Black Heels and Tractor Wheels - Presented by Rural Women New Zealand

Send us a text Karen is a farmer with her husband Mick and lives in Gladstone, Wairarapa along with her teenage children.  Originally a town girl with a resource management degree, her passion for improving the environment (and marrying a farmer) encouraged her to embrace farm life. Karen now works for FMG, but she is also is the immediate Past Vice President of Federated Farmers NZ and was former...

Send us a text Laura MacDonald, also known as Kiwi Country Girl, lives with her family in Te Akau. Laura is a born and raised rural gal, growing up on a 60-acre sheep and beef farm.  While her husband Josh works for his family’s business, Laura is very grateful to be able to stay at home with her three children, and earn some income from her social media presence.  Laura talks to us about her jour...

Send us a text Christina Perriam is a strong rural woman with merino wool in her blood, who is now a pillar of the Central Otago community after an upbringing at Bendigo Station.  Christina walks us through her fashion journey from Tarras school, learning from her creative and entrepreneurial parents, to now running one of New Zealand’s most iconic fashion brands. We also talk through Christina’s...

Send us a text Nadia Lim needs no introduction. She’s an all round superwoman, who now lives in the beautiful Central Otago with her husband Carlos and two small sons. After the incredibly successful sale of My Food Bag, Nadia and Carlos purchased “Royalburn Station”, and are now sharing their farming journey with the rest of Aoteoroa.  In this podcast, we discuss Nadia’s food philosophies, the st...

Send us a text Pip Cameron lives in the high country with her two small daughters and husband Joe on Otematata Station in the Waitaki Valley. Along with many other hats, Pip is the incredible station cook, who whips up practical, rustic smokos for the hardworking crew. She’s also an author, mother, advocate and is incredibly proud of her rural roots and the values she’s passing onto her two girls....

Send us a text Laura Morrison farms with her husband Rich in the beautiful Rangitikei region, with her two small boys on their sheep and beef farm with a twist. The Morrison’s run “The Gullies”, and alongside their ethical livestock genetics, they also invite artists to share their landscape at the Cottage each year. Laura opens up and shares with us her biggest life moments alongside the challeng...

Send us a text Today we’re speaking with Fiona Gower, immediate past president of Rural Women New Zealand and community champion.  We talk with Fiona about the importance of setting your own path, power of communities and connection, and the awesome opportunities she’s had through RWNZ. Today’s Shout Out goes to the wonderful Rural Support Trust, who are the fence at the top of the cliff rather th...

Send us a text Today on the podcast, Sarah Reed of The Grumpy Merino (TGM) joins us to have a chat!  Sarah, her husband Jono and their three children live on the Grampians in Culverden, North Canterbury. The Grumpy Merino (TGM) is driven by a desire to better utilise merino wool, transforming it into high-quality yarn and blankets. The wool can be traced every step of the way, eventually being cra...

Send us a text Black Heels and Tractor Wheels is back! Season 4 is kicking off with a bang, with the first episode featuring the lovely Meredith Carpenter.  Meredith is behind Ruanui Station products, which are 100% New Zealand made from start to finish. The sheep are farmed and shorn at Ruanui Station near Taihape, just as they have been for three generations, which are then woven into luxuriousl...

Send us a text Today Claire and Emma take a look back at Season 3 and talk about some of their favourite themes that have popped up over throughout each episode.  Thank you to everyone who has tuned in over the past couple of months! Season 4 will be kicking off in two weeks, so stay tuned for more incredible rural stories!  If you enjoyed this episode, feel free to visit our Instagram, Facebook,...

Send us a text Today we are speaking to Becks Smith, who is based in Ranfurly with her husband and children. Becks is an extremely busy woman, working as a vet, running a social enterprise, farming on a 700ha Sheep, Beef and Deer property, and raising children. Becks is the founder of the Whole Story NZ, a Social Enterprise using the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals as a framework for...

Send us a text Today we are speaking to Becks Tosswill, who is based in the Wairarapa with her three children and husband Richard.  She is the founder and owner of Farmers Daughter Design Studio, which is based on the 650-hectare Wairarapa hill country farm that she and her husband own. Their farm is known for its innovation, having won the Supreme Award at the Greater Wellington Ballance Farm Env...

Send us a text Today we are speaking to Kiri Elworthy, who is based in Martinborough with her husband James. Kiri and her husband own and run Tora Coastal Walk, a three-day, fully catered walk and two 650ha farms, which are where the Coastal Walk is based.  Kiri started her journey in Riversdale, eventually heading to Lincoln University. However, at the end of her first year, she got pregnant with...

Send us a text Today we are speaking to Clare Bradley, CEO of AgriSea, who is based in Paeroa with her husband Tane and their three children.  Clare started her career after studying Biology at Auckland University. She previously lived and worked for 2 years in the Amazon Rainforest, with a remote community helping them to develop enterprises that would conserve their rainforest.  AgriSea was foun...

Send us a text Today we are speaking with Jenny McDonald, currently our star National Finance Chair here at Rural Women. Jenny lives in Canterbury with her husband Mark and has three grown children, Jack, George, and Annie.  Jenny has always been determined to forge her own career as an accountant as well as supporting her husband on the farm. She talks about the challenges of balancing this with...

Send us a text Today, we speak to Raewyn van Vugt who operates a dairy farming business with her husband Rob in Otago.  Raewyn grew up on the West Coast of the South Island, as a  coal miners’ daughter in a small town called Reefton.  In 1991 she moved to Inch Clutha with her husband Rob, where their farming enterprise started.  Raewyn has been heavily involved in her community, being a member and...

Send us a text Today we are speaking to the incredible, 'limb-it-less' Shaz Dagg. She is New Zealand's first elite para-triathlete and Parafed Manawatū's sport development adviser.  In 2016, Shaz's left arm was crushed by a gate while she was working on a goat farm. After multiple complications, and nine surgeries, the arm was amputated above her elbow.  Prior to her farm...

Send us a text Today we are speaking with Maria Kuster, a rural businesswoman with a twist, who along with her partner Sean runs the incredible Pure Salt boat charter business in Tamatea/Dusky Sound.  Originally hailing from Germany,  Maria stepped on a plane as a young woman arriving in the South Island and found that Aotearoa was where her future and heart lay.  Since then Maria and Sean have cr...

Send us a text Today Sophie Hurley joins us on the podcast, who is one half of the duo behind Honest Wolf. Sophie is based in the Turakina Valley in the North Island, where she lives with her husband Sam and son Harry.   Sophie Sam launched Honest Wolf, a line of accessories made from wool from the family farm, in 2020. Honest Wolf’s goal is to make wool the sustainable go-to fiber in the luggage...

Send us a text Today, Sarah Martelli joins us on the podcast, who amongst many other things is the incredible woman behind Strong Woman. Sarah is a mum to three young children and lives with her husband Mathew, her kids, a spoodle puppy, pet pig and chickens, on a 400 cow dairy farm in Reporoa, New Zealand.   Life is pretty hectic with juggling kids' activities, helping on the farm, the house...

Send us a text Today’s guest is our 2021 Supreme Winner at the NZI Rural Women NZ Business Awards, Amber Forrest. Amber is based in Wairoa and provides the only full-time beauty therapy clinic with fully qualified staff in the region, a salon called Beauty Antix.  Amber has built an award-winning business which is immersed in the diversity of its clientele and community. It provides a wide range o...

Send us a text Today we are very lucky to speak to Tia Potae, the winner of the inaugural Primary Industries award at the 2021 New Zealand Women of Influence Awards. Tia is based in the sunny Coromandel, but hails from Milton at the bottom of the South Island.  The Potae name is extremely well known in shearing circles, with her grandfather’s brother George Potae winning the Golden Shears in 1969....

Send us a text We speak with Tyler Langford, a city gal turned farmer, supermum to three boys, and one half of the YOLO team.  YOLO (You Only Live Once) was the project that Tyler and her husband embarked on when Wayne was battling depression in 2017.  Tyler tells us that challenges with mental health in the farming community are far more common than we think and she generously shares with us her...

Send us a text Today we speak to Olivia Caldwell, a journalist based in beautiful Central Otago. Olivia shares with us her career journey from rural life to urban and then bouncing back again to her rural roots.  We have a really great yarn about the single life, the challenges younger women face today as the dating game changes, and Olivia's tips for having fun along the way.  If you enjoyed...

Send us a text Today on the podcast we talk with Loshni Manikam, originally hailing from Durban in South Africa, and now residing in sunny Southland.  Loshni speaks to us about the courage it takes to move halfway around the world and then move cross country, with a one-year-old and a three-year-old in tow.  Loshni discusses both the fulfilling and frustrating aspects of motherhood, as well as fin...