What first drew you to farming, and what keeps you passionate about working on the land?
Honestly, the cows got me. I fell for the routine of dairy life — the early starts, that hum in the shed when everything flows. Eighteen seasons later, I’m still here because I get a kick from seeing how the small, smart changes make a huge difference: calmer cows = fewer dramas in the herd. I love that what I do with my hands and my head actually matters. These days I’m leaning into hoof health and cow comfort — I’ve completed the 5-day Advanced Hoof Trimming course through Dairy Hoofcare Institute NZ — and I’m obsessed with how good handling, tidy tracks, water space and time budgets turn madness into calm. That’s the buzz for me.

What has it been like farming in a sector still often seen as male-dominated?
I turn up, I do the work and I let the herd do the talking. I don’t need a title to do my job — cows read energy better than job descriptions. Sure, there’ve been moments of being second-guessed (or handed gear that doesn’t fit) but I learned to back myself (the hard way!), bring calm into the shed and ask for the right tools. Females in Farming started because I was sick of women feeling invisible on farm. We’re proving, quietly and daily, that capability isn’t gendered — it’s practice and good stock sense.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced on farm as a woman, and how have you pushed through them?
Strength, sizing and the “are you sure you can lift that?” vibe used to rattle me. I fixed what I could control: better systems, better vibes in shed, better training. I learned to move cows at cow pace, not mine; to use body position, not volume; and to treat my energy like infrastructure — when I’m calm, the whole herd calms down. Upskilling has been huge too: hoof trimming, lameness prevention, reading stress before it hits the vat (or doesn't). And I’m not shy about asking for help when it saves a cow — or my back. Coffee helps, a good headband helps as do decent leggings with pockets help… but mostly it’s giving myself permission to pause, reset and go again.

Who or what has inspired you most in your farming journey, and how do you support other women coming through?
Old-school stock handlers who could read a cow from fifty metres — that quiet, competent kind — have always been my blueprint. And the rural women who keep the whole show running while no one is looking? That’s my fuel. I pay it forward by sharing what works in plain English: checklists, quick wins, calm-handling tips and the “why” behind them. That’s what my Polished FarmHer community is about — bite-sized, NZ-real tools you can use tomorrow morning — and Females in Farming gives women permission to feel good while they’re doing bloody hard work. I celebrate women’s wins loudly, I turn hard lessons into shortcuts for others and I make sure no FarmHer feels like she has to do this alone.

What changes would you like to see for women at the grassroots of agriculture in the years ahead?
More women becoming confident on farm and owning their power. Rosters that respect school runs and life's reality. Training that’s short, practical and on-farm — not a day lost to theory you’ll never use. I want gear built for women as standard, not special order. And I want every farm team to understand that calm handling, time budgeting and good infrastructure aren’t “nice to haves” — they protect animal welfare, people and profit. When women’s voices are in those decisions from the start, everyone wins: cows, crews and bottom lines.

If you had to describe rural women in three words, what would they be?
Tough. Clever. Unstoppable.