Black Heels and Tractor Wheels - Presented by Rural Women New Zealand

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Laura Morrison farms with her husband Rich in the beautiful Rangitikei region, with her two small boys on their sheep and beef farm with a twist.

The Morrison’s run “The Gullies”, and alongside their ethical livestock genetics, they also invite artists to share their landscape at the Cottage each year.

Laura opens up and shares with us her biggest life moments alongside the challenges and opportunities for Aotearoa’s primary industries.

Today’s shout out is to the “Mother’s Matter” campaign, whose mission is for better health and wellbeing outcomes for mothers in Aotearoa. 

Just a trigger warning, in this podcast episode we will be discussing baby loss, as Laura very graciously shares her story. She shares the loss of her baby and her path dealing with that loss.

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Today we’re speaking with Fiona Gower, immediate past president of Rural Women New Zealand and community champion. 

We talk with Fiona about the importance of setting your own path, power of communities and connection, and the awesome opportunities she’s had through RWNZ.

Today’s Shout Out goes to the wonderful Rural Support Trust, who are the fence at the top of the cliff rather than the ambulance at the bottom, 

Rural Support Trusts have local, rural people who know from experience that pressures can mount up. Their networks and training can help with all kinds of situations, and help you get through your current challenges.

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Today on the podcast, Sarah Reed of The Grumpy Merino (TGM) joins us to have a chat! 

Sarah, her husband Jono and their three children live on the Grampians in Culverden, North Canterbury. The Grumpy Merino (TGM) is driven by a desire to better utilise merino wool, transforming it into high-quality yarn and blankets. The wool can be traced every step of the way, eventually being crafted into a natural, high-quality, New Zealand-made product. 

Sarah has an amazing candid chat about her business journey, the biggest lessons and tips she has learnt along the way, as well as the incredible connections she has made with other rural women business owners. 

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Black Heels and Tractor Wheels is back! Season 4 is kicking off with a bang, with the first episode featuring the lovely Meredith Carpenter. 

Meredith is behind Ruanui Station products, which are 100% New Zealand made from start to finish. The sheep are farmed and shorn at Ruanui Station near Taihape, just as they have been for three generations, which are then woven into luxuriously soft blankets.

Meredith has a great chat with us about her isolated upbringing in Taihape, her experience starting her own business and her top tips for anyone else who may be thinking of doing the same thing!

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Today Claire and Emma take a look back at Season 3 and talk about some of their favourite themes that have popped up over throughout each episode. 

Thank you to everyone who has tuned in over the past couple of months! Season 4 will be kicking off in two weeks, so stay tuned for more incredible rural stories! 


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Today we are speaking to Becks Smith, who is based in Ranfurly with her husband and children. Becks is an extremely busy woman, working as a vet, running a social enterprise, farming on a 700ha Sheep, Beef and Deer property, and raising children.

Becks is the founder of the Whole Story NZ, a Social Enterprise using the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals as a framework for inspiring, facilitiating and articulating conscious, holistic sustainability on farms. 

We talk to Becks about the Whole Story, her passions, and her experience being a Zanda McDonald Award Finalist (and her love of a bit of drum and bass). 


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Today we are speaking to Becks Tosswill, who is based in the Wairarapa with her three children and husband Richard. 

She is the founder and owner of Farmers Daughter Design Studio, which is based on the 650-hectare Wairarapa hill country farm that she and her husband own. Their farm is known for its innovation, having won the Supreme Award at the Greater Wellington Ballance Farm Environment Awards and the 2021 Wairarapa Sheep & Beef Farm Business of the Year. 

Becks talks to us about following your passions, what makes a good brand, the journey of starting your own business and how Richard and Becks have incorporated innovation into their farming.  

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Today we are speaking to Kiri Elworthy, who is based in Martinborough with her husband James. Kiri and her husband own and run Tora Coastal Walk, a three-day, fully catered walk and two 650ha farms, which are where the Coastal Walk is based. 

Kiri started her journey in Riversdale, eventually heading to Lincoln University. However, at the end of her first year, she got pregnant with her daughter Margot. Kiri discusses her journey so candidly and honestly, discussing her experiences flatting and studying whilst being a single mother, taking over a family business and the conservation efforts herself and James implement on their farm. 

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Today we are speaking to Clare Bradley, CEO of AgriSea, who is based in Paeroa with her husband Tane and their three children. 

Clare started her career after studying Biology at Auckland University. She previously lived and worked for 2 years in the Amazon Rainforest, with a remote community helping them to develop enterprises that would conserve their rainforest. 

AgriSea was founded more than 20 years ago by Clare’s mother and father-in-law. The company produces seaweed-based concentrates used in the agriculture, horticulture, viticulture, and apiculture sectors.

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Today we are speaking with Jenny McDonald, currently our star National Finance Chair here at Rural Women. Jenny lives in Canterbury with her husband Mark and has three grown children, Jack, George, and Annie. 

Jenny has always been determined to forge her own career as an accountant as well as supporting her husband on the farm. She talks about the challenges of balancing this with farm life and raising a family in a new island where initially, she didn't know a lot of people. 

While shes always been a get things done kind of person, she also acknowledges a couple of times in her life where she has experienced some difficult challenges, which she talks about very openly with us today, along with ways that we can all help those in our communities who need our support. 

If you enjoyed this episode, feel free to visit our Instagram, Facebook, and website, or even become a member! 

www.ruralwomennz.nz 

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