High profile speakers feature at this year’s Women in Dairy

This year's Women in Dairy Conference on 28 September at Sixways Stadium, Worcester, features high-profile speakers who will be helping inspire and motivate attendees on their personal and business journeys. 

Clinical Psychologist Dr Hannah Vickery will lead a workshop session to support attendees to reflect on the motivations of themselves and their staff; to develop their skills as empowering, motivating leaders who inspire teams to take a solution-focused approach to challenges.

Hannah is a Clinical Psychologist, accredited Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) therapist, and the current Director of Training at the Charlie Waller Institute, which offers award-winning training and research in evidence-based psychological treatment. 

She is passionate about helping individuals develop their skills and inspiring them to take on new challenges. She says: "I am a strong supporter of women in farming, being the wife of a vet and niece of a dairy farmer and want to empower attendees to have the confidence to make changes or take the next step in their career or personal journey."

Other speakers include Fran Edmunds, Head of Grants, Payment-by-Results & Labelling, Animal Health and Welfare Pathway at Defra. She will be discussing her work and the latest developments within the department. 

Fran heads up policy development for multiple components of Defra's Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, leading teams which are focused on grants, payment-by-results and labelling. Her team also specialises in providing advice on farm animal welfare and co-designing with the industry.

Barbara Griffith from DairyLink will share her inspiring journey from Dairy Farmers of Britain (DFOB) to founding DairyLink UK. This company focuses mainly on providing primary school milk to children around the UK using local farmers, processors and distributors. 

Barbara has been in the dairy industry for over 24 years, working for much of this time with schools and caterers. She will be discussing her work and what has inspired her on her journey to make changes in the industry. 

Tickets to the Women in Dairy Conference cost £55 (+VAT and booking fee. Discounts are available for groups, students and NFYFC members. Women in Dairy Members receive a 25% discount. For more information, visit www.womenindairy.co.uk/conference

Early bird tickets on Sale for Women in Dairy ‘Motivation for Change’ Conference

Discounted early bird tickets are now on sale for this year’s Women in Dairy (WID) ‘Motivation for Change’ Conference on 28 September, Sixways Stadium, Worcester. 

Until 31 July, tickets are at the discounted rate of £50+vat+booking fee, with Women in Dairy members receiving a 25% discount on the ticket price. 

This year renowned clinical psychologist Dr Hannah Vickery, Director of Training at the Charlie Walker Institute, Reading, will lead motivational workshops equipping delegates with the skills to help them meet their goals. 

She will discuss how delegates can motivate themselves and their team and the benefits they can bring to a business. 

This year’s conference is designed to help delegates take that next step and push the barriers. 

Women in Dairy patron and conference chair Di Wastenage said: “Focussing on motivation will allow us to explore how we can find the energy and drive to set new goals. Everyone is on their own journey and having a plan for yourself and your business can bring tremendous personal and business rewards. 

“We want this conference to be thought-provoking, and whether delegates are looking for personal motivation or the tools and skills to motivate their team, this conference will help. It also provides a safe place for people to share their own experiences,” she added. 

The one-day conference will also feature motivational talks from DairyLink Managing Director Barbara Griffiths, who will discuss her journey from working at Dairy Farmers of Britain (DFOB) to where she is now. In addition, Becca Cavill from Boehringer Ingelheim and Meg Lawrence, a Vet Tech at Tyndale Vets, will also look at how you can motivate yourself and your team to improve calf health. 

The conference is also a great networking event for women in the industry, with refreshments and lunch provided. 

Tickets for the event at Sixways Stadium, Worcestershire, can be purchased at womenindairy.co.uk/conference, where there is also more information on the conference. 

Why join Women in Dairy?

Women in Dairy (WID) has been gaining traction since it was established in 2015, with member numbers and regional groups increasing yearly. With many face-to-face events kickstarting again this year, including the popular WID Conference in September, we speak to some members to find out what being a part of this group offers them.

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Rosie Chandler, attends the Staffordshire WID Group

I joined WiD around the time it was launched. I participated in a "Fresh Start" course coordinated by RABDF when I moved home to join the family farming business (having spent 20 years working as a lawyer). Having just joined the industry, I was interested in meeting other women who were already forging a career in the dairy industry and learning from them. There are some really inspirational people involved in the group (Di Wastenage, Abi Reader, Karen Halton, to name just a few).

WID allows learning from your peers in a friendly and supportive atmosphere. It's a great place for knowledge sharing and gathering hints and tips. The monthly Zoom sessions held during lockdown were really good too, there were some fantastic presentations and it was good to meet people from across the country involved in the group.

WID allows me to meet up with other people in my area working in the industry. Also, the annual conferences are excellent, a great day out and attract excellent speakers. Heather Wildman is probably still my highlight.

Why join WID?

Farming can be all-consuming, so it's great to be prompted to take a bit of time out away from the farm. Whether it is for a social event, a farm walk or a presentation, you will always learn something and it means a lot to have a local network of people to connect with.

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Isabel Moore, attends the Lancashire and Yorkshire WID Group

I joined WID in 2020. It's a very positive group to be part of, recognising that women have an integral role in many farming businesses and the wider industry.

Being a member has many benefits. The annual conference is a highlight. The online conference during the pandemic was impressive, with some brilliant speakers. Having a speaker such as Dr Nina von Keyserlingk (a highly influential professor in animal welfare) on the line-up demonstrates this group's influence.

WID is a great place to meet people. The first in-person meeting since Covid was a great networking opportunity. It has been nice to meet people in person that I'd only seen on a screen before!

Why join WID?

Women are doing great things in the dairy industry; being good farm staff, managing the farm, working in the allied industry, as I do, or doing international research. It's been a long time coming, but this group can help change perception and raise women's profiles in dairy.

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Helen Whittaker, attends the Lancashire and Yorkshire WID Group

I have only recently joined WID (but have been meaning to do it for at least two years!). As women in dairy, we need to get together, make new friends, and take time to discuss relevant issues with like-minded people. I have been to two meetings (one virtual) and one in person and found them informative, friendly and a great place to socialise.

Why join WID?

Ours isn't an easy industry at the moment with all the negative publicity on TV and social media, so meetings like these are fab.

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Message from WID Patron and founding member Di Wastenage, MBE

Women in Dairy was set up to bring like-minded people together to talk about the softer side of farming- topics such as succession planning, business and personal development, HR skills and market conditions. We also balance that out with more practical on-farm skills.

It's essential to recognise the skills set around the kitchen table and value those conversations, which is why bringing them together at meetings is important.

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About WID

Women in Dairy is an initiative from The Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF), designed to bring women working in our industry together through regional discussion group meetings to learn, network and promote the image of dairy farming.

Our aims are:

· Connect – Bringing women together from across the dairy industry.

· Share – Exchange knowledge and experiences to develop skills and confidence.

· Inspire – Encouraging innovative thinking and vision for the future of UK dairy.

WID operates through a network of regional groups, which focus on various topics chosen by the groups. Joining is a great way to meet other women in your local area, learn and share skills and get involved in something new.

Each year WID hosts an annual, one-day conference in September. WID members receive a 25% discount on tickets for the conference, among other benefits.

SOPHIE GREGORY NAMED 2021 DAIRY WOMAN OF THE YEAR

Dorset farmer Sophie Gregory was announced the winner of this year’s Dairy Woman of the Year Award, sponsored by HSBC UK, at the Women in Dairy Virtual Conference last month.

In addition to milking 360 cows with 150 followers alongside her husband Tom Sophie spends a lot of time engaging with the wider public. Predominantly using her social media channels and working with schools her aim is to educate people of all ages about the industry. An element of this includes taking part in Farmer Time, an industry initiative aimed at using digital communications to inspire and engage children about the sector and the journey of agriculture from farm to fork.

Sophie and her family have also featured in various Arla videos about farming and take part in Open Farm Sunday doing live videos for their social media pages.

Last year’s award winner, Cheshire dairy farmer Karen Halton, who was part of the judging panel, said all of the finalists were inspirational young ladies but Sophie’s passion and ethos for nurturing and mentoring new talent was second to none.

“She also had a grasp of the business and its finances and came across as a great communicator. Being hands on with the farm alongside bringing up a young family is no mean feat and Sophie makes it her priority to go the extra mile for the benefit of the industry.”

Describing the win as “one of the proudest moments of her farming career” Sophie said it was a shock to be named as a finalist let alone crowned winner.

“If there’s one piece of advice I could give to my younger self I would tell myself to have dreams, work hard, stay focused and surround yourself with good people.

“It’s important to never stop learning but you mustn’t forget to look after yourself along the way.”

With no background of farming Sophie has had to learn on the job. Whilst groups such as Women in Dairy are important to many within the industry Sophie explains how they are a great opportunity to meet people in similar situations, bringing women together to connect and share their ideas. “In such a fast-moving industry it’s important to have as many chances to meet likeminded people, develop skills and ultimately inspire the next generation into farming through what we learn.”

If you are interested in finding out more about Women in Dairy, its local networking groups or the award please visit www.womenindairy.co.uk

WOMEN IN DAIRY CONFERENCE TO FOCUS ON THE ART OF COMMUNICATION

The RABDF’s annual Women in Dairy Conference will take place virtually, on Wednesday 22 September, for the second year running as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The day is principally sponsored by HSBC, and speaker sessions will focus on the art of communication, a topic quite fitting given the circumstances of the past 18 months.

'HSBC UK Agriculture is delighted to support the RADBF Women in Dairy event again this year. As one of the UK’s leading Banks in the agriculture industry we are proud to sponsor the 2021 conference which recognises women in the industry. We wish RABDF a very successful conference and look forward to seeing you there’, said Helen Guy, National Agriculture Support Manager, HSBC UK.

Speakers will highlight the variation of communication involved in a dairy business and explain how this differs depending on the required outcome but is most often of equal importance.

Arla’s Alice Swift, AHDB Dairy’s Susie Stannard and Rachel Knowles from Trink Dairy will come together to form a panel discussion on consumer comms and trends. The session will give an insight into the work being done to positively promote milk to consumers and use a real life case study to explain the implementation of this when it comes to promoting a local brand.

Dr Marina von Keyserlingk will join the conference from Canada and will share her knowledge of dairy cattle welfare explaining how it is closely intertwined with the perceptions of the industry.

Other speakers include Kath Aplin from Women in Dairy national sponsor Boehringer Ingelheim, Emily Norton from Savills and Angela Trotter and Grace O’Dwyer from HSBC. All emphasising the need for efficient communication and how, as an industry, we have a way to go and can do more to ‘shout about’ what we are doing and what benefits dairy can bring.

Women in Dairy coordinator Emily Egan says after the last 15 months it’s so important that we come together, even if it is online, to learn, share and celebrate our industry and the brilliant women who work in it.

“We’re looking forward to a fantastic line up of speakers who will give delegates plenty to take back to their own businesses to improve the communication both on and off farm.”

The presentation of the Dairy Industry Woman of the Year Award will take place as part of the conference and will be presented to the individual who most practises the three Women in Dairy values through their work – connecting with others in the industry and wider public, sharing their knowledge and experience and inspiring their peers.

Further information, tickets and a full programme for the day can be found online at www.womenindairy.co.uk/conference

Tickets start from £25 with a discount for Women in Dairy members.

Please call the office on 02476 639317 or email emilyegan@rabdf.co.uk with any queries.

ARE YOU CAPITALSING ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA USE?

Do you look at social media as an instrumental tool in your business? According to Sheena Hopper, agribusiness marketing consultant, talking at the latest Women in Dairy webinar, we all should be.

Ms Hopper said over the past year global figures show a 13% increase in social media use with Facebook and Instagram being the most popular channels.

“Within our industry Instagram is a growing channel and if used effectively it can have a far greater engagement than other platforms.”

If you’re wondering why you’d want to use social media then there are a whole host of reasons, however, it is important to decide the values of your farm brand so these can act as a framework for your content.

Using social media is a great way of representing your farm which helps with overall business connections and attracting new staff, and, if you share your news and views creatively and accurately, it is a great opportunity to act as an advocate for the industry.

Current Dairy Industry Woman of the Year and dairy farmer, Karen Halton, explained how using social media has helped grow the farms profile and promoted the use of its on-site vending machine to the public.

“We used Facebook to promote our new milk shack and the direct effect it had was really noticeable in terms of people using our vending machine to get their milk. We’ve also found it a really good tool when we have job vacancies as it attracts young applicants, who we are keen to employ, as they are the future of the industry.”

Simply put, a professionally run social media channel reflects a professionally run farm business, so bear this in mind when posting content that a wide platform of users may see.

Inevitably alongside social media use comes trolling and anti-dairy users which is why it is paramount to showcase the good of the industry through your platform.

Ms Hopper explained how antis want a reaction so it is best to ignore their comments and block their accounts as a response can have detrimental effects on your business.

“What a lot of people don’t understand is a lot of ‘trolls’ are paid to make comments on posts with the hope of making the post viral to the detriment of the business, however, whilst we must be aware of the risks the benefits far outweigh the negatives.”

If you’re looking to start building a social platform it’s important to understand each channel and what suits your needs best. To get the most out of your account you must utilise the features on offer, for example, on Instagram using IG Live and stories will help capitalise the effectiveness of your account. Similarly, if you use Twitter, you need to be aware of the ‘shelf life’ of your tweets and post regularly to ensure content is seen.

The full webinar can be viewed online at www.womenindairy.co.uk/online-workshops-1

NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR DAIRY INDUSTRY WOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD

Nominations are being requested for women working in the dairy industry demonstrating the qualities connect, share and inspire, to be considered for this year’s Dairy Industry Woman of the Year Award.

The award celebrates the achievements of women in the British dairy industry and is run by Women in Dairy, an RABDF initiative. The group is designed to bring women working in the dairy sector together through regional discussion group meetings.

Successful candidates must practice the three Women in Dairy values through their work – connecting with others both in the industry and wider public, sharing their knowledge and experience and inspiring their peers.

Previous award winners include livestock consultant Jude Capper, Mary Quicke of Quicke’s Cheese, dairy farmer and AHDB and NFU board representative Janette Prince and most recently Karen Halton of Halton Farms.

Women in Dairy patron Di Wastenage said: “There are a lot of inspiring women involved in our industry who are fundamental to driving the sector forward. Awards like this are important to recognise and reward their success!  

“Nominees do not need to work on a dairy farm, but they must be involved in the industry. This means as well as farmers we can receive nominations for vets, consultants, technicians and people working right across the dairy supply chain.”

Last year’s winner Karen Halton said it had been an honor and a pleasure to hold the title.

“I am proud to be an ambassador and promote a wonderful industry and this award will forever be at the top of my lifetime achievements list.

“It is important we continue to promote and reward the great women working in dairy and show the next generation there are great things to be achieved in our industry.”

Nominations close on 16 July after which all entries will be reviewed by a panel of judges and the finalists selected. Finalists will then be contacted for a short interview with judges and a member of the steering committee.

The winner of the award, sponsored by HSBC, will be announced at the Women in Dairy Conference, taking place virtually, on Wednesday 22 September 2021.