#Strongwomen. "I write about the power of trying, because I want to be okay with failing. I write about generosity because I battle selfishness. I write about joy because I know sorrow. I write about faith because I almost lost mine, and I know what it is to be broken and in need of redemption. I write about gratitude because I am thankful – for all of it." Kristin Armstrong
I want to throw something out there to the business world for feedback.
If your business was in crisis for multiple reasons.
Many that were outside your control like:
Would your solution be a national TV adverstising campaign that essentailly tells TV audiences what nice people you are
Would that be your smart business decision to turn your business around?
Are you watching The Hunting? – its haunting. Lots of lessons on how not to parent. Lots of reminders of the dangers of peer pressure for young people. Its a scary world out there for young people who overshare on social media. The series comes with its own How to Guide for Teachers and Parents
I am watching the parents’ reactions and thinking what would I have done. As a former SnowPlow parent I say kudos to SBS for tackling this. It aint easy being a parent nor a teacher and this program gives you insights from all sides.
One school’s answer to over zealous parents – have listen it will make you smile
Modern teaching in Australia follows the How2Learn ethos – nicely explained by my local school here
I may have made a lot of mistakes as a parent but very proud to be part of a team of wonderful volunteers celebrating they have been designing and delivering world class How2Learn programs for 10 years.
Under the skin, we are all flesh and blood with a miraculous beating heart, doing the best we can, every single day. The only kind of expectation we can really have is of ourselves. I am excited our schools are building resilient and responsible young people with the skills to thrive in the 21st century and I can just going skiing
Tonight I am staying in a hotel in Sydney CBD. I am a bit of a coffee freak so prefer to stay in hotels that provide a Nespresso Machine or equivalent. These day most hotels ask your preferences and mine is always is to ask for a minumum of 250mls of fresh milk ( not UHT in my fridge) and I bring my own milk frother just in case one is not provided
Tonight’s hotel apparrently asks for customer requests and then ignores them.
So I make the call.
Me: “Please send me up more coffee pods and 250ml of fresh milk.”
Housekeeping: “Madam are you aware there will be a charge of $5 for the fresh milk?”
Me: “You must be kidding. There is a Woolies around the corner I will get my milk there? How much for the extra coffee pods?”
Housekeeping: “No charge Madam”
This 6th generation dairy farmer is flabbergasted. $5 for 250ml of fresh milk. Please dont tell the cows
Its almost two months since I put fingers to the keyboard for my personal blog. To be honest I have been embarrassed by the discourse between farmers and farmers on social media. I also see a lack of leadership by industry in encouraging respectful conversations between farmers and the community and it saddens me.
‘Great leaders inspire others to raise their own bar.’
This post is a special shout out to the team at Bulla Burra for continuously showing great leadership. You can see the full post on Facebook here
Last week I had the pleasure, courtesy of Wingecarribee Shire Council of being on the panel post the showing of the 2040 Film. The film has some confronting things to say about some of our current agricultural systems. Its also uses very inclusive language to invite everyone to work together and use the film as a launch pad for bold visions
This will require respectful conversations between everyone – thank you Bulla Burra for showing us how it is done.
John concludes his letter by saying
The main point of this letter is to say that agriculture is a professional, thriving industry – but we are not very good at talking about it. We tend to live in our own little farming bubble and talk and whinge amongst ourselves. We get frustrated when we see something on “Sunrise” or “The Project” which affects us, and we go off half cocked on FB or Twitter – mainly to people within our own industry. And when we do get to talk to you we are usually being reactive or do a poor job of articulating our argument. We are sorry about that.
From our perspective we also need to do a far better job of listening. You rightly have questions and concerns about what we do, as the results of our efforts ends up feeding and clothing your families. How can you not be rattled by what you see on social media about GMO’s and Roundup, especially if we don’t have meaningful conversations with you about what we do and why. Of course those of you who love animals will be furious (as we are) when you see examples of animal cruelty. And yes, the whole idea of climate change is scary for us all.
Make no mistake, farmers are some of the most intelligent, educated, climatically aware, hardworking people on the planet – and focused on developing new, innovative and environmentally sustainable ways to continue to feed, clothe and fuel us all. As farmers, we don’t always get to have meaningful conversations with people outside of own agricultural bubble, so please feel free to pass this letter on to your friends both within and outside of ag. It is only by listening to each other that we create understanding, empathy and stronger communities.
With respect
John
Success is a journey and the Pygmalion Effect is a powerful motivator
#StrongerTogether
A few weeks ago it was suggested I write an opinion piece on what the Australian voter is looking for in a politician. It has become clearer and clearer that like the rest of the world Australian voters want politicians like Jacinda Arden.
Today I will cast my vote in the NSW State Elections. In the lower house my sitting member belongs to a party who for the last 20 years has fought elections at national level on race to the bottom on who can spread the most fear, paranoia and disunity. A party with a coalition partner that is dogged by issues of public trust, personal integrity, respect for women, policy failure over water, live export and drought as well as support for mining over farming.
The Labor candidate texted me ( and the rest of the electorate) to tell me hospitals and schools are at the top of his agenda. Yet he belongs to a party that let another very serious incident showing disrespect for women give rise to grave concerns about the behavior they walk past. With a clearly not ready new Labor party leader thrown in the bear pit of fear, paranoia and disunity
And the Greens. Well I feel very much like First Dog on the Moon on this one. Its hard to support a party whose policies too often alienate the people who look after more than 50% of Australia’s landscape. Its hard to support a party whose core pillar is being green when I am not confident they understand what being green is.
We all want leaders who can run the country and keep us in the black and be green at the same time. What we also are screaming out for VERY LOUDLY is that those people have principles we are proud of.
I have no idea at this point in time what I will do with my lower house vote. What I will do is follow Jane Caro’s lead and do what our Prime Minister wont commit to. I will put the extremists in One Nation or elsewhere last on my ballot paper.
What do you do to relax ?
What does peaceful and calm look like to you.?
I can guarantee I never look peaceful and calm. I know insomnia is my best inspiration. I do enjoy reading and so do my friends. I love to hear what other people enjoy reading.
I am going to regularly update this post with books that have left a memorable impression on me this year with the most memorable being the first five in my list and the others, books I enjoyed.
I would love to know what you enjoy reading.
6. The Scholar by Dervla McTiernan – I like this genre and I loved Dervla’s debut novel The Ruin which I read last year. Dervla McTiernan is a lawyer from Galway, who moved Western Australia following the global financial crisis of 2008.
This morning the Young Farming Champions Network posted this thank you on Facebook to their leadership team
Over the last 12 months the Youth Voices Leadership Team (YVLT) has transformed a vision into a reality.
As the team behind Picture You in Agriculture, @YouthVoicesYFC and the youth voice of theArt4Agriculture Young Farming Champions, their vision was to support young people to take the next step from leadership development to leadership practice and continue connecting agricultural and urban communities with a youth lead voice.
The YVLT have overcome many obstacles, volunteered countless hours and have continuously gone above and beyond what was expected of them. Their dedication is a testament and an inspiration to young people working in the agricultural sector.
On behalf of the entire YFC team (and future YFCs) we would like to say a massive THANK YOU to them for their dedication to a better future for our youth.
Today our Young Farming Champions Network hosts its inaugural AGM. Congratulations on reaching this important milestone and we look forward to a wonderful year ahead with the 2019 YVLT committee.
This post is tell them how grateful I am they have come into my life and put their hands up to be my succession plan
I have been on many committees and worked with a lot of people trying to do good in my lifetime. These young women are exceptional. I salute them. Tonight at their AGM their chair Dr Jo Newton will give her annual report I look forward to sharing this with you tomorrow. You will be as proud of them and all the #YouthinAgVoices that they are collaborating with as I am
Love this infographic – Source
