Katrina BRANDON
A DAY off the farm is usually a “stock” day, or for some, taking the farming youngsters on a trip into town.
A day for women in dairy to not have to start early hours, drop off kids at schools or do all things farm-related used to be a dream, but now is an open opportunity that the Women In Dairy Discussion Group has collaborated with GippsDairy to create.
On November 29, the Women in Dairy Discussion Group held a luncheon at the Moe Racing Club for all women in the farming industry, whether on-farm or otherwise. The annual event is in its third year of providing a luncheon, with opportunities for women to socialise, meet new people, and hear other farmers talk about their experiences, activities, and more.
According to Women in Dairy Coordinator, Belinda Griffin, the Discussion Group holds events over the year, whether lunch, an educational/technical event, or even a farm walk.
“This isn’t just a ‘ladies’ lunch’. This discussion group runs all year round, and the Ladies Lunch is a celebration of women in dairy and our achievements in the industry. It is quite a high-profile event to celebrate women in dairy, and it’s a big deal! Women in Dairy is a big deal!
“We have collated a list from a past number of events that people are interested in doing – such as social days to potentially a chainsaw course, factory tours, other farm tours, looking behind the scenes into other people’s businesses, some pasture days, and we will do some financial days, pulling apart milk pricing.”
Women in Dairy was initially co-founded by Allison Potter, who now helps work on the Gippsland Women in Dairy Working Committee. Ms Potter started the group in 2017 in South Gippsland when the region was experiencing dry conditions. At the time, Ms Potter worked as a dairy farmer and worked at Leongatha’s Murray Goulbourn.
Ms Potter told the Gippsland Farmer that the first event was at Mossvale Park near Leongatha. It was such a hit that they decided to continue it in different formats.
“It was started by another lady and me, a field officer at Murray Goulburn in Leongatha. We started it,” Ms Potter said.
“It was initially mainly women from farms that supplied Murray Goulburn, but we always made all women in dairy welcome to come along, so it was open to everybody. That just went on for quite a number of years, doing similar things to what we are doing today: a mix of social and technical days on farms and in kitchens, sharing tips for getting tea on the table.”
The Women in Dairy Discussion Group also gives women on farms the opportunity to not feel isolated, to talk about personal experiences on the farm, to share things, and to reconnect with other women. The group reminds them that they are all farmers and not just a farmer’s “something”.
For more information, visit: dairyaustralia.com.au/gippsdairy/about-us/gippsdairy-programs/women-in-dairy
