On farm with Agri-Women’s Development Trust facilitator and coach, Sara Heard
Sara Heard, coach and facilitator with the Agri-Women’s Development Trust, is helping women discover their value and purpose in primary industry.
ON AN AUTUMN AFTERNOON, AS THE SUN BEGINS TO dip behind the Three Deans peaks that rise above the Waipara Valley, I gingerly negotiate my car up the steep shingled road that winds through Mt Cass Station. When I reach the top, I cannot help but stop and soak in this spectacular view across the valley. The landscape rolls out below like a green and golden patchwork quilt. In all the golden hues of the season, I can see how much this area has changed since I was a child. Traditional farms remain, but these are now interspersed with vineyards and olive groves. Sheep are a much less common sight, and the occasional farm shed has been skillfully converted to a winery restaurant. I marvel at how much agriculture has diversified over the years, as a new generation takes the helm of farming business, bringing with it fresh attitudes to both farming practice and the gender roles of agriculture.
As I look across the valley, I can count numerous farms and vineyards where women are playing a pivotal role either hands-on in the field or managing the financial obligations of their family business and – in some instances – both. Women are now finding their place at the table of primary industry – sometimes intentionally, and sometimes by chance, as women often marry into a farming lifestyle, a transition that can be challenging. Sara Heard, equity partner of Mt
Cass Station and coach and facilitator with the Agri-Women’s Development Trust, is helping women make that transition a little easier.
When I meet Sara at her beautiful cottage perched gracefully at the top of Mt Cass, I can see why she is perfect for that role. With a gentle and calm serenity that instantly puts anyone at ease, Sara has a passion for helping women discover their value and purpose. Having grown up on a sheep and cropping farm in South Otago, she has an intrinsic knowledge of the trials and tribulations that come with running a farming business. Sara’s early career, however, initially took her in a different direction.
Sara completed a Bachelor of Physical Education at the University of Otago, followed by a Diploma in Teaching. She met her husband Andrew, a farmer, while on semester break. After the traditional Kiwi OE, Sara once again returned to rural life as the couple moved to the Weka Pass, where Sara taught at Waikari School while Andrew worked as a farm manager. ‘It was a formative time in my working life, and I loved being part of the strong rural school community there,’ Sara says. ‘It was also the beginning of juggling my work and interests with farming.’
The couple moved to Marlborough, leasing farms while Sara worked as a teacher, in between raising their three boys. They moved to Mt Cass Station in 2008, forming an equity partnership with two other families. ‘I had continued with part-time teaching in Marlborough in various shapes and forms during most of that time – as well as voluntary roles with Plunket, Mainly Music, Mobile Kindergarten and School Board of Trustees. These were great places to
continue building my skill set, something I have only come to appreciate lately.
‘I was the one in our farming partnership who managed the administration, accounts, and all things “office”. When we moved to Mt Cass, I assumed those roles again. With a new farm, a new business and new business partners, that was my sole focus alongside parenting and supporting our three sons.’
Mt Cass Station is a mix of freehold and leasehold land, running from State Highway 1 in the Waipara Valley through to the coast of Pegasus Bay. In what was still a relatively unusual business model at the time, Mt Cass Station has followed organic farming practices since the initial equity partnership was formed and has moved from strength to strength, with another three families joining the business in 2016.
‘Organics was non-negotiable when we started the equity partnership. It was new to us, but our partners had experience and knowledge, so we set about converting the property and farm management to organics,’ Sara explains. ‘Due to the organics, it was decided that meat would be the focus, not wool, and that Wiltshire sheep would be worth trying – a hair sheep breed originally from Wiltshire, UK. This was quite a
Mt Cass Station has followed organic farming practices since the initial equity partnership was formed and has moved from strength to strength.
shift for my husband Andrew, who had been a wool classer, a sheep classer and a merino and Corriedale breeder. But some Wiltshire sheep were bought, and Andrew and his team, over the past 13 years, have bred a flock which is fit for purpose and a Wiltshire stud which sold its first line of young rams and ewes successfully this year.’
The station also boasts a seasonal two-and-a-half-hour looped walking track on its eastern end. A popular trail which rewards those who are not opposed to traversing a few hills to a spectacular view of the Waipara Valley and Pegasus
Bay. ‘The station is stunning, with hills, sea, native bush, biodiversity and views to die for,’ enthuses Sara.
In 2012, with her children growing up and becoming more independent, Sara was ready for a new challenge. She attended the South Island’s first Agri-Women’s Development Trust First Steps programme (now known as ‘It’s all about YOU’), which focused on personal development and goal setting. ‘It enabled me to explore what was important to me, my values, my skills, my strengths and to look at future possibilities,’ she explains.
The Agri-Women’s Development Trust was formed in 2009 by Lindy Nelson, with patron Mavis Mullins.
They aimed to develop programmes that would encourage women to use the skills learned in their careers, families and communities to create change and grow primary industry
– an area where women had, up until this point, a limited involvement or impact.
Programmes such as ‘Understanding your Farming Business’ give women the confidence to play an active role in their farming operation, while other programmes such as ‘Escalator’ focus on skills for effective leadership. ‘There are challenges for everyone in the agriculture sector: regulations, our environment, water, on-farm practices, technology, social licence, consumer demands and expectations: the list is long.
‘I believe women’s involvement is vital to overcoming these challenges. We bring a diversity of thought and approach, which, if included at the decision-making table, will help to find solutions to these challenges. Women are capable of taking the lead and are doing so in many areas.
Giving women skills, knowledge, confidence and a support network helps them step into ‘the arena’, whether that arena is a family farming business, an agri-business, a rural community, or a national/global organisation. ‘Falling in love with a farmer can mean women find themselves on a farm, or in a farming business, by default rather than by design. Our workplaces are our homes. And we can end up in roles that are unexpected and unfamiliar to us. It can be hard to find our way.’
It was during the First Steps course that Sara first considered a career path in coaching. ‘Lindy Nelson sowed the seed,’ Sara explains. ‘I learnt what it was, that it could be of real value to farming women and could see an opportunity to support others with coaching. It aligns with my skill set, my values and is a way of giving. I was encouraged to do some training then I plucked up the courage to ask Lindy if I could help at the next First Steps programme. The answer was yes. It was an opportunity to get alongside women one-to-one and coach them during the programme. I loved it.’
Sara now works for the trust on a part-time basis, whilst seeing private clients and managing the station’s administrative role. ‘The coaching I do is predominantly with women. It can be anything from leadership coaching, to coaching someone on a specific issue or situation,’ she explains. ‘The crux of it is to help people discover and explore for themselves, to find their own answers so that they can move forward. It’s not telling someone what they should do; it’s coaching them to find their own answer. I love it. I get a real sense of making a difference for others. All the while, I have kept my farm office role to support Andrew and grow the business. It’s been a juggle, and I have worked hard to maintain it.’
Sara’s ethos of being of service to her community and ‘giving back’ has led her to be a part of initiatives that focus on the rural environment and community wellbeing. She sits on the board of the Hurunui Biodiversity Trust, which looks to support farmers to care for biodiversity, organising educational events throughout the district. Sara also brings the annual event Refill Your Cup to the Hurunui District with a team of like-minded women. The event is an opportunity for local rural women to recharge and connect, encouraging them to care about their own wellbeing while enjoying a re-energising and inspiring day out.
So, how does Sara refill her own cup? ‘I love to get outdoors and be active, spending time with family and friends, laughing, talking, walking, swimming, sharing, being adventurous. Equally, I love to practise yoga and be quiet. Wellbeing is everything. We can’t work, play, live and love without our health and wellbeing.’
Sara’s ethos of being of service to her community and ‘giving back’ has led her to be a part of initiatives that focus on the rural environment and community wellbeing.