Time out to support rural women
Dusty cars, trusty utes, musty dog boxes in the car park, with a few trailers and occasional kiddy car seats assured me that I’m in the right place.
An event for women from farms to get off farm was made possible by Beef and Lamb NZ, Rural Support Trust and Rural Women with the aim of ‘‘instilling connectivity and passion into the women of our agricultural sector in the top of the South’’.
Farm wives and partners are often warmly referred to as the ‘‘significant other’’ and this day was significantly called ‘‘Significant You’’.
About 80 women took this generous opportunity for some nice time out and encouragement from a social day, great food with an interesting line-up of speakers.
First presenter, advertised as ‘‘an incredibly witty lady’’, was Julia Jones from Analytics NZX. Her topic was about inspiring a new generation of food producers.
She talked about
understanding global trends and their impact on us. Explaining how the focus now is eating to prevent illness. How a major influence on buying food is perception and the resulting conflicts. A vegan chooses not to eat meat and favours a meatless burger. But the inevitable list of additives in synthetic meals won’t suit many other consumers. Her message is to execute well today and keep one eye on the future.
Values come at the front of value, she says. Farmers are often told that we need to tell our story better and Julia’s good advice is that it’s not ‘‘stories’’ that build trust but telling the truth that does. I reckon we are good at that. She encouraged us to focus on what we can control, not to get ground down and don’t take ‘‘diversity of thought’’ personally.
Julia said that there was a rural-urban divide but we needed to remain united as farmers and not compound the problem by creating a ruralrural divide, for example, over issues between dairy and sheep farmers. Her final words were that we need to have faith that there are many people working hard for the future, protecting what generations to come will be proud of.
Then down from Manawatu was the next speaker who calls herself an ‘‘agvocate’’ for our industry. Anna Bailey from Grassroots Media talked about using social media to positively promote primary industries.
This is something I am not good at. Anna touched on some tech facts astonishing to me. The average yearly growth of the world population is 1.1 per cent but the increase of social media use is 10 per cent yearly.
In New Zealand, 4.7 million people have 133 per cent phone ownership with 6.3 million mobile subscriptions.
In an average day a person spends nearly six hours on internet, plus 1 hour 45 minutes on social media, plus two hours 42 minutes watching TV, plus nearly an hour streaming music. An astounding total of 11 hours.
I simply couldn’t find that time or inclination so I am extremely below average here. This is something I honestly don’t understand, but helpful stuff for women who are marketing online. Apparently there is a feel-good factor generated by ‘‘likes’’ and comments which stimulates dopamine and ‘‘cuddles’’. I’ll stick to the real thing any day.
Lunch was an ‘‘amazing grazing’’ spread enjoyed by all. Any meal we don’t make ourselves is appreciated.
Final speaker was a Nelson lady who told her good story of farming, working as a classer in wool stores, being part of building local community and creating beautiful art work. Cindy Hutton’s canvasses capture rural and on display were wonderful detailed paintings with paddocks, mountains, children and sheep.
I can identify with those and for me they generate more feelgood hormone than any screen.
Back home and back to work. Wet days, stormy nights. Slushy yards. Mud splattered on clothes and face chasing sheep up for dagging. Cooking tea on the fire tonight as the power is off. A satisfying confidence beyond what I do on or off farm, but reassuring, affirming who I am. That is a significant feeling of real significant me.