International Day of Rural Women

Today is International Day of Rural Women, did you know globally, that one in three employed women works in agriculture? 

We spoke to Collette Wheadon one of our Territory Managers to get her perspective on working in rural Australia within the agriculture industry; 

The best things about working in agriculture are the people you meet and the diversity where no two weeks, months or seasons are ever the same. Being a Mum in agriculture, the transition of returning to work was a little daunting, especially with the associated travel, but the industry as a whole is so family focused. I have the ability to control my own calendar and work from home in between, which means I can still be there for the school runs, events, and major milestones, and keep the work life balance intact. 

Hannah Barden is our barley trader. 

Working in ag, I love the variability of a single day. You could be kicking the dirt, checking out a crop before jumping online and accessing global data and trends to help you make marketing decisions. I also highly appreciate the universal nature of agriculture and how an Australian grower can talk to an agronomist in Canada or a plant scientist in Israel over social media to share information or workshop a solution to a particular issue. The diverse industries within Agriculture, combined with a strong culture of collaboration presents a great opportunity for innovation. For me Growing up in a rural community meant being surrounded by people you know and having a strong sense of purpose within the community. 

For me, that sense of community is never stronger than during harvest time, which has always been my favorite time of year. After finishing school, when I worked at a receival site as a harvest sampler, the focus and sense of purpose within the community became more evident, with growers, contractors, truck drivers and baked goods all working overtime to get the crop out of the paddock and in to the bins.