Hosted by businesswoman, dairy farmer and coach Kylie Blanchard, the workshop was the first in what Ms Blanchard hopes will become a regular business and networking opportunity for farming women.
“Women thrive on social connection and interaction and we all know how isolating things can be on a farm — throw in jet lag from COVID and I felt there was a real need to host some sort of workshop,” Ms Blanchard said.
And early signs are showing she was on the money, with 16 women in attendance and about the same number unable to attend due to prior commitments.
Focusing on fundamental techniques for mental, physical and emotional health along with connecting with other women and farm businesses, the first workshop was to very much test the water and gauge interest.
“There is a difference in the way women and men do business,” Ms Blanchard said.
“With women, connection is a very important component and one of the key drivers for success.
“I don’t really know what the workshops are going to look like moving forward just yet but there were lots of ideas thrown around and a desire to meet up regularly, whether that is monthly or bi-monthly so there seems a willingness to continue.”
Ms Blanchard had spent the past 15 years running a coaching business, working with entrepreneurs to grow their business and reach their life goals, and coached women in business across four continents in sales and marketing.
She also ran a Women in Business Network group to provide support, education and place for women to generate sales.
She closed her business and moved to Zeerust with her partner Ashley Dempster to work on the family dairy farm two-and-a-half years ago.
“I was burnt out form COVID and it was a pivotal and life changing time for us with Ash deciding he really wanted to move home to the family farm and start dairying again.
“When I moved here it was in the middle of COVID and because we had been working so hard to get the farm up and running, I was starting to feel very isolated.
“Don’t get me wrong I love doing what I am doing but this is Ash’s dream, and my body was telling me something was not right and I needed to network and connect with other women again.”
Initially she ran a series of polls across five different agricultural groups on social media to garner information on what a workshop should look like.
“Not surprisingly it was support and strategies around emotional and mental health that most women were looking for information on so here we are,” she said.
Dairy Australia’s Bec Phillips, who also farms locally, decided to attend the workshop.
‘’When the most exciting thing you do some days is drive the kids to the bus stop, it’s good to have an event like this that shows there are other women out there on-farm going through the same things as you,” Ms Phillips said.
She said her biggest take away message from the workshop was prioritising your own needs and learning to stop putting everyone and everything else first.
“It will be interesting to see where the workshop goes. Recognising the next one will be in spring when everyone is busy, we are looking at attracting some funding for some sort of luncheon and guest speaker type event,” Ms Phillips said.
Dairy farmer Bridget Goulding said it was good to take some time away from the farm and catch up with a few friends.
“Kylie spoke from the heart and explained her journey and the reason why she wanted to start with a networking group and she certainly has the life and business experience to back herself up,” Ms Goulding said.
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