Rural women from across NSW and beyond will gather in Dubbo early next week for a two-day conference developed especially for women in family farming businesses.

Featuring workshops, panels, and activities tailored to the needs of women in farming on balancing family, farm life, and personal growth, Harvest Her Power: Empowerment and Skills Conference will be held from February 23-24 at Taronga Western Plains Zoo.

Led by Katja Williams, the founder of The Ultimate Farm Wife and co-host of the Agsolutley Fabulous podcast, the event includes practical training in fencing, tractor operation, farm safety and succession planning, as well as wellbeing sessions covering grief, relationships, identity and burnout.

Unlike many other ag-industry conferences which tend to focus heavily on “the business” of farming, Harvest Her Power focuses on supporting and empowering women on farms who make significant contributions to family businesses.

“We're trying to build empowerment skills and resilience in the women who are the backbone of the family farming business,” she told Dubbo Photo News.

“So we’re helping support them, create a network of lifelong friends, and build skills within them.”

Katja said people who grow up on farms will often have particular skills that those marrying into a farming family or moving into a farming business from another occupation won’t necessarily have.

“We're working on things like relationships, communication, health outcomes, and things like boundary setting and reducing burnout,” she added.

“We know the topics we're talking about are hard and can be triggering, so we really want the most amount of support we can get for women in family farming,” Katja explained.

Organisers realise the sacrifices made by attendees leaving their farms for two days to attend the conference, and especially those travelling from interstate.

“The committee and I have been working on this for over 12 months. We're pulling it all together to make sure that it's maximising the outcomes we can get, because we know that leaving the farm for two days is a big commitment,” Katja said.

“We want to make sure they're getting the absolute most out of it, and that it's something relevant to their day to day, or relevant for what's going to come up in their future, so they've got the skills and tools to be able to help with that process,” she added.

Acknowledging a number of attendees may have young children in tow, including Katja herself, organisers have included an area for children and breastfeeding-friendly couches.

“We know that women in family farming businesses are the primary carers of their kids, and there's not many childcare options for those who are traveling to the conference as well,” she said of the child-friendly arrangements.

Katja will co-host the conference with Alastair Mosey, a respected voice in the agricultural sector. The jam-packed program includes panels on finding your place within agriculture and succession planning, as well as sessions on grounding and alignment for women in farming; intimacy and relationships in rural communities; boundary setting to prevent burnout; and other health and well-being sessions. A cocktail party will be held on the evening of Monday, February 23, featuring a keynote address by author Fiona McArthur.

“Our aim is to help with the ‘one per cents’ that make the day better, that make the business better, that make [women] more sustainable and resilient, but not challenging their mental health at the same time,” Katja concluded.

For more information and to book tickets, visit https://farmwivesconference.com.au