock and recognising each of their faces, and it is very satisfying to see our lambs go on to good homes, either as breeders or as a spinner’s flock.” Melissa Henry
“I am immensely fortunate to work in agriculture and live in rural Australia. I wake listening to magpies warbling in the morning. I get to see wind rippling wheat fields. I am researching the latest technology to help farmers manage their soil and water resources more efficiently, so more crop can be grown with less footprint on the environment. I check over lambs, wade through rice paddies in Cambodia, ride horses, and at the end of the day I get to watch the sun set over an unobstructed horizon. I can’t imagine any other line of work I’d rather be in.”
“When you spend some time in the outback, or on any farm, you develop a deep sense of familiarity with the landscape and the life it holds. The water in the creek, shrubs growing in the paddock, and the grazing sheep, are not resources to be exploited, but become intrinsic parts of your home; each component adding value to a whole system, and the farmer plays a pivotal role in that. I love what I do, because I get to witness the amazing interaction between life on farms, to study it and help share new knowledge.” Anika Molesworth
“My world is hundreds of kilometres of pure earth and sky. Each time I watch our sheep file through the landscape towards the dam for a drink I think about why I am doing what I do and why I love it. For me, it is the wonder of watching the world evolve at the hands of Mother Nature and being close enough to hear her speak. It is the pleasure of knowing our animals are constantly cared for to best of our ability. It is the satisfaction of a hard day’s work, always striving to provide positive environmental and animal welfare outcomes, and making the best decisions to build our business. It is knowing our healthy, happy sheep are growing a beautifully natural, sustainable, eco-friendly, versatile, quality product from just rain, grass, sunshine, and team work. I am here, doing what we do, because every day I spend nurturing the growth of a fibre that so honestly reflects our world at its most pristine, is a day I can be proud of.” Bessie Thomas
“Land is a non-renewable resource and with the growing global population I think precision agriculture holds the key to helping farmers meet the demand in the future. I love seeing the positive change I can create in my clients’ businesses by adjusting the way they manage their farming practices. Working with several clients across a range of very different operations gives me the opportunity to see what does and does not work. This enables me to come up with creative solutions, collaborating ideas from both cropping and livestock worlds instead of staying inside the box.” Casey Onus
“I am incredibly spoilt, getting to experience the challenging but satisfying world of teaching high school students, while soaking up the lifestyle of agriculture by living on my family’s farm. I am a huge advocate for education; what opportunities it can open for the individual but also what impacts it has on the community as a whole. The more informed we are and the more we thirst for understanding, the more we can interact in harmony and create a supportive environment for all. I enjoy interacting with our youth on a daily basis and encouraging a love for education, but I also love the opportunity to go home and learn something about stock or machinery or land health on a daily basis from my parents. As my Dad likes to say “a day when you haven’t learnt something is a day wasted” and I guess this quote has really shaped my life and what I enjoy.” Hannah Barber
If you want to share your WHY with the world contact Anna at AgWomen Global
E: admin@agwomenglobal.com
“I do what I do because I love helping people and I find plants truly amazing. Understanding how a crop grows and how our management influences the quality and quantity at harvest is an exciting process. To be constantly learning, evolving our management techniques and evaluating what we do as advisers means we are able to see the growers we work with achieve year on year. To be able to get up and spend my days outside in the sunshine dealing with some of the most resilient and inspirational people means I will never have to work a day in my life!” Emma Ayliffe
