Southern Belle

has done so far to increase the confidence of our members to achieve their aspirations and create a more progressive, successful, and inclusive industry. “

WiAS’s new Vice Chair Carole Brunton, based in East Neuk of Fife, is a Project Coordinator with the Royal Highland Education Trust alongside working on the family farm.

“This year we’ve really listened to our membership and have delivered four very successful events which included farm tours, workshops and networking. We’ve already started planning our events for next year, and I would strongly encourage anyone – male or female – to become a member and be the first to know when tickets go on sale.”

In addition to the new leadership team, WiAS – which has over 750 registered members – elected three members to join the Committee to serve a threeyear term.

Ailsa Smith, Doreen Anderson and Iona Smith bring a wide range of skills and experience in social media, governance, marketing, and facilitation to complement the existing committee.

Over sixty people attended the combined AGM and autumn event and enjoyed a full programme of events. The morning session kicked off with Claire and Nikki from Ardross Farm who shared their story about how the farm is run, how the shop started and how the business has evolved. Claire discussed the farm and the ups and downs she’d had along the way. Nikki shared the story of the farm shop and commercial kitchen and the importance of the family and wider team who all play an important role within the business.

Committee Member Lucy Mitchell who is the current chairperson for The Scottish Association of Young Farmers (SAYFC) and Events Manager at The James Hutton Institute shared her story about growing up on the family beef farm in Fife and the important role Young Farmers has played in her journey.

Claire, Nikki & Lucy shared their moving experiences of a family tragedy and the impact it had on them. They all talked about the importance they now place on family and of making the most out of life.

The final speaker of the morning was Mary-Jane Lawrie from SAC Consulting who leads the Farm Advisory Service (FAS) Women in Agriculture Events. Mary-Jane and her colleagues have set up a network of regional groups across Scotland to educate women working in, and connected to, agriculture on a range of agriculture-related topics - more info below.

After lunch, participants were split into three groups to attend three different workshops. • Workshop 1 was delivered by

Kirsty and Morna from the

Be Your Best Self (BYBS)

Course who ran a workshop on resilience. • Workshop 2 was delivered by Anna Davies from Scene & Herd who also contributes to the BYBS course. Anna’s session looked at Social

Media and how to have positive conversations and share your story. • Workshop 3 was a speed networking session which allowed participants to meet with new contacts and build their networks within agriculture - an important role of Women in Agriculture

Scotland.

WiAS’s events for 2023 are included below and members and non-members alike are encouraged to attend: • Regional Event 10 March 2023: Sinclair Agricultural and Recycling Services,

Aberdeenshire • Royal Highland Show

Breakfast, 22 June 2023 • Regional Event 6 September 2023: The Coo Shed, Ayr • AGM and Autumn Event, 8

November 2023

For more information, please ensure you are registered to receive the WiAS newsletter and following the social media accounts.

Hampering my ‘Buy Local; ethos!

For the first time in three years, I can look forward to my first overseas tour job since March 2020 – it will be travelling to the Caribbean, which involves two short flights between islands.

There is no bigger incentive to diet than having to admit your weight and luggage capacity before boarding. On return from a tour conference to Turkey, in November, my scales and I both groaned and operation ‘cut back’ was set in motion and frankly (to date) is working quite well.

I have no preconceptions that I will be ‘bikini ready’ by February but then I haven’t been bikini ready since 1978. New tour, new round of ‘where are you off on holiday next’, ‘can I hide in your case’ and ‘you are so lucky’. Having involved a couple of my friends in some of my ‘work’ last summer, they now agree that they would not want my job. It took one only an hour to concede!

Fortunately, working 16 hours a day for two weeks straight, continually smiling and visiting fabulous places, with great clients is a joy for me and I can’t wait to get back into the swing of things. The summer will also bring the incoming groups from New Zealand and Australia again and I am excited to see them.

I understand that my work has more influence on the climate than a herd of cows farting but in my defence I am a bore (to friends and clients alike) about buying local, using local services and drinking from the tap!

That’s unlike a hamper which arrived recently. While clearly pushing the ethical sustainable line (I would have been happier with a selection of haggis and sausages) it clearly missed the air miles implication of the following: nuts from Dublin (clearly not grown there); biscuits from Australia and Sweden; cake from Italy; olive oil from Greece; crackers from India; and tea packed in the EU having been flown from Rwanda.

The only product boasting British origin was … popcorn! Presumably made from USA corn. This from a generation who think we got it all wrong! What’s wrong with Scottish rapeseed oil, oatcakes, shortbread, clootie dumpling, tablet, Ecclefechan tart and Irn Bru. Now that’s a hamper. Diet over!