I am fortunate to have grown up surrounded by strong women leading the way for others in the Australian agricultural industries. I do not feel like I am a woman in a man’s world, in any way. We are no longer the minority, and we are matching men in every way.
I will admit that growing up on the family farm, I would be frustrated by my physical limitations. I would look over and see my brother having no problem at all, while I was busting a gut trying to achieve the same result, and it would take me double the time. It would drive me crazy! But it made me think more about what I was doing, alternatives to the instructions that would work for me.
I often get funny looks when I go get an even longer lever pipe to loosen something, but it's what allows me to get my job done, and to continue doing what I love. That’s where technology is also becoming really important, increasing labour efficiencies but also meaning there is nothing holding us girls back.
The merino farm Emma's family run near Hay in NSW. Photo: Supplied Source: Supplied
I am in a position where coming home as the third generation on the family farm is a possibility for my future, a possibility that really excites me. I have two siblings, my brother who is clear that home is not where his future lies, and my younger sister, who is a bit more of a wild card, due to her age (19).
My parents are active in the succession planning process, which means that the conversation is continuous, allowing some flexibility surrounding the future. I am the first to admit that I need that flexibility. I am currently 22 and about to finish a university degree, and although I hope that my future includes home, I understand that life does not necessarily work out that way. A bit like with farming, something always seems to go wrong, or at least a bit differently from what was expected.
I am very keen to get out there into the world and am encouraged to say yes to every opportunity that comes my way, to soak up as much experience as I can. My parents are big believers that every experience is an opportunity to learn something, be it possibly what not to do next time. That has shaped my life and passions, knowing that I need to be developing new skills and knowledge, to possibly one day come home as ready as I can be for what is to come.
At university, I have studied a Bachelor of Agriculture/Bachelor of Business, which has been integral to my understanding of how home is operated as a business.
Growing up, so much of my exposure was the outside, day to day management of livestock, rather than what happens in the office. If nothing else, my studies have facilitated those conversations with my parents about how the business itself works.
I am extremely lucky to have been raised on a successful property with very open-minded parents, who actively strive to continuously improve the sustainability of the business. In my lifetime, the changes I have seen across how we run our stock and business may not seem drastic to outsiders, however have been instrumental in ensuring our viability into the future.
