The United Nations Year of the Woman Farmer has brought international attention to the essential role women play in our food systems worldwide. From working the fields to running farming corporations, women’s roles on the land are pretty diverse these days and it is fantastic to see more and more girls heading off to agricultural college, studying agronomy and taking an equal share in succession planning of family farming enterprises – at least here in Australia.
However, it was also fantastic to see the somewhat traditional support roles of women in family farms celebrated at the FarmHER day held yesterday at the Berkshire Valley Homestead. Hosted by MMPIG in partnership with FarmCo and with support from CSBP, FarmHER, in its second year, saw almost 70 women gather for a day of learning, sharing and connecting. And while a bank of impressive speakers, including Keep the Sheep advocate Tiffany Davey, and Enrika Grogan, Founder of Mind your Money, talked about their professional roles in regional WA, the support roles still most often played by rural women were also given proper recognition.
Providing the meals and running the household are fundamental in any family, but on a farm this job can be intensified by distance, lack of amenity and sheer monotony! There’s almost definitely no lunch bar or alternative and keeping a round-the-clock provision of sustenance to physically stretched farmers, and often staff, is an unrelenting task. Add children to the mix along with a sideline business and volunteer position or two and the position of a farmer’s wife is not just varied, but vital to the running of the farm and the functionality of the community – and that’s before we discuss admin!
Bringing these conversations to the fore was Amanda Walker, Farm-Co partner, owner of Yerecoin Traders and Little Country Store, and organiser of the day.
“FarmHER 2026 is about real women, real paths, leading the way. It’s a chance to hear honest stories about adapting to rural life, growing a business or enterprise, and making an impact in the community along the way,” she says.
“Today was really about sharing the amazing roles regional women play in farming and in building regional communities, and we were fortunate to hear from some very inspiring women.”
Event goers were also the first to see a film by regional communications team AgSocial celebrating women in agriculture – filmed right here in the Western Wheatbelt!
Read more and find a link to see the film in the October issue of the Northern Valleys News.
Above: Speakers and panellists Tiffany Davey, Enrika Grogan, Amanda Walker and Bronwyn Fox.
