youngsRPS Women In Agriculture - Flipbook - Page 9
What is your current role within the agricultural
industry?
Since the summer of 2021, I’ve worked as the Audience and
Community Editor for Farmers Weekly. Everyday for me is
different- and that’s what I love about my role! As a ‘heels’
role, you’ll find me writing online articles, managing social
media to engage our readers and creating content for
digital platforms. You’ll also find me on the Boots and
Heels UK tour video series, visiting different farms,
interviewing fantastic people in the industry and trying my
hand at jobs on farm.
LIZZIE
MCLAUGHLIN
Audience and Community Editor,
Farmers Weekly & Co-presenter of Boots
and Heels podcast
My highlights so far have been milking my first cow, driving
my first tractor with Ally Hunter Blair and visiting Kelvin
and Liz Fletcher at their home farm.
It’s also been a pleasure to become a Yellow Wellies
Ambassador to promote the importance of mental
wellbeing and join the NFU Farmers For Schools
programme to educate school children on what farming has
to offer.
As a woman in agriculture, have you come across any
challenges or obstacles?
Not personally, although, I have interviewed many female
farmers who have faced different challenges. Instead,
coming from a non-farming background, it was surprising
just how depictions of the farming industry can often be
stereotyped to the public. I grew up with many children’s
books and media, characterising a ‘farmer’ as male and
thus, I was thrilled to see so many different females and
roles when joining the industry. As a result, I’ve been keen
to help change perspectives and break the barriers- I was
voted onto the Women in Ag Scotland Committee in 2020,
have shared my story across several channels, such as on
the BBC or ITV and continue to celebrate all genders in
farming.
What changes, if any, would you like to see within the
industry to ensure the success of women in agriculture?
Eventually, I think it would be great to see the term
‘women in ag’ no longer needed. Instead, I hope that we
can bridge the gap between agriculture and the public so
that when we say ‘farmer’ it is no longer automatically
assumed that they would be male. No matter your
background, age, sexuality or gender, we should welcome
diversity across the industry.
Knowing what you do now, and the experience you have,
what advice would you go back and give your younger
self before embarking on a career in agriculture?
Be open minded, take every opportunity and keep asking
questions.
Image credit: Olivia Brabbs
What do you believe is the measure of a successful
woman in agriculture?
To me, a successful woman in agriculture is someone who
is passionate about what they do, isn’t afraid to learn from
their mistakes and has found happiness in knowing that
they are enough. In a society built around social media,
comparison is far too common, and I believe that if you
love what you do, do your best to be kind to others and
remember that success isn’t measured by the number of
likes you receive, you’ll find every day more rewarding.
And finally, what is your favourite thing about working
within the agricultural industry?
The people. It was the people behind our produce that
made me fall in love with our industry. Everyone has a
different story to tell, and farming is full of a wealth of
diverse experiences and journeys that you can’t help but
want to be a part of it. I always say, I fell into the industry
and my heels managed to stay stuck.
The Boots and Heels podcast is available on YouTube