Amplifying Us with Lindy Nelson

Food is central to who we are as humans and yet food is not evenly distributed. As farmers & food producers, how do we deal with food fairness as well as address issues of sustainability, food equity & community access?

Here in this episode we chat with two women who have created community by helping people share & dsitribute extra produce. Today we talk to Anneliese Hough & Sarah Grant of Magic Beans. 

What started as a Facebook page to connect community to share & swap excess produce has grown into a vision of a global movement. Let's just into the podcast and hear about this incredible story from these two incredible women. 

Today we talk with two sisters who have both chosen to persue a career in agri; Maegan Blom & Emma Blom. Already at a young age they have had many adventures and both currently studying at Lincoln University (NZ). 

What are their aspirations for a career in agri? Where do they see opportunities from a young persptive? All questions answered in this episode! 

We often think there is a right way to pursue a career in the agri sector, and that right way is by following a linear path.. I believe this is really flawed thinking, espeically for women.

As we go through life we have both experiences that inspire & challenge us. Those experiences shape where we want to play & the difference we want to make. 

Today we connect with a brave young lady, Cheyenne Wilson. Cheyenne started her career in the dairy sector. In this episode we speak about the challenges Cheyenne faced & how she perserved through the difficulties with changing career direction

In a world where we are being asked to increasingly pivot and change how we produce food we can draw inspiration from a woman who has mastered this art.

From arriving in New Zealand as a pack backer, to  milking cows, having their own farm, to muscles and tourism Helen and her husband Art are a finely tuned team. With a shared love of adventure, a dose of courage and optimism they have forged a non- traditional  pathway. Helen knows how to grow great teams including her family.

In this episode the tables are turned and I am interviewed by my friend and colleague Sara Heard to share some of my story about my mission to serve women in food production around the world, how my early experiences helped shaped my thinking and what leadership means to me today.

When we think about the future we imagine what could be. In this podcast I talk to a woman who has influenced the past and I think this past has lessons for us we don’t want to forget. Through her early life representing NZ in the Miss World and Universe Pageants, Gaye was able to put NZ wool on a global stage. Later farming with her husband Tom, her experiences of fashion, her ability to put people at ease she has supported new ventures like the deer industry and large community events.

What happens when preparedness for leadership meets opportunity to apply it? In this podcast we will meet Karen Williams who show us about courage, collaboration and building credibility. How a potential disaster meets a woman who was prepared to put her own self -interests aside, find her courage muscle and collaborate for the greater good of her community, growers and an Industry.

There was a lightbulb moment for Susan a few years ago working on a water project “how can I create sustainable land use options for farmers and remove the barrier to market”? Her solution lead to co- founding left field innovations a purpose led enterprise creating a better New Zealand through sustainable food production that delivers higher nutrition and value 

But before she was brave enough to become an entrepreneur Susan faced what many women in agriculture face doubts around her creditability as her initial skills/career was developed outside of agriculture. Susan’s story demonstrates how when we recognise the value of our transferable skills/ strengths and the leadership skills we learn within our families -we learn to trust ourselves and find our purpose.

There was a day when overwhelmed with too much on her plate and a big life impact, Lynda got some great advice “stop spinning so many plates, people don’t remember how many plates you spin, only the ones you drop”.  In this episode I explore growing leadership through understanding your why, what and how. 

We talk to Lynda McDonald, whose lifelong curiosity has taken her many places and shaped the way she sees and now does things.  These days she is very intentional on keeping her bucket full - leading with integrity and being true to herself.  She’s a Kiwi girl with global influence in the dairy sector, she doesn’t like to focus on what she has done, it is more around ‘who she is’ and ‘what she stands for’. 

Leadership has always been in Rachel’s DNA. From a love of debating at college, international trade as a young professional, founding a start- up sustainable fishing business to now leading Kono. An innovator, a change maker, proudly amplifying and advocating for Māori business. In this podcast we unpick personality, how women find their voice and why we should embrace our inner unicorn.