Blazing a trail for women in agriculture
1/6/2017Based in Bowen Qld, Stackelroth Farm is an almost all-female operation managed and operated by same-sex couple Michelle O'Regan and Belinda Williams.
Based in Bowen Qld, Stackelroth Farm is an almost all-female operation managed and operated by same-sex couple Michelle O'Regan and Belinda Williams.The farm that produces mainly butternut and Halloween pumpkins has been in Ms Williams's family for three generations. It was Pam Stackelroth, Belinda's mother who started the female tradition when her father died in a farming accident.
Ms O'Regan recalled "Pam was a director of one of the packing houses of a major company, and one of the managers said to her 'What are you going to do now? Women can't farm',"
According to Ms O'Regan and Ms Williams the attitude towards women farming the land has changed these days
"I think a lot of that acceptance comes from the hard work, resilience, sheer determination and courage that both Belinda and Pam have displayed," Ms O'Regan said.
"They are very respected in the industry, knowledge-wise as well as work-wise, so I think their work ethic has shone through."
When Tropical Cyclone Debbie hit the farm in late march, the family lost all of their butternut pumpkins.
"It was pretty overwhelming coming back to the farm the day after, especially seeing sheets of tin from the sheds scattered through our paddocks and the crop totally annihilated," Ms O'Regan said.
"We had a few moments but we dusted ourselves off and go again."
That resilience has long been a trait of any farmer, and a family trait for Ms Williams.
"For farmers like Belinda and her mother and the family, that toughness and resilience to bounce back is really ingrained in them," Ms O'Regan said.
What about the benefits of an all-female farm? It seems multi-tasking is a big advantage.
"Multi-tasking is a very big thing, and thinking on a lot of levels and fast on your feet … I'm not saying that males don't, but in the business it is a bit of a different approach," Ms O'Regan said.