Women play a pivotal role in Australian horticulture – but in a traditionally male-dominated sector, the vital work that women undertake in growing operations around Australia doesn’t always receive the recognition it deserves.

This year, all delegates are invited to the Women in Horticulture session being held on-site at Hort Connections 2018, where we’ll be hearing from some inspiring women about their work, their lives, and the crucial roles women perform in rural and regional communities around Australia.

The keynote speaker for this year’s event is Rachael Robertson, who was the youngest-ever person to lead an expedition to Davis Station in Antarctica. Rachael will speak to attendees about her wealth of experience in practical leadership, including twelve months leading a team in the harshest environment on Earth, and her session will be a great learning opportunity for any delegate looking to learn more about leadership under pressure.

Attendees will also get to hear from Pip Courtney, host of ABC’s Landline, and learn about her insights from her time as a reporter in regional Australia. Pip has been reporting for Landline for 25 years and has hosted the show since 2012, making her a familiar face to anyone in our industry. We’re happy to be welcoming her back to speak again to share her knowledge and experience with delegates.

We’re proud to have Liza Dale-Hallett from Museums Victoria on board for this event as well. Liza will be speaking about the groundbreaking Invisible Farmer project – the largest-ever study of Australian women on the land, helping to shed light on the work women have done throughout history to support and drive Australian farming. We look forward to hearing from Liza about its findings and about the importance of women in agriculture.

We’ll also be taking the chance to celebrate the women in our industry whose achievements have been recognised this year by being nominated for the 2018 Women in Horticulture Award, before the winner receives her award at the 2018 Hort Connections Gala Dinner. This award, sponsored by Steritech, celebrates a female industry member who has demonstrated outstanding ability or success in their field. If you know someone who deserves to be celebrated for their work, nominate them today!

Finally, as always, there’ll be a social element to the event. All delegates are invited to a networking opportunity where you can make connections and meet like-minded people from across the entire Australian horticulture industry.

Don’t miss out on this chance to be inspired by incredible women and to celebrate the vital role women play in our industry. If you haven’t already, make sure you’re registered for Hort Connections 2018!

This post appeared in the AUSVEG Weekly Update published 10 April 2018. Subscribe to the Update using our online form to receive the latest industry news in your inbox every week!