For many years now, New Zealand-born Fiona Baird has been bringing fun, fashion, and an incredible work ethic to her role as a stockwoman on live export shipments from Australia throughout Southeast Asia. Her story stands out because, despite the grit and grime of working with animals all day, she maintains her high style standards with well-done hair and bold red lipstick and a touch of chanel perfume. However, Fiona’s journey wasn’t always centered on live exports. She has lived a vibrant life, with many twists and turns since her childhood on a farm in the South Island of New Zealand, from a makeup artist in Melbourne to closing her eyes and pointing to a place on the Australian map landing her a job as a barmaid in Camowheel in QLD. In this episode we will also touch on greif, for Fiona it was loosing her father and we talk at length about the impact of what that has had.

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@appletreeflat_nz
@FarmHer Hands

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Boarding school it can be an overwhelming decision and process, but the team from Boarding Schools Expo are here to help make that process easier. On October 11th join the Australian Boarding Schools Summit live online. Join expert panellists, parents, students and the schools themselves and deep dive into the stuff you want to know about.

Boarding Schools Expo Australia - helping families for 20 years - right from the heart of rural Australia.

This week on the podcast, we're thrilled to introduce Jade Mackay, a dynamic marketing consultant and rural business woman whose diverse journey bridges both urban and rural landscapes. Jade currently resides in Goondiwindi with her husband, Jack, and their 3-year-old son, Tom. Jack, an agronomist by trade, manages his own farm, growing wheat, barley, and chickpeas.

Jade's career path has been marked by pivotal moments and bold decisions, including a major shift at 35 when she realized that city life wasn't her ultimate destination. After earning a degree in Business with a focus on Marketing and PR, her first role as a Marketing & Admin Coordinator for Port Douglas Daintree Tourism set the stage for an impressive career. She went on to work for major companies like Wagamama in Sydney and Boston, David Jones, Foxtel, and News Corp in Sydney, Walt Disney and BSkyB in London, Virgin Mobile in Sydney, RB Sellars and White Story in Melbourne, and Goondiwindi Cotton back in Goondiwindi.

Jade and Jack, who met in 2018, have been married for five years. Their journey to parenthood was not without its challenges; after a five-year battle, they welcomed their beautiful son, Tom. Now, living rurally, Jade finds inspiration in the agriculture industry, particularly with the rapid advancements in technology. She sees immense potential for growth but emphasizes the critical need to attract more people to regional areas to support this development.

Passionate about creating change, especially as a rural woman, Jade believes in the power of community involvement. Whether it's joining a committee, volunteering, or taking on local work, she feels that immersing oneself in community life not only creates opportunities but also enriches the overall experience of living in rural areas.

Tune in to hear Jade's story of resilience, adaptability, and her vision for the future of rural industries and communities!

Follow Jade on Instagram and follow her Instagram picks or social suggestions:

@

Enjoyed the episode- producing these podcast are a blast and take time, I would love it if you could show me some love and support, by liking, rating and sharing this episode or you can do so by - Buying me a coffee

Please make sure you leave a review or rate this episode.

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Welcome Jill Kelly to the podcast. For over a decade, Jill has served as a district vet for Local Land Services in Western NSW, providing invaluable support to farmers with ruminant nutrition, welfare, and farm sustainability. When she's not dissecting sheep carcasses, Jill unleashes her creative side as a painter, known by the handle Miss Vet.

The phrase, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going," truly embodies Jill's spirit. During the drought in 2011, while the #BuyFromTheBush Campaign gained recognition, Jill initiated a personal project called the Drought Smoko. This effort, born out of necessity, saw her baking a cake every Tuesday and spending the morning discussing livestock management topics with local farmers, offering much-needed support and camaraderie during tough times.

Jill is a wealth of knowledge and is going to cover a lot in this conversation.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please rate and review it, and let us know any guests or topics you'd like us to cover.

Follow Jill on Instagram and follow her Instagram picks or social suggestions:

@miss.vet

Enjoyed the episode- producing these podcast are a blast and take time, I would love it if you could show me some love and support, by liking, rating and sharing this episode or you can do so by - Buying me a coffee

Please make sure you leave a review or rate this episode.

@married_tothe_land