April 2005 Rural Women Magazine, New Zealand

8/9/2019 April 2005 Rural Women Magazine, New Zealand

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Strengthening Rural Communities Page 1

O F F I C I A L J O U R N A L O F R U R A L W O M E N N E W Z E A L A N D I S S U E N o . 2, Apri l 2 0 0 5

Southland Holiday Homes 60th

Wellington Experience

Celebrating excellence - rural

homestay

WIF animal hea lth seminar

in this issue...

Hands on farming today: Kaikoura vet Sarah Harris watches

over Women in Farming member, Margaret Ford, as she

practices dehorning

As we celebrate Rural Women New Zealands 80th anniversary

in 2005, it is a good time to reflect on how far weve come andwhere we want to go. Let us remember with gratitude those

pioneer women who first saw the need for an organisation such

as ours and may the courage and determination with which they

faced the challenges of the day continue to inspire us.

Since the Womens Division, Federated Union (now RWNZ) was

first formed in 1925 as a non-party political and non-sectarian

philanthropic society, members have worked hard to improve the

conditions of women and their families living on the land and

become a powerful force in bringing many improvements to rural

communities.

Some things havent changed: Mrs Polson, the first Dominion

President (1925-29) wrote the moral and social problems of the

district can only be solved by the aid and sympathy of the women

when organised. The individual worker achieves very little but

there is no limit to the good that can be achieved by co-operative

effort; but one must not lose sight of the individual benefit that

comes to each little community and each member of a branch.

Its numbers that count when one wants to get things done.

RWNZ continues to advocate on behalf of rural communities on

a range of issues, and many in authority value and respect our

opinions and views.

The first Womens Division conference

Rural Women New Zealand

celebrates 80 years

However, some things have changed: Women are more likely to

be involved with farming and business operations as partners

today.

Women in Farming and Women in Agribusiness are new groups

that will become members of RWNZ this year. The focus for

these groups is the business of farming in all aspects.

Dinner groups also reflect a change in lifestyle for many of our

members - and theyre not talking about recipes such as those

found in an early Household Guide published by Womens

Division which included how to stew sheeps tongues or make

tooth powder.

We are able to travel and communicate with each other much

more easily (even though we may still not get quite the service

we would like) and therefore are not as isolated.

Yes, many aspects of life have changed in the last 80 years andRWNZ must continue to adapt to these changes. But the

fundamental aim of our organisation - to strengthen rural

communities - remains as relevant today as it was 80 years ago.


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Strengthening Rural CommunitiesPage 2

ed

itoria

l Plan for the futureby Sherrill Dackers, National President

We live in challenging

and changing times.

For many of us the

world today is totally

different from the

secure, ordered andstructured days of our

childhood. No longer

are we pressured to

behave, dress or

believe in the way

others ordain we are

encouraged to be ourselves; to act according to our

wishes. It is a puzzling time.

This concept applies to society as a whole and to

organisations in particular. Rural Women New Zealand

has not been exempt and like many older

organisations the need to adapt has been very stressful.Over the last 15 to 20 years members have struggled

to adjust to different procedures and different attitudes our

beloved Housekeeping schemes have gone, replaced by a highly

professional company, the second largest in New Zealand, our

membership has dropped as young women return to work and

our older members die or find it harder to join in and attend

meetings. It has not been easy.

The cycle is not yet complete. There is still much to be done

before we can feel satisfied that we are once again an effective

and modern organisation which rural women want to join. This

process has been begun with the introduction of the Women in

Farming, Women in Agribusiness, Discussion groups, etc. butwe must ensure they continue and that we attract more rural

women. We must demonstrate that Rural Women New Zealand

has a definite place in this modern world.

In recent years successive National Councils have realised that

our organisation has spread itself too thinly with our interests.

It is difficult, however, to ignore the many threats to rural

communities and life that continually arise.

This is where the need for a Strategic Plan is important. Half of

you will have switched off at the mention of those two words.

Please switch on again, and think Plan for the Future. This is

essential if we want to become, once again, the vigorous, strongand viable organisation we once were.

We need to examine our aims and our desires for the future.

Therefore, over the next year we will re-examine who we are,

what we represent, what we want to achieve, what we believe is

important our priorities, where we go from here and how we

can achieve it. It is not hard as long as we do not become

emotional. In the near future you will be receiving

questionnaires, please complete these and send them back.

Without your input we cannot succeed.

To conclude one of my favourite sayings is Tout change, tout

meme - to non-francophiles, roughly everything changes,

everything stays the same.

Were not talking change for the sake of change, but an

opportunity to do things differently and flourish.

Capital Experience a hit

Fifteen members from around the country spent an unforgettable

three days in Wellington in February, introducing rural women to

the political environment and finding out what makes the national

office tick.

The Wellington Experience has been generously sponsored by

Landcorp Farming Ltd for the past 14 years and involves a packed

programme of meetings, visits and social events designed to givemembers an insight into legislative processes and the many

organisations that serve rural interests.

The RWNZ participants were briefed by Government officials at

the Ministries of the Environment, Health and Education. They

also toured the Correspondence School and the Open Polytechnic

and met with Rural Affairs Minister Damian OConnor and

Opposition spokesperson on Agriculture, David Carter. A

highlight for many was the tour of Parliament.

Heather Paton of Macraes Flat Branch says she was impressed

with how well RWNZ was received at all the places they visited

in Wellington. Our organisation has a high profile and a positiveimage. RWNZ is relevant and focused, recognizing the important

role that women play in their local communities.

Branch Life Membership Award

Our congratulations go to East Invercargill member, Joyce Harris,

whose recent Branch Life Membership Award follows many yearsof involvement in our

organisation.

Joyce first joined the Kuana

WDFF Branch, serving as

secretary, before moving to

Invercargill in 1960. She

immediately rose to the top of

her newly adopted East

Invercargill branch, holding

office as president from 1961-

1964. She later served as

treasurer from 1988-1991.

Joyce has been an active

member, with a keen interest

in the handcraft competitions.

Wellington Experience Participants: Heather Paton, Diane

Simpson, Lynda Wright, Janice Smith, Joan Black, Gloria Corin,

Ronalda Esler, Anne Redpath, Sue Hall, Yvonne Carlson, Linley

Henderson, Beverley Blanche, Elizabeth McGiffert, Sandra Curd

and Marilyn Ferguson


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National Office Activities

SUBMISSIONS

Rural Women New Zealand has recently made the following

submissions (See www.ruralwomen.org for details):

Fresh Water for a Sustainable Future - Ministry for theEnvironment

Domestic Food Review - NZSFA

Women in Enterprise Project - Ministry of Womens Affairs

NZ Drinking Water standards

Ageing NZ and Health and Disability services

Schooling strategy

PUBLICITY

National Media releases - see www.ruralwomen.org

Rural women go to town

Australian trip hones rural womens diectorship skills

Rural women rail against fuel price hikes

National councillor, Margaret Chapman, found herself in

prestigious company when she attended a week-long corporate

governance course for rural women in Canberra in March.

Margaret was the only New Zealander on the course which was

run by the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Her trip

was sponsured by Meat & Wool New Zealand.

Of the twenty Australian women attending, seven were winnersof State Rural Woman of the Year Awards, while the rest were

winners of industry partnership programmes between the

Australian Ministry of Agriculture and rural industry sectors.

The intensive six-day diploma course was exhausting but very

beneficial, says Margaret, covering topics from the practice of

directorship to strategic planning and risk management.

Margaret says she gleaned many ideas in the area of setting

strategy and the involvement of management, which will be useful

in her National Council role with RWNZ How we look forward,

where we are going to go, and how we go about it. We are doing

a lot of things very well. A few things we could fine tune and

some things we havent even thought about.

Margaret will share her new-found knowledge with the RWNZ

Council at their next meeting in May.

Australian trip hones directorship skills Resources for children

Hawera branch members brought a smile to the faces

of two special needs children recently when they

presented them with an electronic set and a CD of

stories.

The educational aids were recommended by a resource

teacher to help the children with their learning and were

purchased by branch members with funds received

from two separate grants.

RangiwaeaGolden JubileeRangiwaea Rural Women celebrated 50 years ofcommunity service and friendship recently, as past and presentmembers came together for a luncheon at the home of Branchpresident Robin Collier.

Special guests included National President Sherrill Dackers andher husband Gordon, Regional Councillor, Jacky Stafford, andRegional Development Officer Claire Cole.

The honour of cutting the splendid birthday cake - decorated todepict local hill country and noting the name change from WDFFto Rural Women NZ went to foundation members Hazel Collier

and Margaret Livingstone.

A highlight of Margaret Chapmans trip to Canberra was

an invitation to attend a civic reception at Parliament

where each of the women on the corporate governance

course was presented with a plaque by the Australian

Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. Warren Truss

Hawera branch secretary Lynda Muggeridge (left)

and president Nancy Riddick, present educational

toys to a special needs student while his

headmaster looks on.

Sherrill Dackers watches as Hazel Collier and Margaret

Livingstone cut the 50th birthday cake Image Gordon Dackers


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fea

ture Celebrating Excellence in Rural Communities

Lesleys idyllic rural homestay business

Half a lifetime ago, when Lesley Handcock was a child

on her parents farm in Reporoa, the seeds were sown

for her life today as a rural woman single-handedly

running a very successful business venture in a remote

area of the central North Island.

As a young girl she enjoyed welcoming friends and

relations to the family farm, leading them on expeditions

to explore the hills or bathe and fish in the river.

Cut to 2005 and you find Lesley still in a rural paradise,

showing the same hospitality to her guests at Hukitawa

Country Retreat. Nestled on the edge of the beautiful

Te Urewera National Park and Whirinaki Forest Park

near Murupara, Hukitawa is a haven for those wanting

to explore the surrounding rainforest and rivers, or

simply to rest up in peaceful surroundings.

Lesleys homestay guests can fish in the Whirinaki

River, explore back country tracks on mountain bike

or horseback, tramp for hours through the forest, or soak up the

views and Lesleys warm hospitality back at the house.

Set on 200 acres

of farmland,

Lesley set up

Hukitawa just

over five years

ago following the

untimely death of

her husband,

Richard, in a

vehicle accident.Having trained

and worked as a

teacher, this is her first foray into the hospitality industry.

Lesleys had plenty to learn, and has drawn on many resources to

glean the knowledge shes needed to provide her guests with

quality accommodation and a memorable holiday experience,

establishing a successful business venture in the process.

Lesley belongs to several industry groups including the Rotorua

Her Business Network, the Rotorua Chamber of Commerce,

@HomeNZ and the Tourism Industry Association of New Zealand

(TIANZ).

Enterprise Training [run by Trade and Enterprise NZ] has alsobeen a huge benefit to me and I would like to think that any rural

woman who is setting up in business or who is in business makes

use of the Enterprise Training Programme, says Lesley.

The other secret ingredients of Lesleys success are her own

welcoming personality and the standards of excellence she sets

herself so that every detail of a guests stay is attended to. It

requires a high level of energy as Lesley does all the work herself,

including providing all the guests meals, which are often made

with produce from her own garden.

Running a homestay operation single-handedly in a remote part

of the country needs thorough planning and good systems says

Lesley.

Technology has certainly helped, and now she cant imagine how

she could run her business without it. But starting out, Lesley

admits she didnt know the difference between a website and an

email. She soon completed a computer course by correspondence

and can now run her business from anywhere in the world - three

years ago she was still dealing with enquiries as she journeyed

through Mongolia, Siberia and Russia.

Underpinning all her hard work is Lesleys aim of building a

profitable and ultimately saleable business, a goal which is slowly

coming to fruition.

Much as I would love to retire here this is a job that requiresoptimum health and the ability to work day after day on five to

six hours sleep a night. I like to think of my retirement as being

a little more relaxed than that!

Since opening, Hukitawa has doubled its occupancy rates for each

year of operation.

A Rural Women New Zealand member for 30 years and currently

Treasurer of Galatea branch, Lesleys achievements certainlyepitomise the theme of our organisation this year Celebrating

Excellence in Rural Communities.

Its taken time, but its something to be a little bit proud of, says

Lesley.

Putting a ring around it

An ambitious project to ring-fence an entire mountain and

eradicate introduced pests has fired the imagination of Waipa King

Country Provincial members. A pest-proof fence is being built

around Maungatautari Mountain, between Te Awamutu and

Cambridge, so that threatened species such as kiwi, tuatara,kokako and kakariki can be reintroduced to the 3,400 hectares of

native bush.

The 260 Waipa King Country Provincial members have decided

to support the venture with annual donations, after first becoming

involved last year following a presentation by the CEO of the

Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust on World Rural Womens

Day in 2003.

We were inspired by the idea of having such a large area close

to us where in time kiwis and other native species will once again

roam free, says Merle Wyllie of Mangapiko branch.

The Provincials initial donation to the trust paid for 200 metres

of pest-proof fence. The Waipa King Country members are now

looking ahead to Rural Womens Day this October, when they

plan to take a picnic lunch and a two-hour walk through the bush-

clad enclosure on the southern side of the mountain.

Hukitawa Country Retreat

Lesley Handcock


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Smart beastsWhy Animals Are Smarter

Than Us is the latest volume

in the popular Smarter Than

Jack series. Jenny Campbell

has sourced this collection of

animal stories from all around

the world, and a fascinatingbook it is.

Heartwarming, humorous and

often awe-inspiring, these easy to read anecdotes will appeal to

anyone with an interest in animals, from children to the elderly.

Many stories leave you wondering how animals can achieve feats

beyond anything we humans could dream of hence the title.

Theres Bobbie the collie with amazing tracking skills, (not to

mention bravery and determination), who became lost in America

when taking himself for a walk during a family holiday. He

returned home six months later, in a sorry state, having covered a

distance of at least 2,551 miles. Even stranger are the stories ofanimals who navigate to places theyve never been before to

reunite themselves with their owners.

There are spooky tales of animals who appear to sense the

paranormal, and others of animals who have an uncanny knack

for knowing where their owners are or what theyre thinking.

Profits from the books are distributed to animal welfare groups,

including the New Zealand SPCA.

Do you have a smart animal story to tell? The publishers are

always looking for more strange but true tales. Details of how to

submit a story are included in the book or on the website

www.smarterthanjack.com.

Thrift to FantasyThrift to Fantasy traces the last great period of domestic handcrafts

and making do in New Zealand during the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.

Written by award-winning Wellington journalist Rosemary McLeod,

at first glance the subject of this book would seem to be at odds with

McLeods often hard-hitting, feminist-leaning newspaper columns.

But delving into the text that runs alongside the beautiful

photographic illustrations, the common link becomes clear. Thrift

to Fantasy celebrates womens achievements, chronicles their history

and highlights how womens lives have changed over the last fiftyyears.

Theres nostalgia in every illustration, from rag rugs to felt handbags,

patchwork quilts to sacking aprons, knitted tea cosies to embroidered

antimacassars. McLeods trawled junk shops and auction rooms for

the last 20 years collecting such gems, which were exhibited at The

Dowse gallery in Lower Hutt

recently.

To go in the draw for a copy of this

delightful book, write your name

and address on the back of an

envelope, include the title Thrift to

Fantasy and send to:

The Editor, Rural Women Magazine,

PO Box 12-021, Wellington.

Wyndham woman has itall stitched upA wall hanging embroidered with the names of Wyndham

members over the years was admired by many visitors at

the branchs recent 75th birthday celebration luncheon.

Branch member Maureen Stewart suggested the

embroidery project as a way of leaving a tangible record

that WDFF and Rural Women New Zealand have been a

presence in the district for three-quarters of a century.

Though some members began stitching apprehensively,

the women were soon working with enthusiasm. Old

minute books were scanned for names and with so many

past members it was decided only surnames should be

included. Names were embroidered in different colours

on nine inch

squares of material

using chain stitch.

Then came the

exciting part when

all the squareswere finished and

laid out before

being stitched

together around

the badge embroidered by

Maureen.

Maureens ongoing inspiration

and guidance to the branch

was honoured at the

celebrations with the

certificate Service Simply Given.

Members also planted a tree in the war memorial grounds to mark

their 75th anniversary and set up a comprehensive display of branchmemorabilia in the window of the local museum.

Maureen Stewart


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welcome to new friends New Group: Mitch Bradley, Alison Baker, Jean

Campbell, Robyn Mortensen, Cheryl Ernst,

WOTL branch

Individual: Dale Paton (Oamaru), Anne Walker

(Dargaville), Sue Collins (Palmerston North)

Blenheim: Pat Dodson, Joan Dodson

Winchmore: Christine Turner, Shona Schofield, Trish

Small, Lis Butterick

Dunedin: Jean Dickison, Nora Pettit

Doubtless Bay: Jenny Renata

Oparure: Betty Bentham, Stella Simpson

Stratford: Gwen Putt, Doris Cook, Kath Leeman

farewell to old friends

Temuka: Elsa Lindsay

Pakawau: Margaret Beardmore

Otumoetai: Mae Parker, Corrine Bly

Rerewhakaiitu: Margareta Wilhelmina Rys

Otewa: Joy Vicary

Tumahu: Irene Moore

Oparure: Molley Nielsen

Kaikohe: Irene Fowlie, Effie Price

Hurunui: Joan Larner

Mangatangi: Gladys Bates

Aoroa & Dargaville: Nita Fleming

Aoroa: Kyra Hammond

Mossburn: May Keenan

Stratford: Marion Quarrell

North Taranaki Prov: Eileen Cooper

May They Rest in Peace

honours board

Branch Life Membership

East Invercargill: Joyce Harris

Branch Bar of Honour

Roxburgh: Marion Torrance, Sheila Bardsley

A right royal celebrationSouthland Holiday Homes turned 60 last month and celebratedwith a luncheon fit for a queen and seven princesses. And ifthat sounds like the start of a fairy tale, read on

This story begins in 1945, when a group of WDFF ladies fromRiverton branch had the idea of setting up a holiday camp atRiverton Beach where rural women and their families could gofor a break from farm life. Five acres of land was donated andthe industrious women then set about raising funds to buildcottages and other facilities on the site.

To make money we decided to have a Queen Carnival in 1947,recalls Lorna Anderson, Riverton Holiday Homes president for25 years. Eventually six carnivals were held throughout Southland,and a staggering 13,000 was raised towards the holiday homeventure. Western Southland raised the most funds and was giventhe honour of crowning their princess, Ailsa Waterhouse (neeBrown), as Queen.

The women then turned their attention to setting up the camp.Two cottages and a kitchen block were built and camping andcaravan sites provided. Riverton Holiday Homes and Camping

Ground came into existence. But the womens work didnt stopthere. Although there was always a caretaker on site, the womenput in many hours of voluntary work over the years, painting,

cleaning the cottages, sewing curtains and even cutting downfrocks to make pillow cases.

Eighteen years ago the camp was sold and it is now run as abackpackers. But the cottages remain a testament to the hardwork of many to provide a holiday camp for rural families.

To mark the 60th anniversary of the Southland Holiday Homes aspecial luncheon was held at Longwood Lodge in Riverton on15 March. As a result of extensive publicity prior to the event,76 people whod been involved with the venture over the yearscame along to celebrate and reminisce, including Queen Ailsa

and seven of her princesses.

Princesses on Parade: Marg Humphries (Tucker) Audrey

Roberts (Cummings) Beverley Gibson (McDermott), Dorothy

McPherson (Church) Jean Aitken (Paterson) Olive McGibbon

(Scott) Ailsa Waterhouse (Brown), Navua Woods (Cowie)

One of thje Riverton holiday homers


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Mobile Surgical ServicesIntrepid Rural Women New Zealand Forestry committee members

hacked their way through overgrown gorse to pay a rare visit to the

wildlife ponds in a remote low-lying area of Castle Downs Forest

in Southland recently.

Committee secretary, Ann Irving, says though shes been a

committee member for over 10 years and a regular visitor to the

forest on annual inspection day, shes never seen the ponds beforedue to access problems. Formerly a swamp the area was dammed

many years ag-o to create ponds. As the vegetation around the

ponds has grown, the area has provided prime habitat for mallard

ducks and other wildlife.

The 292-acre Castle Downs Forest project near Dipton will be well

known to many RWNZ members, but for newcomers to our

organisation its history is an inspiring story. The land was left to

the Southland provincials of Womens Division Federated Farmers

over 50 years ago. Four of the Southland provincials decided to

put in money to develop the forest, and in the early stages the women

were also involved in planting the pine trees. It was a big

commitment from a lot of people, says Ann Irving.

Nowadays the forest is managed by the Forestry Committee with

George Platts from Wrightsons as manager. Areas of the forest are

felled and replanted on a rotational basis, providing a regular

income. The net proceeds are shared among the participating

branches and provincials for distribution to local charitable projects.

Many dollars have been distributed over the years for the benefit of

rural people.

The Mobile Surgical Services bus is now in its fourth

year of operation, delivering state-of-the-art surgery

to rural communities. It is contracted by the Ministry

of Health to deliver 1,000 procedures a year, but is

doing even better - last year 1,477 patients had day

surgery on the bus in their home towns.

Over 300 different types of day surgery procedures

are performed on patients who have been referred by

their doctors, as the bus tours the country on a five

week cycle. Ask your doctor for details on how you

can be included on the list for surgery when the bus

next comes to your town. For further information see

www.mobilesurgical.co.nz or call (03) 355 4790

Midwifery Standards Review

Are you passionate about maternity issues or

midwifery philosophy? The New Zealand College of

Midwives is looking for proactive women in thecommunity who would like to become involved as

members of review teams that assist midwives to

maintain their competence through quality assurance

practices and professional development.

The reviewers help midwives to reflect on their

practice and standards and work with them to produce

individual Professional Development Plans for the

forthcoming year. Reviewers must have a knowledge

and understanding of midwifery as well as assessment and

communication abilities. The teams are part of an area or

regional committee and receive specialised annual training for

the role.

For further information call Norma Campbell at NZCOM

National Office 03 377 2732.

Southland forest visit

Putting words into practice

Business success for clinical medical herbalist and herb grower,Christine Tuffnell, has come from putting into practice the tips

offered at a Westpac-sponsored Women in Business seminar

held in Nelson recently.

Christine was the afternoon speaker at the seminar, held at The

Honest Lawyer hotel in Monaco, Nelson.

With a delightful sense of humour, she inspired the Rural Women

attendees as she told them how shed carried out the key lessons

theyd learnt that morning from the Westpac team.

Westpacs National Business Development Manager, Yvonne

Codde, had earlier spoken on how to run a successful business,

and came up with some interesting statistics. She told the audiencethat women influence 70 per cent of financial decisions and 40

per cent of New Zealand businesses are owned by women, while

66 per cent of small businesses have at least one woman operator.

Doreen Millar, Julianna OConnell, Ken Cochrane and Ros

Cook at the ponds

Value of regionalhelicopter service

Pip Cotterell of the Square Trust

Helicopter Service gave a high flying

talk to Rangitikei Oroua provincial

members recently. Pip is president of

the Helicopter Nurses Association andis passionate about her work and the role

of the Palmerston North-based helicopter service.

The Square Trust helicopter operation came under threat recently

as ACC carried out a nationwide review of rescue helicopters.

The cost-cutting drive could have grounded Square Trust, and

seen Manawatu-Horowhenua people relying on emergency

services from Wellington or Hawkes Bay. However a public

outcry, particularly from rural dwellers, prompted the intervention

of ACC Minister, Ruth Dyson, who cancelled the review.

In January this year the value of the Square Trust helicopter service

was proven when two young teenagers got into difficulties off

the Tangimoana Beach coast. The pilot spotted the teenagersminutes after receiving the alert and Pip jumped into the water

to keep the youngsters afloat. If the helicopter had come from

Wellington or Hastings, it could have been too late.


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Official Journal of Rural Women New Zealand PO Box 12021, Wellington Tel 04 473 5524 Fax 04 472 8946

Email [email protected] www.ruralwomen.org ISSN no 1171-4425

Editor: Head Office, PO Box 12021 Wellington Printer: Precise Print & Design, Paraparaumu

A strange mob of heifers greeted 25 women who attended ananimal health seminar organised by the Waiau Women in

Farming (WIF) group recently. But by the end of the two day

event the women had become quite familiar with the beasts,

having vaccinated them, given them a copper bullet and learnt

the secrets of de-horning them.

The womens confidence was boosted by handling the

animals, rather than simply sitting in a woolshed listening to a

lecture, says Waiau WIF member Sue Harris.

The seminar was the latest in a series presented by Phyllis

Leigh, a veterinarian from Taihape, with funding support from

the national WIF organisation and the Sustainable Farming

Fund. She was helped by Sarah Harris, a Kaikoura

veterinarian, and Lynda Homer from Schering-Plough-Cooper whoprovided free copies of a sheep disease textbook for participants.

Later the women learnt how to treat hypothermic lambs, including

the practice of injecting glucose solution into the abdomen, and how

to recognise the signs of pneumonia and other diseases.

The only thing we lacked was more time, says Phyllis Leigh, who

enjoyed sharing her knowledge with 25 enthusiastic women, all keen

to learn and not afraid to ask questions and have a go.

The Waiau group plans more seminars to further their knowledge, but

Phyllis commented: Like every other group Ive worked with, theyve

got a great deal of expertise within the group itself, theyre eager to take

on a challenge and supportive of each other in doing it.

Taihape vet Phyllis Leigh watches Lisa Hire from Kaikoura copper bullet an 18 month old heifer

Rural Women New Zealands national conference in Dunedin

in June will coincide with the new membership boost to our

organisation following the merger with Women in Farming.

As part of the conference agenda, a special tour to Invermays

AgResearch complex has been organised for Women in Farming

and Women in Agribusiness members.

An interesting programme has been put together and will include

speakers on the genetics of lamb survival, disease resistance and

ewe fertility; central performance testing, SIL across-flocks

evaluation, environmental aspects of farming, groundwater quality,

and nitrogen use - particularly on hill country properties.

Invermay Tour at national conference

Women in Farming

waiau women raring to go

April 2005 Rural Women Magazine, New Zealand

Documents

Transcript of April 2005 Rural Women Magazine, New Zealand