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“It is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves, in finding themselves.“ – André Gide

I had visions of going to the ANZAC service and holding up a bar seat at the local for the afternoon 😆

But since I’m raising teenagers, the days tend to look a little different from my cunning plans. These days, there are last-minute trips, spontaneous chats, and saying yes to detours that weren’t in the plan. It’s in these moments—unexpected and sometimes chaotic—that they seem to be refining their sense of who they are.

So today, instead of quietly observing ANZAC Day, we honoured our fallen by living life to the fullest (and messiest!). We have so many privileges to be thankful for—and none of them came without the sacrifices of others. ♥️

Here’s to letting the adventure lead, especially when it’s theirs. 🍻

#farmkids #mud #ruralnz #resilientkids

“It is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves, in finding themselves.“ – André Gide

I had visions of going to the ANZAC service and holding up a bar seat at the local for the afternoon 😆

But since I’m raising teenagers, the days tend to look a little different from my cunning plans. These days, there are last-minute trips, spontaneous chats, and saying yes to detours that weren’t in the plan. It’s in these moments—unexpected and sometimes chaotic—that they seem to be refining their sense of who they are.

So today, instead of quietly observing ANZAC Day, we honoured our fallen by living life to the fullest (and messiest!). We have so many privileges to be thankful for—and none of them came without the sacrifices of others. ♥️

Here’s to letting the adventure lead, especially when it’s theirs. 🍻

#farmkids #mud #ruralnz #resilientkids

Looking for some free ways to keep the kids busy over the school holidays? Check out the Junior Landcare activity books and pages — they’re free to download from the NZ Landcare Trust website (link’s in my bio).

Here’s a tip: you can email the files to your local Warehouse Stationery and ask them to print and bind them. That’s what I did! Now we’ve got books, pens, and a wee Easter treat ready to share with a few of our followers. 🐣✨

We know the juggle is real for working parents, so if you think your kids would enjoy an activity book these holidays, send me a DM with your postal address and how many books your family could use. We have twenty activity books to send out so get in fast and please don’t be shy if you have a rural address!

@nzlandcaretrust #kidsactıvıtıes #ruralkids #screenfreekids #screenfreeactivities #rural #juniorlandcare

Looking for some free ways to keep the kids busy over the school holidays? Check out the Junior Landcare activity books and pages — they’re free to download from the NZ Landcare Trust website (link’s in my bio).

Here’s a tip: you can email the files to your local Warehouse Stationery and ask them to print and bind them. That’s what I did! Now we’ve got books, pens, and a wee Easter treat ready to share with a few of our followers. 🐣✨

We know the juggle is real for working parents, so if you think your kids would enjoy an activity book these holidays, send me a DM with your postal address and how many books your family could use. We have twenty activity books to send out so get in fast and please don’t be shy if you have a rural address!

@nzlandcaretrust #kidsactıvıtıes #ruralkids #screenfreekids #screenfreeactivities #rural #juniorlandcare

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
— Margaret Mead

Nearly 700 native trees planted in one morning along the Upper Waikirikiri/Selwyn River — all thanks to the mahi of local farmers and agribankers coming together for Stage 2 of the Upper Waikirikiri Catchment Collective project in Whitecliffs.

This is what community looks like. People rolling up their sleeves, getting in the dirt, and doing the work one bit at a time.

If you’ve been wondering how to make a difference — check in with your local catchment group. There’s powerful, hopeful work happening quietly all across the country and anyone can be a part.

@nzlandcaretrust @westpacnz

#nzfarming #ruralmentalhealth #ruralwomen #newzealand #catchmentgroupnz #nativetrees #community #volunteer

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
— Margaret Mead

Nearly 700 native trees planted in one morning along the Upper Waikirikiri/Selwyn River — all thanks to the mahi of local farmers and agribankers coming together for Stage 2 of the Upper Waikirikiri Catchment Collective project in Whitecliffs.

This is what community looks like. People rolling up their sleeves, getting in the dirt, and doing the work one bit at a time.

If you’ve been wondering how to make a difference — check in with your local catchment group. There’s powerful, hopeful work happening quietly all across the country and anyone can be a part.

@nzlandcaretrust @westpacnz

#nzfarming #ruralmentalhealth #ruralwomen #newzealand #catchmentgroupnz #nativetrees #community #volunteer

“If you get tired, learn to rest, not to quit.” - Banksy.

Yesterday involved driving a tractor. Today involved Pilates, coffee, nails, painting, a visit to @the_artists_in and baking cookies to serve on the beautiful new platter that I made. Some of today was about balance. Some of today was about celebrating a good first quarter. Some of today was about having semi-independent kids, which is a game changer. Hang in there parents of littlies - esp. if you’re in rural and without whanau help… it actually does get a smidgen easier!

#ruralnz #dairyfarm #ruralwomen #rural #balance #ruralmentalhealth

“If you get tired, learn to rest, not to quit.” - Banksy.

Yesterday involved driving a tractor. Today involved Pilates, coffee, nails, painting, a visit to @the_artists_in and baking cookies to serve on the beautiful new platter that I made. Some of today was about balance. Some of today was about celebrating a good first quarter. Some of today was about having semi-independent kids, which is a game changer. Hang in there parents of littlies - esp. if you’re in rural and without whanau help… it actually does get a smidgen easier!

#ruralnz #dairyfarm #ruralwomen #rural #balance #ruralmentalhealth

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” – Pablo Picasso

In the hustle of our busy lives as farmers, employers, employees, parents, and everything in between, it’s just too easy to take life seriously.

The things we do each day are critically important (who decided that we should be the adults?!)—the decisions that we make impact our animals, our environment, and other people. But when do we play?

For me, I’ve realized that finding time to create is essential for my own well-being. I think of creative practices as play, and play is where mistakes are not only okay but encouraged. I struggle to meditate in the true sense and journaling over time has become far too intellectual to be useful. And so I paint and I potter (mostly to create more surfaces to paint). If the brush slips or the pot cracks, it’s all part of the journey. Painting is where I find my breath, my freedom.

Thank goodness for the simple, tactile, centuries-old crafts that have brought so much joy to so many.

#ruralnz #watercolour #watercolor #floral #ruralmentalhealth #wellness #wellbeing #creativity

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” – Pablo Picasso

In the hustle of our busy lives as farmers, employers, employees, parents, and everything in between, it’s just too easy to take life seriously.

The things we do each day are critically important (who decided that we should be the adults?!)—the decisions that we make impact our animals, our environment, and other people. But when do we play?

For me, I’ve realized that finding time to create is essential for my own well-being. I think of creative practices as play, and play is where mistakes are not only okay but encouraged. I struggle to meditate in the true sense and journaling over time has become far too intellectual to be useful. And so I paint and I potter (mostly to create more surfaces to paint). If the brush slips or the pot cracks, it’s all part of the journey. Painting is where I find my breath, my freedom.

Thank goodness for the simple, tactile, centuries-old crafts that have brought so much joy to so many.

#ruralnz #watercolour #watercolor #floral #ruralmentalhealth #wellness #wellbeing #creativity

"Our children are the lens through which we see our legacy—what we show them today shapes the way they see the world tomorrow."

One of my favourite parenting hacks is to give the kids my DSLR and send them out onto the farm. When they come back (invariably calmer than when they left), I load the SD card onto my computer and see what they've taken. Their photos give me a glimpse into what they think is important, what they noticed in that moment, what made them stop and look twice.

Emily had my camera for the majority of our field day on Sunday and it's interesting to see the day through my daughter’s lens — she sees me working hard, doing what I love, and showing her that passion and parenting can go hand in hand. Being a working mother means wearing many hats, but one of the greatest joys is knowing that she’s watching, learning, and inherently building an understanding that her own contribution to the world matters.

#workingmum #throughherlens #farmlife #womeninag #ruralwomen

"Our children are the lens through which we see our legacy—what we show them today shapes the way they see the world tomorrow."

One of my favourite parenting hacks is to give the kids my DSLR and send them out onto the farm. When they come back (invariably calmer than when they left), I load the SD card onto my computer and see what they've taken. Their photos give me a glimpse into what they think is important, what they noticed in that moment, what made them stop and look twice.

Emily had my camera for the majority of our field day on Sunday and it's interesting to see the day through my daughter’s lens — she sees me working hard, doing what I love, and showing her that passion and parenting can go hand in hand. Being a working mother means wearing many hats, but one of the greatest joys is knowing that she’s watching, learning, and inherently building an understanding that her own contribution to the world matters.

#workingmum #throughherlens #farmlife #womeninag #ruralwomen

I’m going to let you in on a little secret…

He aha te mea nui o te ao
What is the most important thing in the world?
He tangata, he tangata, he tangata
It is the people, it is the people, it is the people
- Māori Proverb

Maslow’s hierarchy has long been my top philosophy in working with people. As we work our way up the pyramid, taking care of base needs, helping people feel secure, letting them know that what they think and do matters, we eventually reach peak - the top of Maslow’s pyramid where self actualisation, innovation and connection thrive.

Catchment groups have proven that when those base needs are cared for the resulting connections create the rocket fuel that we need for sustainable urban and rural communities. It’s a difficult concept to explain because it doesn’t have a metric but the wellbeing component of a shared purpose isn’t a nice to have to create an environment conducive to innovation and adaptation, it’s a must-have.

The social impact of catchment groups will be researched til the cows come home but it’s not the side-benefit that it’s being measured as, it’s the crucial step that makes the magic happen. As facilitators our job isn’t really about listing outcomes or determining steps, our true role is to create brave, robust spaces where communities can work on big issues and still thrive, enjoy themselves and feel supported in their mission.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret…

He aha te mea nui o te ao
What is the most important thing in the world?
He tangata, he tangata, he tangata
It is the people, it is the people, it is the people
- Māori Proverb

Maslow’s hierarchy has long been my top philosophy in working with people. As we work our way up the pyramid, taking care of base needs, helping people feel secure, letting them know that what they think and do matters, we eventually reach peak - the top of Maslow’s pyramid where self actualisation, innovation and connection thrive.

Catchment groups have proven that when those base needs are cared for the resulting connections create the rocket fuel that we need for sustainable urban and rural communities. It’s a difficult concept to explain because it doesn’t have a metric but the wellbeing component of a shared purpose isn’t a nice to have to create an environment conducive to innovation and adaptation, it’s a must-have.

The social impact of catchment groups will be researched til the cows come home but it’s not the side-benefit that it’s being measured as, it’s the crucial step that makes the magic happen. As facilitators our job isn’t really about listing outcomes or determining steps, our true role is to create brave, robust spaces where communities can work on big issues and still thrive, enjoy themselves and feel supported in their mission.

“We have neglected the truth that a good farmer is a craftsman of the highest order, a kind of artist.”
—Wendell Berry

Today was perfect. Today we held the first field day of its kind in the Mackenzie Basin and it was just a plain ole beautiful day - kids running through fields and climbing trees, farming friends old and new catching up, curious wagyu checking in on their visitors, urban and rural communities connecting through food.

We had guest expert speakers from @wildingfreemackenzie, @qeiinattrust, @alpinesalmon @docgovtnz and of course, got the inside scoop on how @lake.ohau.wagyu makes it from paddock to plate.

When we visit a farm we’re not just visiting a business. We’re being welcomed into a home, to explore and question the life-work of people who are entirely committed to the land that we’re standing on. It’s such an honour to be invited inside a farm gate. Thank you @lake.ohau.wagyu for your generosity and kindness… and also the magnificent BBQ.

@mackenziebasincollective you did good x

“We have neglected the truth that a good farmer is a craftsman of the highest order, a kind of artist.”
—Wendell Berry

Today was perfect. Today we held the first field day of its kind in the Mackenzie Basin and it was just a plain ole beautiful day - kids running through fields and climbing trees, farming friends old and new catching up, curious wagyu checking in on their visitors, urban and rural communities connecting through food.

We had guest expert speakers from @wildingfreemackenzie, @qeiinattrust, @alpinesalmon @docgovtnz and of course, got the inside scoop on how @lake.ohau.wagyu makes it from paddock to plate.

When we visit a farm we’re not just visiting a business. We’re being welcomed into a home, to explore and question the life-work of people who are entirely committed to the land that we’re standing on. It’s such an honour to be invited inside a farm gate. Thank you @lake.ohau.wagyu for your generosity and kindness… and also the magnificent BBQ.

@mackenziebasincollective you did good x

“The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do” - Walter Bagehot

This catchment collective in Upper Selwyn started Dec 2023 after we ran a simple town hall meeting. 15 months later they’ve been funded by MPI, Westpac Bank, the BUPA Foundation, the local water zone committee and received funded support from @nzlandcaretrust, Access to Experts and Mountains to Sea. They’ve been able to provide their communities with the services of @forceofnaturenz and Rural Coach. They’ve already got water monitoring training, biodiversity plantings, farm environment planning workshops and pest control projects underway.

This group is a testament to the magic that can happen when people band together and have the supported facilitation to work out where they want to get to early in their forming stages.

The real mahi is always on the ground and this is where we work our country toward a sustainable future for agriculture, rural and urban communities and protect our water, soil and climate.

#catchmentgroup #nzfarming #foothills #dairy #beefandlambnz #sustainability #sustainableag @nzlandcaretrust

“The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do” - Walter Bagehot

This catchment collective in Upper Selwyn started Dec 2023 after we ran a simple town hall meeting. 15 months later they’ve been funded by MPI, Westpac Bank, the BUPA Foundation, the local water zone committee and received funded support from @nzlandcaretrust, Access to Experts and Mountains to Sea. They’ve been able to provide their communities with the services of @forceofnaturenz and Rural Coach. They’ve already got water monitoring training, biodiversity plantings, farm environment planning workshops and pest control projects underway.

This group is a testament to the magic that can happen when people band together and have the supported facilitation to work out where they want to get to early in their forming stages.

The real mahi is always on the ground and this is where we work our country toward a sustainable future for agriculture, rural and urban communities and protect our water, soil and climate.

#catchmentgroup #nzfarming #foothills #dairy #beefandlambnz #sustainability #sustainableag @nzlandcaretrust

“Art can heal the wounds which medicine cannot touch.” — Debasish Mridha.

#pottery #ruralmentalhealth #dairyfarmer #hobby #wellbeing

“Art can heal the wounds which medicine cannot touch.” — Debasish Mridha.

#pottery #ruralmentalhealth #dairyfarmer #hobby #wellbeing

Thought these pretties deserve a permanent spot 🐄🥰
#speckledpark #cows #sheepandbeefnz

Thought these pretties deserve a permanent spot 🐄🥰
#speckledpark #cows #sheepandbeefnz

I’m often asked what I do for work and it’s kind of hard to explain. We know some about what farmers do, but what does catchment group support look like? I do a lot of facilitating in person and online but even that doesn’t tell us much. Sometimes it’s just easier to list what’s in the diary 😂

This week, I am:
🌱 Planning a set of biodiversity lessons and a field trip for a local Y13 rural college class. I love an excuse to teach young people!
🌳 Facilitating the creation of a new catchment group in North Canterbury around a culturally significant stream
🐄 Attending and supporting three Aotearoa Catchment Extension workshops on Monitoring & Evaluation (a free training programme run by @nzlandcaretrust for farmers around NZ)
💰Hopefully getting confirmed funding support for a group in Banks Penninsula for a riparian planting project
🏔️ Working with regional stakeholders to get more wetlands in line for funding through our Fonterra partnership
🙌 Planning a series of free to attend workshops for Canterbury Catchment groups, inc. Catchment Management Planning and a mountains to sea catchment forum
🌤️ Continuing to plan our very exciting field day to Ohau Downs Station.

Similar to farming, it’s a juggling act of managing many different projects and priorities, responding to changing conditions and celebrating when the wheels stay on 🍻

Have a great week everyone! And if you’re a farmer and looking for some support with a project or just wanting to connect with your locals DM me and I’ll see if we can’t line you up with your local catchment group 😊

#nzfarming #dairyfarm #womeninag #ruralprofessional #catchmentgroups #agriculture #newzealand #rural

I’m often asked what I do for work and it’s kind of hard to explain. We know some about what farmers do, but what does catchment group support look like? I do a lot of facilitating in person and online but even that doesn’t tell us much. Sometimes it’s just easier to list what’s in the diary 😂

This week, I am:
🌱 Planning a set of biodiversity lessons and a field trip for a local Y13 rural college class. I love an excuse to teach young people!
🌳 Facilitating the creation of a new catchment group in North Canterbury around a culturally significant stream
🐄 Attending and supporting three Aotearoa Catchment Extension workshops on Monitoring & Evaluation (a free training programme run by @nzlandcaretrust for farmers around NZ)
💰Hopefully getting confirmed funding support for a group in Banks Penninsula for a riparian planting project
🏔️ Working with regional stakeholders to get more wetlands in line for funding through our Fonterra partnership
🙌 Planning a series of free to attend workshops for Canterbury Catchment groups, inc. Catchment Management Planning and a mountains to sea catchment forum
🌤️ Continuing to plan our very exciting field day to Ohau Downs Station.

Similar to farming, it’s a juggling act of managing many different projects and priorities, responding to changing conditions and celebrating when the wheels stay on 🍻

Have a great week everyone! And if you’re a farmer and looking for some support with a project or just wanting to connect with your locals DM me and I’ll see if we can’t line you up with your local catchment group 😊

#nzfarming #dairyfarm #womeninag #ruralprofessional #catchmentgroups #agriculture #newzealand #rural

Mornings with the cows, afternoons in the garden, and evenings checking on the chickens—weekends don’t get better than this!

#farming #farminglife #speckledpark #cows #chickens

Mornings with the cows, afternoons in the garden, and evenings checking on the chickens—weekends don’t get better than this!

#farming #farminglife #speckledpark #cows #chickens

God took his time when he made this place.

The Mackenzie Basin is unlike any other part of our country. She is breathtaking in her vastness, in her contrasts, in her extreme beauty. Our family have celebrated in this Basin (we got engaged here), escaped to this Basin after calving and bunkered down in this Basin after ground-shaking loss. The Mackenzie Basin will always have a very special place in our families’ hearts.

Facilitating the creation of the @mackenziebasincollective will forever be a life highlight. I hope my children’s children visit here and tell stories about the work that this generation did. This is a land worth protecting with farmers worth celebrating and problems worth banding together over.

#mackenziebasin #nzfarming #catchmentgroupnz #newzealand #twizel @nzlandcaretrust @mackenziebasincollective

God took his time when he made this place.

The Mackenzie Basin is unlike any other part of our country. She is breathtaking in her vastness, in her contrasts, in her extreme beauty. Our family have celebrated in this Basin (we got engaged here), escaped to this Basin after calving and bunkered down in this Basin after ground-shaking loss. The Mackenzie Basin will always have a very special place in our families’ hearts.

Facilitating the creation of the @mackenziebasincollective will forever be a life highlight. I hope my children’s children visit here and tell stories about the work that this generation did. This is a land worth protecting with farmers worth celebrating and problems worth banding together over.

#mackenziebasin #nzfarming #catchmentgroupnz #newzealand #twizel @nzlandcaretrust @mackenziebasincollective

Throwback to these delicious spring Wedding Florals. This design used ornamental pear and crab apple blossoms x

Somewhere along the way, hobbies got sidetracked by the hustle culture. We seriously need to reclaim doing things for the sheer joy of it and blessing others just because we can.

“Creativity is intelligence having fun” - Albert Einstein

#dairyfarm #canterbury #hobby #floristry #ruralmentalhealth #weddingflorals #garden

Throwback to these delicious spring Wedding Florals. This design used ornamental pear and crab apple blossoms x

Somewhere along the way, hobbies got sidetracked by the hustle culture. We seriously need to reclaim doing things for the sheer joy of it and blessing others just because we can.

“Creativity is intelligence having fun” - Albert Einstein

#dairyfarm #canterbury #hobby #floristry #ruralmentalhealth #weddingflorals #garden

Nothing makes me spring out of bed like knowing there’s a wedding on! Today I had the honour of putting together some florals, the only guide being that the bride loves white hydrangeas.

I’m always mindful that the woman who planted our country garden didn’t have me and my children in mind when she was digging the soil. She, like me, was thinking of her own grandchildren and loved ones. Making arrangements like the ones that I made today are my small way of giving back.

#weddingflowers #hydrangea #whitehydrangea #countrygarden #dairyfarm #newzealand

Nothing makes me spring out of bed like knowing there’s a wedding on! Today I had the honour of putting together some florals, the only guide being that the bride loves white hydrangeas.

I’m always mindful that the woman who planted our country garden didn’t have me and my children in mind when she was digging the soil. She, like me, was thinking of her own grandchildren and loved ones. Making arrangements like the ones that I made today are my small way of giving back.

#weddingflowers #hydrangea #whitehydrangea #countrygarden #dairyfarm #newzealand

There’s so much work happening, in all of the regions, in all of the places. We were honoured to visit with three urban Auckland catchment groups, two have received funding through our corporate partnership funds with BUPA and Westpac. It was interesting for me to see the similarities between urban and rural challenges - it’s all about the skills to bring communities together, drawing on collaborative partnerships and being active in chasing those funding opportunities.

Thank you for having us Auckland.

#catchmentgroupnz #nzfarming #newzealand #sustainable #environment @nzlandcaretrust

There’s so much work happening, in all of the regions, in all of the places. We were honoured to visit with three urban Auckland catchment groups, two have received funding through our corporate partnership funds with BUPA and Westpac. It was interesting for me to see the similarities between urban and rural challenges - it’s all about the skills to bring communities together, drawing on collaborative partnerships and being active in chasing those funding opportunities.

Thank you for having us Auckland.

#catchmentgroupnz #nzfarming #newzealand #sustainable #environment @nzlandcaretrust

Let me introduce you to the big wide world of the “yes, and…”

“I miss being full time on farm with Jonny”
🐄 “Yes, and… I’m thankful that we both have great jobs that suit our young family”
“I’m a farmer”
🐄 “Yes, and… I work off farm in sustainable agriculture”
“I’m a rural professional”
🐄 “Yes, and… I live and breathe this farm where we are raising our family”
“We are extremely privileged”
🐄 “Yes, and… I am tired from a long week of work”.

“Yes, and….” (as opposed to “yes, but”) is how we acknowledge the grey area. The in-between. The concept that two seemingly opposing truths can both be true. None of us are black and white but rather experiencing the full range of the continuum.

Thinking in the “yes and…” lessens my personal feelings of guilt when I can’t give one area of my life all of my energy.
“But I’m her mother, I need to be at her sporting event”
“Yes, and… I am also one of only two people who provide for her.”

We try so hard to sum up a person succinctly… “she’s a working mother of three”, “she’s a farmer”, “she’s a SAHM”, “she’s a farmers’ wife”. Our lives are rather more layered and nuanced than that.

So today I’m heading to the North Island for almost a week in the city for work.
🐄 “Yes, and… on Saturday I checked the biodiversity plantings, the silage paddocks, the winter kale crops, the pigs, the lambs, the cows, the chickens.”
I’m going to love going for a walk to get coffee every morning.
🐄 “Yes, and… I’m going to miss getting milk from the shed with the kids”.
I’m going to feel refreshed from all the learning.
🐄 “Yes, and… on Thursday I went to the meet-the-teacher at school”.
I’m going to have a great week.
🐄 “Yes, and… I’ll miss the smell of the cows and the feel of the gentle Plains breeze and the squeeze of my children’s hugs.”

#rural #ruralwoman #farm #farmingwomen #dairyfarm #dairynz #nzfarming #ruralmentalhealth #farmkids #canterbury #newzealand

Let me introduce you to the big wide world of the “yes, and…”

“I miss being full time on farm with Jonny”
🐄 “Yes, and… I’m thankful that we both have great jobs that suit our young family”
“I’m a farmer”
🐄 “Yes, and… I work off farm in sustainable agriculture”
“I’m a rural professional”
🐄 “Yes, and… I live and breathe this farm where we are raising our family”
“We are extremely privileged”
🐄 “Yes, and… I am tired from a long week of work”.

“Yes, and….” (as opposed to “yes, but”) is how we acknowledge the grey area. The in-between. The concept that two seemingly opposing truths can both be true. None of us are black and white but rather experiencing the full range of the continuum.

Thinking in the “yes and…” lessens my personal feelings of guilt when I can’t give one area of my life all of my energy.
“But I’m her mother, I need to be at her sporting event”
“Yes, and… I am also one of only two people who provide for her.”

We try so hard to sum up a person succinctly… “she’s a working mother of three”, “she’s a farmer”, “she’s a SAHM”, “she’s a farmers’ wife”. Our lives are rather more layered and nuanced than that.

So today I’m heading to the North Island for almost a week in the city for work.
🐄 “Yes, and… on Saturday I checked the biodiversity plantings, the silage paddocks, the winter kale crops, the pigs, the lambs, the cows, the chickens.”
I’m going to love going for a walk to get coffee every morning.
🐄 “Yes, and… I’m going to miss getting milk from the shed with the kids”.
I’m going to feel refreshed from all the learning.
🐄 “Yes, and… on Thursday I went to the meet-the-teacher at school”.
I’m going to have a great week.
🐄 “Yes, and… I’ll miss the smell of the cows and the feel of the gentle Plains breeze and the squeeze of my children’s hugs.”

#rural #ruralwoman #farm #farmingwomen #dairyfarm #dairynz #nzfarming #ruralmentalhealth #farmkids #canterbury #newzealand

I met my younger self for coffee today. Original by Janelle Cecelia Poetry. Not in a million guesses would I have picked how this life would go 💛

#imetmyyoungerselfforcoffee #nzfarming #dairyfarming #farmingwomen #rurallife #ruralwomen

I met my younger self for coffee today. Original by Janelle Cecelia Poetry. Not in a million guesses would I have picked how this life would go 💛

#imetmyyoungerselfforcoffee #nzfarming #dairyfarming #farmingwomen #rurallife #ruralwomen

The beauty really is in the mess. How lucky are we to have family, friends, communities, neighbors, colleagues, loved ones that make life just that little bit nicer.

Valentines Day is a good excuse to celebrate our crew but real love is messy. Real love is making our kids wear a seatbelt, having a challenging conversation with someone we care about, enforcing boundaries, sacrificing to save for a deposit, massaging tired feet, folding the laundry and delivering a hot coffee first thing in the morning. Real love is choosing kindness everyday.

Happy Valentines Day team x

The beauty really is in the mess. How lucky are we to have family, friends, communities, neighbors, colleagues, loved ones that make life just that little bit nicer.

Valentines Day is a good excuse to celebrate our crew but real love is messy. Real love is making our kids wear a seatbelt, having a challenging conversation with someone we care about, enforcing boundaries, sacrificing to save for a deposit, massaging tired feet, folding the laundry and delivering a hot coffee first thing in the morning. Real love is choosing kindness everyday.

Happy Valentines Day team x

Last year our family slept in over 23 different towns and drove approx. 35k kms. As a rural family we spend alot of time in the car - getting groceries, travelling for work, going to school, having adventures, visiting family.

Time in the car can get intense with three kids but we have a no-device rule. I want our family to appreciate that the joy of travel is in the people you spend it with, seeing the new things out the window and sometimes even letting their mind wander and be bored.

Sometimes, it all goes to custard so we bring the team back together with a few car games that we never seem to grow tired of.

And yes, there’s a bit of psychology behind these too 😜

1. Highlight. Lowlight. Donkey. Sometimes we play thinking about the day we’ve had, or the last week, or the school day, and we take turns sharing our “Highlight. Lowlight. Donkey”. The first two are self-explanatory. The last one is something random that we were surprised by.

2. The Snoop Dog game. Named after the infamous “I wanna thank me” speech. We take turns saying three things that we love about ourselves. It sounds ridiculous but it gives us insights into where the kids are at in themselves and role models to them that we can be proud of ourselves and name our accomplishments. Sometimes I ask for more info behind what they’ve chosen as their top three, which always leads to interesting stories. I make sure to repeat each of the three things back to the child as they say it and finish the game by recounting the three back.

3. Car DJ. This one relies on a non-driving adult or a child old enough to assist. We take turns picking a song to play on Spotify. We go from Disney to Country to Eminem. Again, this gives us a read on where the kids are at and there’s a joyful balance that the younger children bring with songs about baby sharks and Disney. There’s something special about family singing together… esp. when no one else can hear 😂

Let me know how you keep your family entertained in the car, I’ll always take any help I can get!

#ruralnz #dairyfarming #dairyfarmingnz #countrykids #travel #travelnz “travellingwithkids #roadtrip

Last year our family slept in over 23 different towns and drove approx. 35k kms. As a rural family we spend alot of time in the car - getting groceries, travelling for work, going to school, having adventures, visiting family.

Time in the car can get intense with three kids but we have a no-device rule. I want our family to appreciate that the joy of travel is in the people you spend it with, seeing the new things out the window and sometimes even letting their mind wander and be bored.

Sometimes, it all goes to custard so we bring the team back together with a few car games that we never seem to grow tired of.

And yes, there’s a bit of psychology behind these too 😜

1. Highlight. Lowlight. Donkey. Sometimes we play thinking about the day we’ve had, or the last week, or the school day, and we take turns sharing our “Highlight. Lowlight. Donkey”. The first two are self-explanatory. The last one is something random that we were surprised by.

2. The Snoop Dog game. Named after the infamous “I wanna thank me” speech. We take turns saying three things that we love about ourselves. It sounds ridiculous but it gives us insights into where the kids are at in themselves and role models to them that we can be proud of ourselves and name our accomplishments. Sometimes I ask for more info behind what they’ve chosen as their top three, which always leads to interesting stories. I make sure to repeat each of the three things back to the child as they say it and finish the game by recounting the three back.

3. Car DJ. This one relies on a non-driving adult or a child old enough to assist. We take turns picking a song to play on Spotify. We go from Disney to Country to Eminem. Again, this gives us a read on where the kids are at and there’s a joyful balance that the younger children bring with songs about baby sharks and Disney. There’s something special about family singing together… esp. when no one else can hear 😂

Let me know how you keep your family entertained in the car, I’ll always take any help I can get!

#ruralnz #dairyfarming #dairyfarmingnz #countrykids #travel #travelnz “travellingwithkids #roadtrip

Our favourite farm team x We used to bring a playpen and baby carrier for these long days - it’s so much easier as they get older!

I was thinking about how hard the kids work alongside us. And about how we try so hard to balance hard work with loving life and “living” because we don’t want them to grow up resenting the rural life.

I think we’ve accidentally taught them to “work hard, play hard” 😂🤣🍻

#dairyfarming #youngstock #farmkids

Our favourite farm team x We used to bring a playpen and baby carrier for these long days - it’s so much easier as they get older!

I was thinking about how hard the kids work alongside us. And about how we try so hard to balance hard work with loving life and “living” because we don’t want them to grow up resenting the rural life.

I think we’ve accidentally taught them to “work hard, play hard” 😂🤣🍻

#dairyfarming #youngstock #farmkids

As the old saying goes, “Children cannot bounce off the walls if we take away the walls.” 😆 There aren’t four walls big enough to contain our family all day!

My old routine when the kids were little was brekki, outside play all morning (with many, many snacks), lunch, “quiet time” at 1pm (restful activities in or on each of their beds… usually resulting in a non-forced nap), quiet indoor time then dinner and baths. This rhythm has almost stayed with us naturally even as we’ve all aged… especially the midday quiet time. Maybe because we do so much, it often still feels like we’re a bit overstimulated by midday and we take ourselves off alone to our corners for a breather. My daughter and her primary school friends had a practise of taking quiet time breaks in a certain tree and they all knew just to let each other chill when one climbed into those branches. I really believe that giving a child a half hour to settle back into themselves, quiet their mind, reconcile the mornings new information, goes a long way to settling their behaviour. And I know it works for me too 🤣

I hope you all have a lovely long weekend with beautiful weather, good friends, and guiltless quiet time breaks that nourish your body and mind 🖤

#farmkids #dairyfarm #speckledpark #speckledparkcattle #rest #restasresistance

As the old saying goes, “Children cannot bounce off the walls if we take away the walls.” 😆 There aren’t four walls big enough to contain our family all day!

My old routine when the kids were little was brekki, outside play all morning (with many, many snacks), lunch, “quiet time” at 1pm (restful activities in or on each of their beds… usually resulting in a non-forced nap), quiet indoor time then dinner and baths. This rhythm has almost stayed with us naturally even as we’ve all aged… especially the midday quiet time. Maybe because we do so much, it often still feels like we’re a bit overstimulated by midday and we take ourselves off alone to our corners for a breather. My daughter and her primary school friends had a practise of taking quiet time breaks in a certain tree and they all knew just to let each other chill when one climbed into those branches. I really believe that giving a child a half hour to settle back into themselves, quiet their mind, reconcile the mornings new information, goes a long way to settling their behaviour. And I know it works for me too 🤣

I hope you all have a lovely long weekend with beautiful weather, good friends, and guiltless quiet time breaks that nourish your body and mind 🖤

#farmkids #dairyfarm #speckledpark #speckledparkcattle #rest #restasresistance

Thank you @crusadersrugbyteam for an epic morning at the Sheffield Rugby Club. We had a sleepless night and Jack woke us before dawn by hollering “WE’RE GONNA BE LATE FOR THE RUGBY”. Y’all made some dreams come true this morning and the chat in the car on the way home was about how respectful and kind all the players are 🙏 Thank you for making time for these kids and being the role models that our boys and young men need x

#rugby #crusadersrugby #sheffieldrugbyclub

Thank you @crusadersrugbyteam for an epic morning at the Sheffield Rugby Club. We had a sleepless night and Jack woke us before dawn by hollering “WE’RE GONNA BE LATE FOR THE RUGBY”. Y’all made some dreams come true this morning and the chat in the car on the way home was about how respectful and kind all the players are 🙏 Thank you for making time for these kids and being the role models that our boys and young men need x

#rugby #crusadersrugby #sheffieldrugbyclub

“If you don’t schedule a break, your body will take one for you. And it probably won’t be at a convenient time.”

2024 was hectic for our family and all five of us had the ends of our ropes in sight. Pretty sure at least two of us had already tied a knot in said rope and were just clinging on.

We work down South. As farmers the land and cows dictate where we work our day to day lives. But all of our family (with the exception of one farming sister and another five hours away) live in the North Island. Jonny and I grew up here. Although both islands are NZ, there are subtleties between the two that bring comfort to a bruised heart - gentle humidity touching skin, the musty smell of a hillside with indigenous covering as you drive past, the evening sounds of tui and kererū, pou just randomly at a car park, signs for local marae along the drive and the beaches! All 👏 the 👏 beaches 👏

As the time away moved on I noticed our family settle, then settle within, then settle together. It was very interesting to watch. Jonny and I spent a few nights away from the kids. We are the all important hub of our wheel and even though it’s a struggle arranging it we try to make time to be friends and be playful again. If we were to implode, the explosion would take out us, the kids, the farms, our future plans. In spite of the constant messaging to work, work, work nothing works unless we do together as a team first.

“Rest, in its simplest form, becomes an act of resistance and a reclaiming of power because it asserts our most basic humanity. We are enough. The systems cannot have us.”

Our bodies need rest. Our children, especially teenagers, need rest. Our souls need rest. Our relationships need rest. Our families need rest. We are going to be forever thankful for this trip x

P.S random side note: one of my city-dwelling sisters took a holiday in our farm house while we were gone! We needed a break from cows, she needed a break from traffic 😆 Bartering holidays for farmers could definitely become a thing!

#dairyfarm #nzfarming #reflection #ruralmentalhealth #newzealand #restasresistance

“If you don’t schedule a break, your body will take one for you. And it probably won’t be at a convenient time.”

2024 was hectic for our family and all five of us had the ends of our ropes in sight. Pretty sure at least two of us had already tied a knot in said rope and were just clinging on.

We work down South. As farmers the land and cows dictate where we work our day to day lives. But all of our family (with the exception of one farming sister and another five hours away) live in the North Island. Jonny and I grew up here. Although both islands are NZ, there are subtleties between the two that bring comfort to a bruised heart - gentle humidity touching skin, the musty smell of a hillside with indigenous covering as you drive past, the evening sounds of tui and kererū, pou just randomly at a car park, signs for local marae along the drive and the beaches! All 👏 the 👏 beaches 👏

As the time away moved on I noticed our family settle, then settle within, then settle together. It was very interesting to watch. Jonny and I spent a few nights away from the kids. We are the all important hub of our wheel and even though it’s a struggle arranging it we try to make time to be friends and be playful again. If we were to implode, the explosion would take out us, the kids, the farms, our future plans. In spite of the constant messaging to work, work, work nothing works unless we do together as a team first.

“Rest, in its simplest form, becomes an act of resistance and a reclaiming of power because it asserts our most basic humanity. We are enough. The systems cannot have us.”

Our bodies need rest. Our children, especially teenagers, need rest. Our souls need rest. Our relationships need rest. Our families need rest. We are going to be forever thankful for this trip x

P.S random side note: one of my city-dwelling sisters took a holiday in our farm house while we were gone! We needed a break from cows, she needed a break from traffic 😆 Bartering holidays for farmers could definitely become a thing!

#dairyfarm #nzfarming #reflection #ruralmentalhealth #newzealand #restasresistance

⭐️ 2024 ⭐️ What a year!

“You must never stop being whimsical.

And you must not, ever, give anyone else the responsibility for your life.

I don’t mean it’s easy or assured; there are the stubborn stumps of shame, grief that remains unsolvable after all the years, a bag of stones that goes with one wherever one goes and however the hour may call for dancing and for light feet. But there is, also, the summoning world, the admirable energies of the world, better than anger, better than bitterness and, because more interesting, more alleviating. And there is the thing that one does, the needle one plies, the work, and within that work a chance to take thoughts that are hot and formless and to place them solely and with meticulous effort into some shapely heat-retaining form, even as the gods, or nature, or the soundless wheels of time have made forms all across the soft, curved universe – that is to say, having chosen to claim my life, I have made for myself, out of work and love, a handsome life.”

- Mary Oliver

Today especially we will hear the old “don’t compare your life to someone else’s highlight reel”. I’d like to challenge that sentiment… when did we stop being happy for other people’s highlights? Why can’t we be joyful for one another? We complain that 2024 was a tough year - and then we complain when friends share all the good ♥️ Alongside the happiness in my reels is the equal hardship but we take the pictures and clips that show the joy, hopefully capturing the way the kids remember their childhood, and that’s what makes the highlight reel for any life. It’s all about the lens that we choose to look through 📸

Here’s to what was a big, surprising, busy, fun 2024 🥂

#2024 #review #farminglife #farm #dairyfarm #newzealand

⭐️ 2024 ⭐️ What a year!

“You must never stop being whimsical.

And you must not, ever, give anyone else the responsibility for your life.

I don’t mean it’s easy or assured; there are the stubborn stumps of shame, grief that remains unsolvable after all the years, a bag of stones that goes with one wherever one goes and however the hour may call for dancing and for light feet. But there is, also, the summoning world, the admirable energies of the world, better than anger, better than bitterness and, because more interesting, more alleviating. And there is the thing that one does, the needle one plies, the work, and within that work a chance to take thoughts that are hot and formless and to place them solely and with meticulous effort into some shapely heat-retaining form, even as the gods, or nature, or the soundless wheels of time have made forms all across the soft, curved universe – that is to say, having chosen to claim my life, I have made for myself, out of work and love, a handsome life.”

- Mary Oliver

Today especially we will hear the old “don’t compare your life to someone else’s highlight reel”. I’d like to challenge that sentiment… when did we stop being happy for other people’s highlights? Why can’t we be joyful for one another? We complain that 2024 was a tough year - and then we complain when friends share all the good ♥️ Alongside the happiness in my reels is the equal hardship but we take the pictures and clips that show the joy, hopefully capturing the way the kids remember their childhood, and that’s what makes the highlight reel for any life. It’s all about the lens that we choose to look through 📸

Here’s to what was a big, surprising, busy, fun 2024 🥂

#2024 #review #farminglife #farm #dairyfarm #newzealand

I am often asked what it’s like being raised mostly without a mother. My reply is to think back to every memory you have with your own mother - all the Christmas lights, the hot chocolates, the chats, the gifts, the meals - and delete them from your childhood. What’s left is life without a mum around.

Every mother that you know is tired right now. The luckiest of us will still only get eighteen attempts at creating the magic of Christmas for our children. The magic of family, thoughtfulness, giving. The resilient magic that teaches them that *this* is how we end a year no matter what happened in the eleven months before.

If you are a mother, I invite you to sit in the stillness of your home this Christmas Eve after the kids go to bed and look around at everything that wouldn’t be there if you weren’t there. Every decoration, every recipe, every light, every craft, every present, every bow, mentally remove everything that you have done for Christmas from your home. Gone. If you ever want to know if the work of a mother matters, Christmas is the perfect time to check. Your family is probably so confident in your love that they take it for granted. My children are always grateful, I love that but it makes me sad because gratitude comes from an awareness of loss. Imagine wishing for less grateful children 😆

So to my fellow mothers everywhere, Merry Christmas Eve. We ARE the magic. We are the elves, the North Pole, Mr and Mrs Claus, the nine reindeer and everything in between combined into one amazing human. What we do matters and will be remembered when our kids have their kids. And of course this is not the time to make a comment about how intriguing it is that we live in a society determined to give even our Christmas cred to a pale, stale, male I suppose… of course not! 😜

Here’s to us!🥂 May Christmas 2024 bring you and yours joy, laughter and the happy exhaustion of a day well lived.

I am often asked what it’s like being raised mostly without a mother. My reply is to think back to every memory you have with your own mother - all the Christmas lights, the hot chocolates, the chats, the gifts, the meals - and delete them from your childhood. What’s left is life without a mum around.

Every mother that you know is tired right now. The luckiest of us will still only get eighteen attempts at creating the magic of Christmas for our children. The magic of family, thoughtfulness, giving. The resilient magic that teaches them that *this* is how we end a year no matter what happened in the eleven months before.

If you are a mother, I invite you to sit in the stillness of your home this Christmas Eve after the kids go to bed and look around at everything that wouldn’t be there if you weren’t there. Every decoration, every recipe, every light, every craft, every present, every bow, mentally remove everything that you have done for Christmas from your home. Gone. If you ever want to know if the work of a mother matters, Christmas is the perfect time to check. Your family is probably so confident in your love that they take it for granted. My children are always grateful, I love that but it makes me sad because gratitude comes from an awareness of loss. Imagine wishing for less grateful children 😆

So to my fellow mothers everywhere, Merry Christmas Eve. We ARE the magic. We are the elves, the North Pole, Mr and Mrs Claus, the nine reindeer and everything in between combined into one amazing human. What we do matters and will be remembered when our kids have their kids. And of course this is not the time to make a comment about how intriguing it is that we live in a society determined to give even our Christmas cred to a pale, stale, male I suppose… of course not! 😜

Here’s to us!🥂 May Christmas 2024 bring you and yours joy, laughter and the happy exhaustion of a day well lived.

When I chatted with @__arpegejournals from @shepherdess.nz I told her that I didn’t think there was enough in my journey for it to be a story… and yet here it is - nine pages of family, loss and reconnection. There was a story in there after all! The thing about seeing something in print is that it solidifies what has passed. I didn’t expect the emotions that I have experienced watching my children read about their mother. If you’re curious head over to @shepherdess.nz, we’re in the Summer Edition with the gorgeous Jill McKenzie on the front (she’s 101!).

Telling the stories of rural women is crucial and there is no other media that I would have entrusted with our journey.

Thank you @__arpegejournals and @shepherdess.nz for seeing wāhine Māori and rural women ♥️ And whoever picked the photos was spot on, you captured what a riot Jack is perfectly 😂

When I chatted with @__arpegejournals from @shepherdess.nz I told her that I didn’t think there was enough in my journey for it to be a story… and yet here it is - nine pages of family, loss and reconnection. There was a story in there after all! The thing about seeing something in print is that it solidifies what has passed. I didn’t expect the emotions that I have experienced watching my children read about their mother. If you’re curious head over to @shepherdess.nz, we’re in the Summer Edition with the gorgeous Jill McKenzie on the front (she’s 101!).

Telling the stories of rural women is crucial and there is no other media that I would have entrusted with our journey.

Thank you @__arpegejournals and @shepherdess.nz for seeing wāhine Māori and rural women ♥️ And whoever picked the photos was spot on, you captured what a riot Jack is perfectly 😂

When did we stop using fresh garlands?

Fresh garlands are easy to make, smell amazing, and when we’re done with them they can go straight into the compost (after removing the cable ties of course!).

Garland making would be a fun girls night or family craft and they’re SO inexpensive. If you’re short on foliage in your own garden you could ask a friend, use your community socials, or even just approach someone with a garden and ask if you can take some from their trees (I’ve done this many times - gardeners love a free pruning 😂).

Let me know if you have a go at making one 💖

#christmas #christmasdecor #diygarland #diychristmas #freshgarland

When did we stop using fresh garlands?

Fresh garlands are easy to make, smell amazing, and when we’re done with them they can go straight into the compost (after removing the cable ties of course!).

Garland making would be a fun girls night or family craft and they’re SO inexpensive. If you’re short on foliage in your own garden you could ask a friend, use your community socials, or even just approach someone with a garden and ask if you can take some from their trees (I’ve done this many times - gardeners love a free pruning 😂).

Let me know if you have a go at making one 💖

#christmas #christmasdecor #diygarland #diychristmas #freshgarland

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