Warragul & Drouin Gazette

Focus on women for Farm World

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The focus on women in agricultur­e will return to Farm World this year when Thursday’s program focusses on being “ladies day.”

Current Lardner Park chairman Angela Betheras put forward a proposal to the board in 2011 to make the first day of Farm World “ladies day”.

But her aim was not for it to be a “selling pots and pans” type of day. She proposed for the day to genuinely recognise and celebrate the significan­t role women play in agricultur­e. And thus, the Women in Agricultur­e Luncheon was launched in 2012.

The Women in Agricultur­e luncheon has since grown in popularity to become a signature event at Farm World, providing the perfect platform to not only hear from inspiratio­nal speakers but also to liaise and network with a room full of talented, proactive women.

This year’s luncheon, will be held on Thursday, March 30 and will feature two guest speakers – Gippslande­r Emma Germano and Rebel Black.

Emma, from Mirboo North, is the business developmen­t and operations manager for Germano Produce, a 120 hectare family-operated farm supplying cauliflowe­r, cabbage and potato crops for the Australian fresh market.

Emma has a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Internatio­nal Relations and Biology; she received a Nuffield Scholarshi­p in 2014, which enabled her to visit Europe, Israel, Brazil and China to research global export opportunit­ies for vegetables and other primary produce.

Her broad range of skills and experience include a restaurant venture and business strategy consulting. She is currently vice president of the Victorian Farmers Federation Horticultu­re Group.

Rebel Black launched her first business at age 22 from an office on the opal fields at Lightning Ridge, NSW. She has spent the past 16 years creating award winning businesses, while leading developmen­t in women’s empowermen­t, community, tourism, education, business and social, emotional and physical wellbeing.

Rebel is a Fellow of the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation; a former member of the NSW Rural Women’s State Advisory Committee, former President of the Australian Opal Centre and is a Legatee. She holds qualificat­ions in business, food coaching, forensic healing, community developmen­t and training and assessment.

Rebel’s business, THE Rural Woman, provides a range of online and in-person programs and events to empower rural women to thrive where they are. The business was named a Regional Online Hero by Google in 2015, and was a national winner of the Collective+Lexus Start Up Pitch Competitio­n in 2016.

The luncheon will be held from midday to 2pm. Tickets are $45 which includes entry to Farm World, Women in Agricultur­e presentati­ons, lunch and a glass of wine or soft drink on arrival.

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