Black Heels and Tractor Wheels – Presented by Rural Women New Zealand

Today on the podcast, we chat with Sandra Alfeld. Sandra lives on Glenhope Station, 24,000 acre high country farm, about 30 minutes North of Hanmer Springs. Sandra was previously the National Partnership manager of Meat the Need and Feed Out.  Sandra talks about succession, how off farm income can assist with the pathways to farm ownership, and how to grow your own community. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From press gallery to presentations, Penny Clark-Hall has a unique value proposition. She's been dissecting and discussing the importance of social license to operate for over half a decade.  We talk about the evolution of the social license conversation and its critical importance still today, for both business and market access. Penny is raising a young family, alongside life on the farm and also navigating farm succession. So, she's got her hands full indeed.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Heather McKay is our inaugural associate board member for Rural Women New Zealand. Today on the podcast we chat about Heather’s career development to date, along with her journey from the West Coast to the Tasman District. We also unpick pathways to dairy farm ownership, taking opportunities as they arise, and the importance of being purposeful in your career. Thanks so much for joining us Heather!  This is the last ep for 2024. See you in 2025!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Claire Edwards from the Tora Collective joins us on the Podcast today. We discuss Claire’s journey from Golden Bay to Marlborough and now Tora. From University to bars in Wellington and finding soulmates, to starting a sustainable, catch to order kaimoana business. What strikes us about Claire is her really strong and uncompromising standards and values. She has a deep connection with the consumer, and does it all with the longevity of the environment in mind. Thanks for chatting with us Claire!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the Black Heels and Tractor Wheels Podcast we have a great chat with Greer Paterson ✨ Greer lives on the Chatham Islands and provides us with an outlook of how truly unique and different Island life is. She talks us through the first moment she landed on the Chatham Islands, having never heard of it, or been there before she arrived. Her original plans changed and 6 years in, she is still on the Island 🏝 Greer really opens our eyes to how remote life is on the Island. We discuss some examples of seemingly ordinary activities like grocery shopping and planning for a birth take on a whole new meaning. We usually speak about rural and remote living, but this is really next level 🙌 Greer is so candid with her personal story and thoughtfully gives her perspective on how to overcome challenges and to develop a resilient mindset 🩷 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We have a chat with Sandra Matthews, Chair of RWNZ and local community legend. We yarn about engendering volunteering from a young age, developing identity as a woman coming onto a farm from outside, depression and anxiety, and also leadership pathways.  Sandra delivers some stellar advice on governance, leading yourself and leading others. Thank you so much Sandra for being so candid and open with us!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send us a textWe speak to Mel Bennett, a progressive leader in New Zealand's horticulture industry ✨Mel has come a long way- From accidental beginnings in the avocado sector 🥑 to pivoting into kiwifruit🥝, and now embarking on her new journey as a mum. We discuss the importance of both backing yourself as well as getting super support in a new journey, building strong relationships, grabbing opportunities with both hands and when you bite off more than you can chew- you gotta chew like hell! 🙌See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send us a textJoining us on the Podcast is Nadine Tunley, CEO of Horticulture New Zealand. Nadine has always had a very strong connection with the food and fibre sector, having grown up in rural New Zealand. Prior to Hort NZ, Nadine was primarily in the apple and pear industry and Mānuka honey. Nadine candidly talks to Emma and Claire about surrounding yourself with great people, resilience and grit, and the importance of being bold and owning your mistakes. This was a great chat full of golden nuggets for anyone out there who may need an extra push to go out and make that next step.  You can listen here: https://lnkd.in/gYz4hfXD#blackheelsandtractorwheels #podcast #ruralwomennzThank you so much for joining us Nadine!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send us a textToday on the Black Heels and Tractor Wheels podcast, we have Kate Scott of Landpro joining us for a chat. Kate is Landpro’s Executive Director, a 2018 Nuffield Scholar and 2023 recipient of the Rabobank Emerging Leader award. Landpro is an environmental consultancy business, working with farmers and growers to help them navigate hurdles and challenges in the environmental space. Kate grew up on a dairy farm in Taranaki and packed up her life, along with her husband, to go and milk cows in central Otago. When Kate was 26, she jointly established Landpro which has now steadily grown to a team of about 75 people.Kate chats about what makes a good leader, how Landpro cultivates such a great culture within their growing team, the importance of trying (and failing), and the advice she would give to 20-year-old Kate. Thank you so much for joining us Kate!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send us a textHayley Gourley joins us on the Black Heels and Tractor Wheels Podcast this week!Hayley hails from a dairy farm on the West Coast, and has had roles in Skellerup, Pāmu, Rabobank and Environment Canterbury to name a few.  Hayley has spent her career in the food and agribusiness sector, and is extremely passionate about all things Agri. Hayley talks to us about selling yourself, acknowledging your weaknesses, being calm under pressure, and the changing face of the sector. #blackheelsandtractorwheels #podcast #ruralwomennzThank you so much for joining us Hayley! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.