Farm Manager Reveals How Technology Can Help Rural Women Reach Their Career Goals

We bet you weren’t aware of the fact that National Agriculture Day passed only recently- on the 20th of November.

It’s strange how little focus we place or interest we take in a field that essentially guarantees our survival. Lucky for us, people like Amy Walker still exist. On this auspicious day, the farm manager shared her success story and how technology has aided her, and many women like her, achieve their career goals in agribusiness.

Deposit Photos | Farming is no longer gender-centric

It wasn’t always easy

Walker reveals that this change in society didn’t come around easily. Up until 1994, women in Australia were not legally permitted to own land, could not be ‘farmers’, and could only help on farms as helpmates, domestics, or farmers’ wives.

The manager also reveals that while the agribusiness in Australia has undergone much reform, underlying prejudice still remains quite evident, and women are always required to put in that extra work to prove that they are deserving of managerial roles.

Deposit Photos | An interest in farming is often ridiculed

This prejudice, she adds, comes from both genders, too. Walker recalls her time growing up when her love of agriculture had earned her the nickname, ‘Aggie Amy’. Her preference of spending time at the farm, rather than partying away like high school students usually do, also became a reason for her getting bullied and taunted often.

Despite the difficulties, Amy clarifies, it is important that you stay true to your passion. Once she discovered her breakthrough job, working as a Station Hand at Breakfast Creek, her troubles were significantly decreased, now surrounded by people who shared her love for agriculture.

However, being a minority in any industry comes with its own set of hardships and drawbacks. Nevertheless, Walker assures, women’s representation in the agriculture sector has been increasing. Currently, women account for 32% of the total agricultural workforce in Australia.

Amy’s advice to aspiring female farmers

The biggest advice Amy has to disseminate is to work smarter, not harder.

Walker explains that technology is now playing a leading role in the growth of the industry, with innovative tools now at farmers’ disposal, such as farm management software and labor-saving machinery. This is not only aiding farmers in increasing their efficiency, but also their profit.

In this manner, Amy spells out, it has become much simpler for women to enter and prosper in the industry, too. What makes it better, is that women are generally much quicker to grasp new technologies, thanks to their minds always looking for easier ways to conquer challenging tasks.

Deposit Photos | Technology can be your best friend

As a final note, Walker encourages women to join the agriculture sector and promises that the career will be worth their while. At the end of the day, the future of the world depends on sustaining the industry.