Column

Is it difficult to be a female CEO in agriculture in Australia?

By Melinda Hashimoto, CEO, Egg Farmers of Australia For this article I was asked the question, is it difficult to be a female CEO in Australian Agriculture? The answer incorporates a number of elements. CEO is a generic term but there can be a vast difference in the roles of a CEO from one […]

Tools to deal with (seasonal) loneliness

A column on mental health by Erica Leniczek First off, cheers to a New Year to everyone! Holidays are often a time where people gather with loved ones, celebrate, give, and eat lots of yummy foods. For some, however, the holiday season can be missing loved ones, lonely, and filled with financial stress, and […]

Teaching an old dog new tricks

by Melanie Epp I grew up in a household where my parents frequently categorised tasks as ‘men’s work’ and ‘women’s work.’ In a family of five kids and two dogs, dividing work in a way that caused the least amount of fuss was understandable – necessary, even. For most of my childhood, I never even […]

Happy first birthday, Women in Ag Magazine!

on International Women’s Day March 8, International Women’s Day. But also the day the first issue of Women in Ag Magazine was published, exactly one year ago. A symbolic date to launch a magazine for and about women in an industry where gender inequality is still a major stumbling block. While we have published beautiful […]

What’s in a name?

by Melanie Epp A few months ago, a lively debate unfolded on Twitter about the term ‘farm wife’. As I’m neither a farmer nor a wife, I decided to keep quiet. But I did follow the conversation closely. It all started when Canadian farmer Megz Reynolds posted this tweet: I’m not sure what led Megz […]

Strengthening mental health at home

by Melanie Epp As most farm families know well, farm life can be both demanding and stressful. Add to that the burden of adverse weather events, fluctuating commodity prices, family hardships, and a global health crisis, and you’ve got the makings of a mental health catastrophe. But what all of these things have in common […]

Own your vulnerability

by Melanie Epp In 2015, one of my North American editors asked if I would be willing to cover Agritechnica in Hanover for the province’s weekly farm paper. Due to budget constraints they had been unable to send a journalist in previous years. But since I had moved to Belgium the year before, I was […]

Column – Do we really need an agricultural magazine for women?

by Melanie Epp When I was first asked to write a regular column for Women in Ag, I was excited by the idea. To my knowledge, there are no other publications aimed at women who work in the sector. My excitement was quickly replaced by apprehension. In full disclosure, I am not a farmer – […]