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Across the Fence:  Rural Womens Network  |
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westernhorse51
True Blue Farmgirl
1681 Posts
michele
farmingdale
n.j.
USA
1681 Posts |
 Posted - Mar 09 2006 : 08:29:46 AM
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Have any of you ever heard of the rural womens network? I found it accidently this morning while looking for something. It is a wonderful network for women in the Australian outback who farm and live there. They have these annual gatherings for women and they are huge. They offer alot of help to their women farmers, they have awards, support services etc. Some of the women who moved out there have illness' and wanted to get back to the land, they have families & some school kids go to school via the radio! It's wild. They have so many links but if you type in Rural Womens Network, you will bring it right up. As I was reading some of the stuff, I was thinking about Maryjane and how she has given us "our network". It may be a bit different but we learn from each other, give support to each other, help each other and always have a place to come together. She even has farm fair, a gathering.
We dont get alot of help from our goverment, I spent most of the morning e-mailing N.J. congressmen about the demise of the family farms here, but we get help from one another, and Im sure grateful for that.
she selects wool and flax and works with eager hands Prov.31:13 |
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sugarsfarm
True Blue Farmgirl
272 Posts
Leah
Woodward
Iowa
USA
272 Posts |
Posted - Mar 09 2006 : 9:37:55 PM
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What a great post michele. I couldnt agree more about the decline of family farms, and i admire you for emailing your congressman. I live near Des Moines and the surrounding suburbs are steadily growing, and farmesteads are being torn down for stip malls and housing developments. Is there anything we can do to stop this and is it true that the government can make you hand over your property? I worry so much about this, even though i live far enough away from the city, since my farm has been in the family for over 100 years, but some day ot could happen. Sorry to stray off the subject of the Rural womens network, which i am heading to right now, but i was just wondering what other women thought of this.
You must be the change you want to see in the world.
Mahatma Gandhi |
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bubblesnz
True Blue Farmgirl
291 Posts
helen
New Zealand
291 Posts |
Posted - Mar 10 2006 : 4:57:44 PM
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Hi Michele, we have the same thing in New Zealand too. Kids in really remote areas do correspondence schooling thru computers. Also nearly every rural ditrict has a Womens rural group.
We met and talk about women in farming and issues we have with it. Share recipes, the local news (gossip :) )
We also have a website with heaps of info, called, Not just gumboots and scones. :) |
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westernhorse51
True Blue Farmgirl
1681 Posts
michele
farmingdale
n.j.
USA
1681 Posts |
Posted - Mar 10 2006 : 7:48:39 PM
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Helen, I think that is so great. When I was reading about the outback and the support they get, I couldn't believe it. Leah, I dont know what else to do for family farms except bug the goverment. I hate the fact that more shopping centers and ugly Mcmansions keep going up, they build them & some of them just sit because no one can afford them! I am making it a weekly ritual to write my rep.'s, governor and congressman till they are so sick of me. I just got really upset last wk. because I rode past one of the biggest & prettiest farms in monmouth co. n.j. and the horses were gone, the house empty, tractors gone, not a soul around. I called my county to see about it, they said its sold to a developer, farmers was struggling for a long time. I cried. He used to have polo matches there, rodeos. Sold great produce, it just sickend me. I felt like I lost a friend. Something has got to be done. If Willie Nelson can't wake them up with farmaid, Im not sure what I can do but it's got to change.
she selects wool and flax and works with eager hands Prov.31:13 |
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bubblesnz
True Blue Farmgirl
291 Posts
helen
New Zealand
291 Posts |
Posted - Mar 10 2006 : 9:15:44 PM
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| Same thought of thing is happening with farms here too. There is a high demand for lifestyle blocks and farmers can make more money, chopping up their farms then working it. Shouldnt be allowed. Unfortunately young people just arent interested in farming as a life style, want big bucks with the weekend off. :) |
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westernhorse51
True Blue Farmgirl
1681 Posts
michele
farmingdale
n.j.
USA
1681 Posts |
Posted - Mar 11 2006 : 05:24:44 AM
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I know Helen, it's very frightening. I dont know where people think their food will come from. Big agri-business farms with no thought of food safety and lets not forget GE foods! My job does alot of surveys like the PEW, Princeton & others and we did a very big study on GE foods, people dont have a clue, nor do they seem to care. it boogles my mind. I read so much about women in agriculture and I believe it too be true but it's still not enough yet, somehow we have got to get younger women interested in ag. Let them work along side other women who they can learn from and hopefully together bring back the family farms. At least that is my hope & prayer.
she selects wool and flax and works with eager hands Prov.31:13 |
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bubblesnz
True Blue Farmgirl
291 Posts
helen
New Zealand
291 Posts |
Posted - Mar 11 2006 : 2:59:27 PM
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| Totally agree with you on that Michele. |
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ThymeForEweFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
705 Posts
Robin
An organic farm in the forest in
Maine
USA
705 Posts |
Posted - Mar 12 2006 : 04:57:45 AM
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I'm not familiar with Rural Women's Network but I do have experience with WAgN. WAgN is a great organization for women in agriculture. New chapters are open around the country. http://www.uvm.edu/~wagn/
Robin
www.thymeforewe.com
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Libbie
Farmgirl Connection Cultivator
3579 Posts
Anne E.
Elsinore
Utah
USA
3579 Posts |
Posted - Mar 12 2006 : 06:36:27 AM
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It is so amazing what women can do when we put out minds, hearts and hands together, isn't it?!? I'm going to check out both the RWN and WAgN today...Thanks for the links and information!
XOXO, Libbie
"Nothing is worth more than this day." - Goethe |
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westernhorse51
True Blue Farmgirl
1681 Posts
michele
farmingdale
n.j.
USA
1681 Posts |
Posted - Mar 12 2006 : 09:01:52 AM
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Robin, thanks for the web-site. I was on it for almost 2 hrs. last night.
she selects wool and flax and works with eager hands Prov.31:13 |
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Across the Fence: Rural Womens Network |
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Rural Womens Network
