We're highlighting some amazing Australian authors this summer and it just so happens Life on the Land's Sammie O'Brien's favourite interview for 2024 was acclaimed children's author Alison Lester.

If you haven't had the pleasure of reading Magic Beach or My Farm to yourself or a young person in your life, then you are missing out. But it was her long term work with indigenous communities that suprised and delighted Sammie.

Originally from a picturesque property near Foster in Victoria’s South Gippsland region, where the undulating hills converge with the vast expanse of the sea, Alison now calls Nar Nar Goon North, her home. An hour out of Melbourne in West Gippsland, she, her husband and their horses, revel in the serenity of their sprawling 10-acre property.

It's summer time! Which of course means the Graziher team pick a favourite Life on the Land podcast episode to reshare with you.

This week it's Amie's pick. Amie is one of the digital producers here at Graziher and has dug deep into the archives to Em Herbert's original conversation with Tracey Hayes three years ago.

This conversation resonated with Amie for many reasons, not least because of Tracey's extreme resilience, intelligence and tenacity — but because of the way she articulates her amazing story that includes everything from devastating grief, to taking on the Federal government as the first female CEO of the Northern Territory Cattleman's Association.

Don't forget there's an issue of Graziher magazine on sale now, with a special subscription offer– our annual Women on the Land diary packed with important country dates. Just go to graziher.com.au and we will send one out to you!⁠ Plus if you subscribe for 2 or 3 years, you’ll get a bonus pair of Greenwood Designs pearl earrings.

The sounds of an Australian summer- it can be the blast of a branding furnace, cricket on the radio, delighted giggles from children playing on the beach. Or if you are lucky, the bliss that comes from being absorbed in the pages of a new book. In today's Life on the Land podcast, Em Herbert chats with Clare Fletcher, the author of Five Bush Weddings and Love Match. Clare grew up in Queensland’s St George and while she’s based in the big smoke now, her books circle around one main theme – the Australian bush.

Clare's journey from journalism studies to published romantic comedy author is an interesting one. But she also talks about how she battles procrastination and perfectionism, what to do about the inner critic and her top reading recommendations for summer!

And if good reading is a New Year resolution for you, remember there is an issue of Graziher on sale with a special subscription offer – a Graziher Women on the Land diary packed with important country dates. Just go to graziher.com.au and we will send one out to you!

According to the Grattan Institute - statistically – those with a non-English language background have twice the chance at meeting grade level expectations for reading than those from regional and remote areas.

In this episode, Lucy Campbell tells Em Herbert how she is determined to turn the tables. The mum of two straddles two worlds – working for her city-based corporate job while living and working on the family farm in northwest New South Wales she shares with husband Tom and toddlers Libby and Jimmy. Lucy is passionate about every kid having a fighting chance to read well. Along with her business partner, Anna O’Connor, Lucy has launched a card game for families to get kids reading-ready before school - hiding the learning in the fun like hiding veggies in Bolognese!

For this season of Life on the Land, we're centring our stories around the extraordinary next generation of women on the land. These young women working across all sectors in the bush are changing the game. They’re disruptors, thought leaders and changemakers.

Melissa Neilsen is a remarkable woman whose journey has taken her from the small Central Queensland town of Biloela, to the expansive plains of North Western Queensland. Growing up on a hobby farm, she’s now settled on some 60,000 acres with her husband, Stewart, and their three children, where they farm Brahman beef cattle.⁠

⁠She’s a mother, wife, and the driving force behind Rural Women’s Exercise, an online fitness group focused on postpartum recovery, after her own experience with pelvic floor dysfunction following the birth of her third.⁠

⁠Melissa is also navigating the complex, often overwhelming journey of securing resources, education, and support for her second child, who has autism and ADHD- a challenge that is both frustrating and all-consuming.⁠

⁠Through it all, she remains a fierce advocate for rural women, mothers, and families facing unique obstacles in both the home and the broader community.⁠

In this season of Life on the Land, we’re shining a light on the new generation of women on the land in Australia.

Chanel Bowen is a producer and film maker based in Western Australia. The 31-year-old was awarded the Australians In Film Screenworks Regional Screen internship in 2022 -  going on to intern in Hollywood - and has worked on films like Mystery Road and High Ground; all while living and travelling from her home outside Dunsborough in the south west.

It hasn’t been smooth sailing for this creative, who acquired a traumatic brain injury after an accident five years ago. In this episode, Chanel takes our host Em Herbert through her candid approach to life and how she uses her work to champion others living with disability — combining her passions as a lived experience advocate to ensure greater representation on screen.

This season of Life on the Land is centred around the stories of the next generation of women on the land. These young women working across all sectors in the bush are changing the game. They’re disruptors, thought leaders and changemakers.

Five years ago, Jackie Elliott took the ultimate leap of faith. Despite being in a loving relationship, surrounded by good people, she felt isolated in her community and it was starting to effect her mental health.  The then 25-year-old with no experience planning events did something very brave. She put herself out there, hosting the inaugural Rural Women's Day event and watched the ripples expand throughout her community.   

Now, Rural Women’s Day Ltd is a registered not-for-profit, with events across Australia designed to connect country women with community, collaboration and celebration.

This season Life on the Land is focusing on stories around the extraordinary next generation of women on the land. These young women working across all sectors in the bush are changing the game. They’re disruptors, thought leaders and changemakers.

Our host Em Herbert sat down with Jackie after a Rural Women's Day event at Kimba, in South Australia.

Heidi Trusler knows all too well the challenges of getting consistent, quality health care in the bush. But instead of relying on other people to solve the problem, she founded the second online health service in Australia, POP. With 64 speech pathologists on staff, Heidi ironed out the kinks of telehealth operation well before the COVID pandemic and has assisted over 3000 families to access better care.

In this episode, Sammie O’Brien discovers Heidi’s passion and motivation come from a childhood in remote western Queensland watching her parents struggle with getting assistance for her brother Jack, who has Down Syndrome.

In this season of Life on the Land, we’re shining a light on the new generation of women on the land in Australia. Heidi is one of these dynamic and resilient forces reshaping agriculture and rural communities, bringing fresh perspectives and contributions that go far beyond traditional roles.

Did you know a teaspoon of soil contains more microorganisms than there are people on the planet?

Tegan Nock does. The 33-year-old has made the jump from farmer to founder – her company, LoamBio raising $105-million last year in its series B investment raise. Based in Orange, NSW, LoamBio is breaking new ground with a world-first technology which uses fungi to trap carbon and improve soil health. The company says its biological seed treatment could turn the world’s croplands into giant carbon sinks – which farmers can monetise and trade.

This series of Graziher's Life on the Land is focusing on stories around the extraordinary next generation of women on the land. These young women working across all sectors in the bush are changing the game. They’re whip smart and ready to change the world.

Pip Kensit is one of those remarkable women who can draw inspiration from whatever surroundings she finds herself. Be it during her idylic childhood on a sheep and cattle property in country New South Wales, or living with a Maasai tribe in Kenya or witnessing traumatic health events in remote Australia, Pip allows her experiences to drive her to better the world around her.

A registered nurse with a Master’s in International Public Health and Health Leadership and Managment, Pip has worked extensively in regional and remote communities and developing countries, and is currently working part time at the Rural Doctors Network, as well as various other leadership roles in rural health organizations.

In this episode Pip speaks to our host Sammie O'Brien about why she is now pursuing a degree in medicine and how she is taking the next generation of rural health professionals with her.