Company Manson Podcasting Network

Growing up as one of four children on a sheep farm in southern New South Wales, I think I always knew that it would not be me that was coming home to work as the 'farmer'.
This was never implicity suggested, it was just a feeling. For females who've grown up on a farm, I'll bet many of you had the same feeling.
Today's guest Jess Howard certainly did. She grew up on a farm in western Queensland and a career or life in agriculture didn't quite feel 'right' to her - but with such a strong attachment to the land and place where she grew up, this has always been an uncomfortable feeling.
As she carved her path in jobs and vocations internationally, there was always a yearning to return home, to be able to 'contribute' to agriculture and her family's long held love of life on the land. Is this a feeling you've ever had? I most certainly had.
Here are my musings on this - Just because you don't want to be a 'farmer' does not mean you don't want to be a part of the life on the land, to help build up the industry at large, the communities that live there and do something with your talents that honour your family's values and business direction.
Up until now, it's been hard for families to recognise, support and celebrate the multitude of skills that could be put to good use in an agricultural operation.
Don't get me wrong - this is definitely changing now, but it's a quandary that's been felt by women all over, and at a very deep level. If you're not a 'farmer' then your not really involved.
I'm not sure if this is making sense, so I'll let you listen on this conversation with Jess Howard, editor of Bush Journal and one of the women of the Bush Collective - an instagram platform celebrating the beauty of bush life through incredible photography, seriously there's nothing second grade about this account.
You can pre-order the Beauty in the Bush Collective's hard cover book - Bush Life here.

There's no deny-ing it today's guest is infatuated with routines, systems and being organised.
Bridget Johns lives on a broad-acre cropping, sheep and goat farm on the Yorke Peninsula of South Australia with her husband and two children She's a mother, organisational expert and a grants writer and founder of Be Simply Free.
Bridget teaches women to go from being time poor to time rich by decluttering their homes, phones, calendars and minds.
What I have found fascinating is that Bridget is also driven by data and as you will hear in this interview, many of the things she does in her life are formulated with reference to data - the time she get's up for example of 4.44am.
But please don't let this turn you off. It's true, I don't think I have ever met anyone so organised but I am very glad Bridget Johns has come into my life and I most certainly am taking heed from her approach to managing her farm household.
You can find Bridget and her courses at besimplyfree.com.au or @be.simplyfree on Instagram.

Today’s guest Sophie Weeding is rural girl born and bred making her make as a mark as super talent bed and breakfast creator in Tasmania.

Born of late nights scrolling on Pinterest while breastfeeding her babies – Soph realised she could channel her skills in design and branding in a venture recreating old homes near her farm in Tasmania. To-date she has three super gorgeous accommodation options under her belt, The Bruny Boathouse, Raffah House and a new addition - a beach shack on the east coast of Tasmania

Sophie is a full time mum, secretary of the local Agricultural Show and her love project is the renovation and management of these three Bed and Breakfasts.

Sophie lives in Oatlands in Tasmania with her husband Nick and her two children Willie and Archie

Soph actually great up in the lush landscape of Western Victoria, so I wondered how on earth she ended up in Tassie in the first place.
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Today we head to north, and then West, to the main street of Tambo in Queensland.
To meet the current co-owner of Tambo Teddies – a beautiful bush business born of adversity – as in when the price for wool was taking a pounding in 1992, over 40 years ago now.
“A brain storming session during a workshop developed the idea that Tambo could assist the wool industry, encourage tourists and create employment by making unique teddy bears from wool pelts and stuff them with wool.”
40 years later, Tambo Teddies remains. Its current owners are Tammy Johnson and Alison Shaw who I speak with today.

The first is The Suite Set, a business making and manufacturing hospital packing bags, and the second is Sally Branson Consulting, a crisis management advisory business.
She is a mum to two young kiddos aged four and five.
I feel a tad embarrassed to say I’ve never come across Sally before, but I should have as she’s a bit of a big deal, having previously been the State Director of the National Party, Senior Advisor to Federal Minster for Small Business and Press Sec to Prime Minister Tony Abbott.  
You can find out about the minute of Sally’s day-to-day routine on our Daily Routines podcast too.
 
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Thanks for tuning in – I’ll be back next week when we speak with wonderful bush business Tambo Teddies.

Rosie is a photographer, videographer, and creative director based in Esperance on the south coast of Western Australia. Having spent her childhood in the bush and the beach, Rosie works as a freelancer specialising in these areas - shooting everything from farmers and machinery, to ocean-side fashion and lifestyle campaigns. With a background in journalism and a passion for creativity and storytelling, Rosie does everything from shooting photo and video, to styling, production and creative direction, and writing. Every day is different. When she isn’t shooting and creating, she’s often out exploring her backyard with her trusty side-kick Nelson (of the red Kelpie kind) by her side, ever in search of adventures and inspiration. Her passions are rural and regional Australia, storytelling, mental health, psychology, creativity, design, regional development, swimming, skating, adventuring and exploring.

Thank you to Bec Bignell who suggested I interview Rosie for Company! You can hear the interview we did with Bec for Graziher's Life on the Land' here.