“Nothing makes me see red more than rural women who describe themselves as “just the book-keeper”.
So says Dee Commins who has successfully negotiated the dual worlds of corporate banking and farming.
After growing up on the family farm in Swifts Creek, she moved to Melbourne to study a Bachelor of Commerce and then pursued employment within the banking industry in the agribusiness sector.
After establishing her career in the National Australia Bank, a unique opportunity then presented itself for her to join Agrifunder, a start-up company in ag finance. The business provided working capital to agricultural businesses in Australia through a cloud-based funding platform. It was a high adrenaline, highly demanding job, but it gave great insight into the bones of the agricultural banking world and the financial tools needed for progressive modern agriculture.
So when the opportunity came to bring those skills back to the family farm, she jumped at the chance. She was able to assist in a digital transition on the farm, bringing a cloud-based accounting solution, remote stock-water and livestock weight monitoring, and strategic planning skills for succession and farm business operations.
“Women can do anything on farm,” she said.
“Brute strength isn’t the major component needed in modern agriculture. Farmers are no longer defined by their physical strength but by other necessary skills such as the ability to forge relationships, financial acumen, emotional intelligence, communication skills and the ability to adapt technology to problem-solve on farms.”
So how does Dee Commins, with all those on-farm and off-farm skills, describe herself today?
In her new position with Rabobank of senior manager, major agribusiness clients, for Victoria and Tasmania, she sees herself as a modern rural woman with one boot on the farm, and the other in the corporate world.
“I’m very fortunate to be able to enjoy both the dynamics of the family farm, at times from afar, but also the opportunities in a banking career. But only by getting our farming enterprise digital friendly has allowed me to do this,” Dee said.
Someone who has struggled to define her role in agriculture is Jess Knight.
“Farm wife”, “dairy farm owner”, “stay-at-home Mum” and sometimes “farmer” are all titles she has used to describe her own role in agriculture, but it is possibly her role as a podcaster that is most likely to impact the industry.
On her Cultivate Contentment podcast she discusses her role and how she is perceived by visitors to their dairy farm.
Often she is the first point of contact for sales representatives, bank managers or milk field officers who visit the farm, many of whom are keen to talk to her husband, presuming him to be the decision-maker.
If he is busy, she normally asks what the topic is the visitor wishes to discuss, and if it is a topic she is able to handle she offers her time to discuss it. Sometimes the visitor still insists on speaking to her husband, and in those instances, they have a policy of not dealing with that company or that representative.
As Jess points out, it is a culture that needs to change within agriculture. Not recognising the role of women in decision-making roles within a business can lead to poor decision-making.
As Jess points out, “Before 1994 women couldn’t claim to be a farmer in the national census, so it’s no surprise that some men still find it difficult to acknowledge women’s role in farm businesses, but it really needs to change in 2024”.
Both Jess Knight, Dee Commins and Deanne Sykes from Mawarra Herefords, will form part of the “I’m a Farmer, Too” panel session to be held at the Gippsland Red Meat Conference on Tuesday, February 18 at the Riviera Convention Centre in Bairnsdale.
Event manager Nicole White explains the intent behind the “I’m a Farmer, too” panel:
“I’m a Farmer Too” highlights the often-overlooked roles of women in agriculture,” Nicole said.
“As wives, mums and multi-tasking professionals, these women manage farms, raise families, and contribute to other industries, all while supporting the backbone of the agricultural sector. They wear countless hats, balancing responsibilities with strength and resilience.
“This session shines a light on their invaluable contributions, recognising how they help drive innovation, support communities and maintain the heart of farming life.
“By celebrating their dedication and hard work, we aim to give credit to women in ag who often go unrecognised yet are central to its success.”
Tickets go on sale Monday, December 16, at 9am via Humanitix.
